Annually, a retreat is held as part of the AI Center for Health Care, bringing together all participating researchers. This year, it took place on June 6 and 7, 2024, at the Industrie Club Bremen. The participants included not only the project leaders and PhD students but also other stakeholders from Bremen and representatives of joint High Profile Areas Health Sciences, Minds Media Machines, and Materials Science and their technologies.
The nearly 50 participants over both days had the opportunity to maintain existing contacts, make new ones, exchange ideas, network, and set strategic directions for further collaboration at the location. There were also numerous formats for personal development and career planning for the PhD students.
In 2021, the U Bremen Research Alliance tendered the funding of cooperative research projects for the first time. These projects aim to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) with health-related topics. The funds are provided by the State of Bremen and awarded through the U Bremen Research Alliance. Currently, nine cooperative research projects are underway, connecting 19 working groups from UBRA member institutions. The AI Center for Health Care is central to various measures within UBRA to support the use of AI across different scientific fields and to network stakeholders at the location.
The first day of the retreat began with a warm welcome from Prof. Dr. Tanja Schultz, Speaker of the UBRA Lead Project "Artificial Intelligence" and the High Profile Area (HPA) Minds Media Machines (MMM). Following this was an inspiring coaching session on "What Color is Your Parachute?" offered by Lena Wollschläger from the MMMIGS, Integrated Graduate School des HPA MMM at the University of Bremen. The goal was to help participants identify their professional goals and individual strengths and integrate them with personal career planning. “The interactive exercises and discussions were great. We had lively exchanges. I felt that it provided valuable suggestions and new perspectives for professional development, especially for the PhD students,” emphasized Prof. Dr.-Ing. Horst Hahn, Speaker of the UBRA Lead Project "Artificial Intelligence" and Institute Director of Fraunhofer MEVIS.
The morning of the second day focused on ongoing projects. In a plenary session with all participants, the current work statuses and project results of all nine research projects of the AI Center for Health Care were presented and discussed interdisciplinarily. “Each presentation offered insights into various research areas and stimulated professional discussions,” said UBRA Project Coordinator Dr. Monika Michaelis.
In the afternoon, the PhD students attended a Deep Work Coaching session. This coaching provided techniques and strategies to work deeply focused and efficiently on their dissertations. Participants learned to minimize distractions and increase their productivity.
Simultaneously, a strategy workshop was held with the Principal Investigators of the projects and other guests. In this workshop, participants exchanged ideas on future strategies and further research projects. Intensive discussions and joint brainstorming sessions provided significant impulses for further development.
The retreat concluded with a joint closing session where the insights and experiences of the two days were reflected upon. Everyone agreed: The retreat was a complete success. It offered participants a balanced mix of professional exchange, personal development, and creative activity. The positive atmosphere and inspiring content contributed to all participants returning to their work strengthened and motivated. “We have come a long way and achieved a lot – networking and cross-institutional research are no longer a vision but a lived reality within UBRA,” agreed Speakers Tanja Schultz and Horst Hahn.
Cooperating in U Bremen Research Alliance:
