DAISEC 2.0 - the European Digital Innovation Hub for AI and Cybersecurity

forthcoming

In January 2023, the European Digital Innovation Hub for AI and Cybersecurity (initially called DIH4AISec, and soon later updated to DAISEC, www.daisec.de/en) was established for the Metropolitan Region Hannover-Göttingen-Braunschweig-Wolfsburg, combining a consortium with internationally leading expertise in AI , cybersecurity (including AI safety) , production , and skilled crafts . Furthermore DAISEC will offer training and support for legal aspects of AI deployment, with a dedicated legal expert position. In the first two years of operation, DAISEC established itself as a crucial component of the existing regional digital innovation landscape, enabling the application of state-of-the-art AI and Cybersecurity technology to gain competitive advantages. With more than 8000 customers served so far in over 600 individual and group services, DAISEC has significantly contributed to digital innovation in companies and the public sector regionally, nationally, and on the European level, and established an excellent reputation for high-quality offerings, as seen in the overwhelmingly positive feedback to our services. By now, DAISEC is fully integrated in the economic development infrastructure, with strong collaborative ties that have been established with over 30 associated partners including regional government organizations, regional and national economic sector organizations, chambers of commerce and skilled crafts, economic networks, and innovation funding entities. Based on these successes, DAISEC has now become the go-to place for AI and Cybersecurity support in the region. We propose to continue and extend the DAISEC operations for the next EDIH funding period (2026-2028) and move it during that period to an increasingly self-sustaining state that will ensure a long-term operation beyond the EU funding period, partially through the gradual shift from free to paid services and in addition securing partial regional and national funding by the end of 2028.