The Einstein Center Digital Future: shaping and reflecting on digital transformation

Brain City Berlin

The Einstein Center Digital Future, known as the ECDF, is a Berlin-based centre for digitalisation research. It stands for independent, interdisciplinary research into the shaping and critical reflection of digital transformation, developed in partnership with businesses, policymakers and civil society. Its unique public-private partnership model brings together over 30 partners and has been enriching Brain City Berlin since 2017.

All four of Berlin's universities, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, and numerous other research institutions are part of the ECDF. With funding of 46.5 million euros, the centre is one of Germany's most important initiatives for digitalisation research. The ECDF is currently in its second funding phase, titled "Next Generation", which runs until March 2028. Researchers are focusing on three themes: societal transformation, connected health, and sustainable cities.

Interview with the ECDF

The questions were answered by Tabea Flügge and Martin Gersch, co-directors of the Einstein Center Digital Future.

You want to make digitalisation accessible to everyone. What does that look like in practice?

We want to strengthen digital participation, reduce social inequality and actively promote dialogue about the future of digitalisation. Our researchers work together on cross-cutting topics and develop solutions to real-world problems. These include fall detection sensors used in care settings, mobile apps for identifying near-miss incidents, and software solutions to reduce water losses for utilities. Visitors can explore current exhibits in our demo area. At the Long Night of the Sciences, we present our research to Berlin's civil society, and we regularly host events that bring together policymakers, industry and the public to make sense of digital transformation. We also make sure that gender equality and diversity considerations are embedded in all of our projects.

What exciting new research topics are on the agenda for 2026?

A number of new research projects are planned for 2026. Adrian Paschke, ECDF Professor of Semantic Data Intelligence, will be investigating whether quantum computing can advance the construction of lighter vehicle components. Lighter vehicle designs could reduce fuel consumption and emissions in urban traffic, as well as extending the range of electric vehicles. Timm Teubner, ECDF Professor of Digital Service Engineering and a member of the ECDF board, will be leading a new project on AI competence, individual performance enhancement through AI support, and the acceptance of AI applications.

We will also be opening our doors to Berlin's civil society as part of the Long Night of the Sciences. Our ECDF Gender and Diversity Network is supporting the exhibition "Digital Decoding", a collaborative, research-based exhibition by five female artists and designers that examines how digital technologies both conceal and reveal the material realities, working processes and power structures on which they are built. On 1 October 2026, Rainer Mühlhoff, an associate member of the ECDF, will be organising a symposium on "AI and Democracy", bringing together researchers, policymakers and civil society.

How does Berlin as a research location shape and enable your work?

Berlin's dense and diverse research landscape enables us at the ECDF to deliberately overcome institutional and disciplinary boundaries. This is made possible above all by the close collaboration between several major universities and a wide range of non-university research institutions. Another decisive factor is our strong connections with partners from business, politics and civil society. This allows research findings to be reflected against real-world practice at an early stage and translated into concrete action, whilst societally relevant questions feed directly into our research. This strengthens not only the applied focus of our work, but also its lasting social impact.

You want to test new forms of collaboration in Berlin. Can you give an example?

Our goal at the ECDF is both to strengthen existing networks and to build new partnerships. The German Institute for Standardisation (DIN e.V.) has recently become one of our strategic partners. The aim of this collaboration is to make research findings usable for business and society through the process of standardisation, thereby sustainably strengthening Germany's capacity for innovation. Key topics include European data spaces, the circular economy, AI and the Internet of Things, resource efficiency, and more.

Until 2028, you are focusing on societal transformation, connected health and sustainable cities. Do you have examples of how these topics can be explored in Berlin?

The "iOLE – Intelligent Online Leakage Detection" project, led by Andrea Cominola, ECDF Professor of Digital Water Systems at Technische Universität Berlin, offers digital approaches to water conservation by automatically identifying and locating leaks as quickly and reliably as possible. The project brings together the expertise of the Einstein Center Digital Future, TU Berlin, Urban Impact, the Kompetenzzentrum Wasser Berlin, and GELSENWASSER AG.

A further example is the "CaringS" project, led by a research team around Martin Gersch, Professor at FU Berlin. It investigates how digital care ecosystems can be designed responsibly, so that economic requirements and high standards of care can be reconciled for the benefit of everyone involved.

Thank you for the interview. We look forward to more important research findings on digital transformation from Brain City Berlin.

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