How three days of intensive collaboration at the Speinshart Scientific Center helped shape an ambitious new research initiative in artificial intelligence.

From September 21 to 23, 2026, the Speinshart Scientific Center for AI and SuperTech welcomed 25 researchers from the Data-Driven Decisions Group (D3) at the University of Würzburg for an intensive three-day retreat. Led by Prof. Dr. Christoph Flath, Prof. Dr. Gunther Gust, Prof. Dr. Richard Pibernik, and Prof. Dr. Frédéric Thiesse, the group brought together professors, doctoral and postdoctoral researchers, and international guests from France.

What began as a retreat dedicated to evaluating previous research and developing future strategies evolved into something considerably more ambitious: the foundation for a major collaborative AI research initiative involving around 30 partners and a total project volume of €22 million.

Turning Research into Impact: The GILDE Initiative

Originally, the D3 group had planned to use its time at Speinshart to reflect on the results of the EU-funded project KI-Regio – Artificial Intelligence for Regional Value Chains and develop a research strategy for the coming years.

However, a new funding opportunity announced by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) in July 2026 presented an opportunity to take this work to the next level.

During their stay at Speinshart, the researchers dedicated a substantial part of their retreat to developing GILDE (“Gemeinsam Intelligent Lernen, Datensouverän Entscheiden”), an ambitious initiative aimed at bringing innovative AI applications into the retail and wholesale sectors.

The proposed project seeks to develop AI technologies and test them in real-world business environments, with particular emphasis on making the resulting innovations accessible to small and medium-sized enterprises.

Coordinated by the University of Würzburg, the consortium brings together approximately 30 partners, including seven universities and major companies such as EDEKA, Würth, and PHOENIX. With a planned duration of three years, the initiative has a total volume of €22 million, including €17.1 million in requested public funding.

The project outline, whose content and structure were largely developed during the retreat, was submitted to the BMFTR on October 31, 2026. The funding decision is still pending.

Scientific Exchange and New Perspectives

Alongside the intensive work on GILDE, the retreat offered numerous opportunities for scientific exchange and collaboration.

Around a dozen research presentations explored current challenges and developments in data-driven decision-making, including inventory management, pricing strategies, and optimization problems. Other contributions focused on energy markets, dynamic electricity tariffs, and the increasingly complex interaction between humans and AI systems.

Two practical tutorials introduced participants to agentic research pipelines and interactive computational notebooks using Marimo, offering new perspectives on how AI-supported tools can enhance scientific workflows.

The retreat also provided opportunities for informal discussions, team-building activities, and networking, strengthening connections within the research group and encouraging the exchange of new ideas.

One particularly welcome achievement was the acceptance of a paper discussed during the retreat, focusing on online decision-focused learning, at NeurIPS 2026, one of the world’s leading conferences in artificial intelligence.

An Inspiring Environment for Scientific Collaboration

For the D3 group, the retreat demonstrated how valuable dedicated time away from everyday university routines can be.

Although the original agenda evolved in response to new scientific and funding opportunities, the researchers ultimately exceeded their initial objectives. Instead of producing only a strategic roadmap for an existing project, they developed the foundations of a comprehensive research and knowledge-transfer programme comprising 13 work packages, connecting academic institutions and industry partners well beyond the Mainfranken region.

In their subsequent report, the researchers emphasized the importance of Speinshart’s unique environment, excellent infrastructure, and dedicated organizational support. The combination of focused working conditions, personal exchange, and the historic atmosphere of the monastery provided an ideal setting for productive collaboration.

Describing their experience as a “wonderful and truly inspiring time,” the group expressed its gratitude to the Scientific Center and the Kloster-Gasthof team for their hospitality and support.

At the Speinshart Scientific Center, we are delighted to see how an intensive research retreat can contribute to scientific progress, foster new partnerships, and help turn innovative ideas into ambitious collaborative initiatives.

We sincerely thank the entire D3 group for choosing Speinshart and wish the GILDE consortium every success as the project moves forward.