Science for Impact
KIT is currently developing its new strategy based on the “Science for Impact” vision. In the ongoing Phase 2, seven groups are working on the strategic goals for KIT’s further development.
Digitalization plays a role in all of these topics—particularly in “Cultural Transformations,” “Service Excellence and Process Effectiveness,” and the cross-cutting theme “Scientific Infrastructure.”
Generative Artificial Intelligence at KIT
KIT views generative AI as a tool to better fulfill its core tasks. This approach is grounded in adherence to ethical principles, scientific integrity, and social responsibility.
Based on this conviction, the Executive Board, together with the relevant digitalization governance committees, has developed and adopted guidelines and a strategy for the use of generative AI at KIT. Both documents complement each other and promote the responsible, transparent, and sustainable use of generative AI at KIT.
AI Strategy
Through its AI strategy, KIT expresses its vision and fundamental targets regarding the use and role of artificial intelligence and identifies related challenges. In doing so, KIT establishes a framework for the application and further development of AI in research, higher education, technology transfer, and administration.
AI guidelines
For day-to-day use, the AI guidelines provide all KIT members with rules of conduct. They establish an ethical and normative framework that emphasizes individual human responsibility. The guidelines are revised regularly.
Refer to intranet page “Generative AI at KIT”
Measures
Measures are to be defined to systematically advance the infrastructure and framework conditions in line with core tasks and within the administration.
Digitalization as a field of action in the KIT 2025 Strategy
In the KIT 2025 Strategy, the Executive Board has defined the fields of action in which it is responsible for the further development of KIT. These fields of action set out overarching goals and specific measures for their implementation. Many of these measures have already been successfully completed since the KIT 2025 Strategy was adopted. The field of action ‘digitalization’ takes into account the comprehensive importance of the topic. It was developed between 2020 and 2022 with the involvement of the key players at KIT and complements the previous fields of action.
(German only)
In four subject areas, the field of action specifies goals and associated measures in which KIT will shape the digital transformation in the coming years:
- Digitalization for outstanding research achievements and a vital culture of innovation
- Using the opportunities of digitalization for successful studies and excellent teaching
- Making administrative workflows and processes more efficient and simpler through increased digitalization
- Digital workspace—secure and quality-oriented
The KIT 2025 Strategy, including the field of action ‘digitalization,’ is available for download on the KIT intranet.
Realization in lead projects and implementation projects
Digitalization permeates almost all fields of work at universities and research institutions—the constant technological change also requires a comprehensive cultural change. Digital transformation processes enable and demand a new level of networked and cooperative action. Digitalization can thus only be shaped in interaction with digitalization as a global and societal phenomenon.
At KIT, employees have been designing digital solutions for the future in the lead project LP 9 Digitalization with its five thematic characteristics and several implementation projects in the field of digitalization.
Lead project 9 Digitalization
The objectives and measures of the field of action ‘digitalization’ are implemented in lead project 9 Digitalization and its sub-projects.
about the projects in LP 9 Digitalization
Preliminary work
The field of action ‘digitalization’ was created on the basis of the IT strategy, which is part of the cross-sectional chapter “Digitalization” of the KIT structure and development plan for the years 2022 to 2026. Up to and including 2021, the IT concept described the planned further development of information processing and supply based on implementation measures in ten clearly defined focus areas.
In the run-up to this step, KIT established a dedicated governance framework for digitalization in 2017. The design of the field of action ‘digitalization’ is based on this framework.