For researchers in AI and SuperTech, Speinshart is the place to be – worldwide
Big ideas become even bigger in Speinshart
When innovation meets excellence, extraordinary things can happen
In Speinshart, the concept of a scientific retreat has become a real place
The Speinshart Scientific Center for AI and SuperTech was launched as part of Bavaria’s Hightech Agenda. The idea took shape in 2021 on the basis of a feasibility study and quickly gained political support.
In 2022 the Bavarian Ministry of Science provided seed funding for a project team led by the University of Bayreuth. Today, Speinshart operates as a non-profit company (gGmbH), jointly supported by Universität Bayern e. V. and Hochschule Bayern e. V., bridging universities and universities of applied sciences. As an independent platform, it brings together scientific excellence and societal relevance through interdisciplinary events and international partnerships.
From the outset, the goal was not to create a conventional research institute with labs, but a scientific retreat that fosters dialogue, focus, and depth. Speinshart encourages interdisciplinary collaboration that goes beyond traditional specialist boundaries.
Our growing network connects scientists, institutions, and companies with a focus on AI and future technologies. Collaborating with Speinshart means becoming part of a forward-looking ecosystem that drives alliances and amplifies scientific impact.
Is your focus AI and SuperTech? So is ours
Speinshart addresses pressing research questions at the forefront of technological development – with a special focus on Artificial Intelligence and SuperTech, and their intersections with emerging future technologies.
Our thematic priorities:
- Artificial intelligence (conceptual, applied, data-driven)
- Quantum technologies
- Clean energy & sustainability
- Life sciences & biotechnology
- Advanced manufacturing & robotics
But it’s not just about technical breakthroughs. Speinshart is also a place for critical reflection on societal, ethical, and legal dimensions – such as:
- How can AI be aligned with human values?
- What role does technology play in democratic participation?
- How can innovation be made responsible and inclusive?
Speinshart offers everything you need to bring it to life
Facilities and infrastructure
Reliable, project-based funding
Access to a curated network
On-site accommodation
Markus Blume
Bavarian State Minister for Science and the Arts
Our formats
Do you have a vision with impact – a project that could make a real difference? Maybe your idea is the next big thing, ready to emerge in Speinshart and make waves worldwide. We’d love to support you.
If your idea aligns with Speinshart’s mission, we’ll stand by your side – as thought partners, coordinators, enablers, and connectors:
Speinshart Seminars
offer a framework for outstanding researchers in AI and related advanced technologies. Participants come together for lectures, dialogue, and collaboration – to advance their fields through new connections and visionary thinking.
Topics range from conceptual AI to applied and data-driven approaches, including the interplay between them.
Unlike conventional conferences focused on presenting results, Speinshart Seminars emphasize reflection, open discourse, and early-stage thinking. A fast-moving field like AI needs not just speed – but also dedicated space for contemplation, exchange, and interdisciplinary development. That’s exactly what Speinshart offers.
To ensure academic quality, all proposals are reviewed by an independent international Scientific Advisory Board. Seminar groups are limited to 22 participants. The duration is flexible – from a few days up to two weeks – with one-week seminars being the standard format.
Historical reference: the Dartmouth Conference (1956), regarded as the birthplace of AI, lasted two months and hosted just ten participants.
Connect@Speinshart
is our flexible retreat format for the early phase of collaborative research ideas. Given the speed and complexity of today’s research landscape, new ideas and cross-border initiatives need spaces that encourage open thinking rather than polished results – that’s what Connect@Speinshart is designed for.
Within this format, a group of researchers – optionally using a joint acronym – are invited to Speinshart for several days up to a week to explore visions, approaches, and concrete initiatives related to AI and its applications.
In contrast to the more elaborate seminar proposals reviewed annually by the Scientific Board, this format allows for more flexible evaluation – while still requiring scientific excellence as a core criterion.
Starting in 2028, and depending on capacity, researchers may also be invited to work on major monographs or review articles. Whenever possible, accommodation for accompanying family members will be provided to create a family-friendly research environment.
x Speinshart
is our format for strategic partnerships with non-university institutions, agencies, or companies actively engaged in AI research – either as drivers or as recipients of academic transfer. Only through close cooperation between science and applied sectors can real societal impact be achieved.
In this format, an institution partners with Speinshart to form a collaborative framework under which Speinshart Seminars and Connect@Speinshart retreats can be hosted.
Ideally, researchers and practitioners work closely together. The partner institution is responsible for curating the topics and participant group, while the Speinshart ensures scientific quality by reviewing proposals.
Further formats
include international summer schools, research retreats for early-career scientists, and events that focus specifically on ethical, social, or philosophical questions surrounding AI.
Speinshart Seminars
Connect@Speinshart
x Speinshart
Further formats
Welcome to Speinshart
The Speinshart Scientific Center for AI and SuperTech is more than a place …
… it is a protected space for deep thinking and meaningful breakthroughs. At the heart of a historic monastery, it combines the serenity of a retreat with the intellectual energy of an international research hub. Free from distraction, grounded in excellence, and inspired by silence.
Surrounded by a unique balance of natural beauty and historic architecture, you’ll find everything you need for impactful research: focus, exchange, retreat – and an atmosphere that sparks innovation. The center takes inspiration from renowned models like Schloss Dagstuhl and Oberwolfach, but adds its own quality: a unique combination of history, spatial concentration, and future-oriented technology research.
The history of the monastery is not just a backdrop, but an integral part of the experience.
The architecture tells stories. The silence allows for clarity. The centuries-old walls do not limit thought – they protect it. In the dialogue between past and future, Speinshart opens up a space where cutting-edge ideas gain depth and resilience.
Dr. Adrian Roßner
Proposals
Submit your idea – and don’t be afraid to think big
Ready to go? Let’s make it happen – together.
Submit your proposal, receive direct feedback, and – if accepted – bring your format to life with the support of Speinshart and its international advisory board. Or reach out to explore new partnerships and co-organized initiatives. We look forward to hearing from you.
Ready to go? Let’s make it happen – together.
Submit your proposal, receive direct feedback, and – if accepted – bring your format to life with the support of Speinshart and its international advisory board. Or reach out to explore new partnerships and co-organized initiatives. We look forward to hearing from you.
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