From Research to Relevance: Joerg Bienert on Germany’s AI Identity

Joerg Bienert leads the German AI Association and joins David to unpack the country's unique AI landscape—where deep scientific foundations are battling cultural risk-aversion, and where digital sovereignty is both an ambition and a necessity. From building home-grown large language models to rebooting education for the AI era, Joerg offers a clear-eyed view on how Europe (and Germany specifically) can go from research excellence to real-world scale.

In a world racing toward generative AI dominance, Germany is striving to define its role—not just as an adopter, but as a creator. Joerg outlines why strong research isn’t enough without commercial ambition, how fragmented initiatives can stall national progress, and why the real challenge for business leaders isn’t just using AI—it’s adapting their organisations for continuous transformation. With a mix of realism and optimism, this episode offers a grounded view on AI leadership at the European edge.

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