Munich Center for Machine Learning Secures Permanent Funding

The Munich Center for Machine Learning (MCML), a joint initiative between Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) and the Technical University of Munich (TUM), has been granted permanent funding following a successful evaluation of its prior temporary support.

This permanent funding, jointly provided by the German federal government and the state of Bavaria, is set to significantly boost artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning research in Munich and beyond. MCML was established in 2018 as one of six national AI centers of excellence and has been funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

The center now comprises over 50 research groups focusing on both fundamental research and applied machine learning. For permanently established centers like MCML, the combined annual funding from federal and state governments can reach up to 100 million euros in total, with MCML allocated 19.6 million euros per year.

"Permanent funding for AI centers provides researchers with planning certainty and enables them to undertake longer-term and more complex investigations," stated Mario Brandenburg, Parliamentary State Secretary at the BMBF. "We expect this decision to inject fresh impetus, particularly in knowledge transfer, startup founding, and international collaboration. We believe the Munich AI center will play a major role in advancing AI research and application."

MCML's research is structured around three core areas: deepening the computational, statistical, and mathematical foundations of machine learning; investigating AI explainability and how algorithms learn; and developing machine learning methods for socially relevant fields such as medicine, biology, and social sciences. The center also provides transfer and training services in collaboration with other institutions and companies.