From computer chips and cloud computing to artificial intelligence, Germany and the rest of Europe want to become less dependent on digital technologies from abroad by driving forward their own innovations. The Center for Advanced Security, Strategic and Integration Studies (CASSIS) at the University of Bonn has now prepared a policy brief, in cooperation with the Vodafone Institute for Society and Communications, Vodafone’s European think tank. The paper tackles the continent’s “digital trade deficit” and shows how hidden trade dependencies on the US and China are raising questions about the effectiveness of current European strategies.

Starting next Wednesday, April 1, 2026, summer hours will once again be in effect at the University of Bonn’s Botanical Gardens. The Botanical Garden at Poppelsdorf Castle and the Medicinal and Ornamental Plant Garden on Katzenburgweg will then be open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Thursdays even until 8 p.m. Admission is free on weekdays; on weekends and holidays, an admission fee of 5 euros (reduced rate 3 euros) applies.

Dominik Eulberg's biodiversity show focuses on the biodiversity crisis as a central challenge of our time. Eulberg translates ecological knowledge into visual and auditory experiences. Scientific findings become emotionally accessible. The show encourages reflection and responsible action. It takes place on April 2, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in the CAMPO Campus Cafeteria in Poppelsdorf.

In late March, a high-ranking delegation from the Canadian Western University visited the University of Bonn to expand existing relationships, particularly in the field of neuroscience, and form new collaborations in an array of disciplines.

Without powerful microchips, there would be no applications powered by artificial intelligence (AI), no connected cars and no energy-efficient data centers. Leading researchers and companies from across the globe have now come together in Bonn to debate how chips can be developed faster, more precisely and potentially with the help of AI in the future. The fact that one of the leading conferences in the industry convened in Europe for the first time and was held here beside the Rhine also illustrates Bonn’s importance as a center of science and research.

During the colonial era, vast quantities of gold from the Akan people of present-day Ghana ended up in European smelting furnaces. Historical sources suggest that African traders may have systematically diluted the gold. State-of-the-art technology and a sunken pirate ship have now made it possible to verify this claim. 

Two years after Marvin was switched on, the University of Bonn celebrated its supercomputer with a community event at the Research and Technology Center for Detector Physics. Researchers from various disciplines presented projects realized with the aid of high-performance computers and took the opportunity to chat with their counterparts from different fields.

TU Dortmund University and the University of Bonn are forming the AI Center for Entrepreneurship NRW (AICE.NRW). The new center will benefit universities throughout North Rhine-Westphalia, providing targeted, needs-based support for start-ups with business models around artificial intelligence (AI). Launched in January 2026, AICE.NRW has been granted 1.5 million euro for a three-year term by the state of NRW and the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the Start-up Fokuszentren.NRW program.