Merz urges companies to embrace AI, NVIDIA invests in four German startups

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated at the Invest in Germany Summit in Berlin that Germany hopes to become a leader in integrating AI in key industries, specifically naming manufacturing, machinery, and the automotive industry. He urged small and medium-sized enterprises to utilize existing data, saying, "Please open the door for AI to use your data." He claimed this is Germany's true secret and real advantage.

NVIDIA announced at the summit that it would increase its investment in the European AI sector, planning to support four German startups: Agile Robots, Avelios Medical, Mirelo, and Reflex Aerospace. This is part of its nearly $10 billion commitment to Europe for investing in companies, universities, and research institutions; NVIDIA did not disclose the specific amounts for these four investments. Agile Robots develops AI robots for manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare, Avelios Medical creates hospital management software, Mirelo develops AI models for generating audio from video, and Reflex Aerospace designs and manufactures satellites.

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang stated that AI will only enhance, not replace, Germany's capabilities in manufacturing, mathematics, and science, and called AI a new tool for businesses. NVIDIA is expanding its cooperation with the German federal government and the Industry 4.0 Platform, with both parties signing a joint declaration of intent to promote industrial application AI models. On the same day, Siemens announced a new AI program in collaboration with NVIDIA at its Erlangen plant, stating that the related technology could reduce engineering work in production preparation by up to 85%, and AI production planning could lower costs by up to 20%.