Neuromorphic Hardware as a Key to Artificial Intelligence

Neuromorphic systems are modeled on two basic building blocks of the brain – neurons and synapses. That is what the Cluster4Future NeuroSys (neuromorphic hardware for autonomous artificial intelligence systems) is working on. The second phase of this program was launched at the beginning of this year. The Clusters4Future initiative is part of the German government's High-Tech Strategy 2025 and it is being funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

Neuromorphic hardware is a powerful and resource-saving basis for energy-intensive computing operations in the field of artificial intelligence. By transferring the excellent basic research from RWTH Aachen University and Forschungszentrum Jülich to neuromorphic components and algorithms, the future cluster aims to develop a technology base that can be applied here. The coordinator of the future cluster is Professor Max Lemme, head of the Chair for Electronic Devices at RWTH Aachen and the managing director of AMO GmbH.

Research into adaptive and energy-efficient neuromorphic AI chips will enable intelligent and resource-saving on-site data processing and it will provide an essential building block for future working methods, smart city concepts, and the Internet of Things. At the same time, decisive contributions are being made to areas ranging from autonomous driving and learning systems to personalized medicine. The second phase is planned for three years.

At the kick-off event at the end of January, more than 90 participants discussed their ideas and technologies for the development of neuromorphic hardware in the SuperC at RWTH Aachen University.

The players in the NeuroSys cluster are: RWTH Aachen University, Forschungszentrum Jülich, AMO GmbH, die Unternehmen and the start-ups AGIT mbH, AixACCT Systems GmbH, AiXscale Photonics UG, AIXTRON SE, AMOtronics UG, AppTek GmbH, Black Semiconductor GmbH, EdgeWave GmbH, ELMOS Semiconductor SE, Gremse-IT GmbH, IHK Aachen, Ignite AI GmbH , Infratec GmbH, Mercedes-Benz AG, RAITH GmbH, RWTH Innovation GmbH, Siemens AG, STAR Healthcare Management und Trumpf Photonics Components GmbH. The advisory board is made up of: Prof. Klaus Mainzer (TU München/Uni Tübingen), Prof. Thomas Mikolajick (NamLab GmbH/TU Dresden), Prof. Gerhard Kahmen (IHP), AGIT mbH, BMW AG, Robert Bosch GmbH, Elmos Semiconductor SE, Ford-Werke GmbH, GlobalFoundries Inc., Head Acoustics GmbH, Infineon Technologies AG, KI.NRW (Fraunhofer IAIS), Mercedes-Benz AG, NXP Semiconductors, Utimaco Management GmbH, Siegert Wafer GmbH, SiPearl GmbH, Siemens AG, Stadt Aachen, Vishay Intertechnology Inc., Zeiss Group, Zukunftsagentur Rheinisches Revier.

A press release of RWTH Aachen University. Further information on the Website of RWTH Aachen University: https://www.rwth-aachen.de/cms/root/die-rwth/aktuell/pressemitteilungen/februar-2025/~blqclc/neuromorphe-hardware-als-schluessel-fuer/?lidx=1