New Professorship: Volkswagen Group and Technische Universität Braunschweig Strengthen Research on AI and Mobility

The professorship aims to tap into the full spectrum of artificial intelligence within mobility research – from virtual product development and mechatronic systems to autonomous driving functions and the analysis of real world vehicle usage data. In doing so, it strengthens research at the interfaces of modern mobility systems and provides impulses for new AI based development processes.

The professorship will be located at the Institute of Engineering Design at TU Braunschweig and will work closely with the University’s own Automotive Research Centre Niedersachsen (NFF: Niedersächsisches Forschungszentrum Fahrzeugtechnik). With more than 1,000 researchers, over 40 institutes, and more than 50 corporate partners, the NFF is one of Europe’s strongest mobility research centres. The position is planned to be filled promptly, ideally by October 2026. After five years, it is intended to transition into a tenured professorship.

“Artificial intelligence is a key technology for the future of the Volkswagen Group,” said Hauke Stars, Volkswagen Group Board Member for IT. “By leveraging AI technologies, we are accelerating our processes and bringing new products and technologies to market significantly faster. We are consistently expanding our expertise required for this. With the new professorship at TU

Braunschweig, we are specifically strengthening cutting-edge research in Germany. The close transfer of knowledge between research and industry enables us and our partners in the supplier industry to secure crucial know-how at an early stage.”

“Artificial intelligence is fundamentally transforming product development,” says TU President Angela Ittel. “Software shapes modern vehicles, their development, and their production more than ever before. AI is the driving force for the next generation of mobility. To advance top level research with high societal relevance, close collaboration between science and industry is essential. I am proud that together with our long-standing partner, the Volkswagen Group, we are realising this professorship. In doing so, we are strengthening AI research in a targeted way and creating the foundation for concrete contributions to the mobility of the future. Especially now, this is the right step: we must invest to drive innovation forward.”

The professorship is also intended to act as a driver for further expanding the regional innovation ecosystem in Lower Saxony and to involve suppliers, start-ups, and additional research partners. It strengthens the transfer from science into industrial practice by incorporating practical requirements into research. In this way, it accelerates the scaling of innovative technologies and the sustainable transformation of industrial applications.

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Note to editors: AI in product development
The technical complexity of modern automobiles is steadily increasing - and with it the need for high-performance technologies across the entire product lifecycle, from development to production. Artificial intelligence plays a central role in this context. One of the most important AI-driven applications in development is the use of digital twins: fully digital, AI-based models of vehicles and components. These enable early adjustments to development stages, the generation of new design and engineering concepts, and comprehensive testing. This level of variety and speed can no longer be achieved with physical prototypes alone.

In the medium term, AI agents are becoming increasingly important. These are semi-autonomous programmes that independently handle granular tasks such as software testing, thereby significantly accelerating development processes. Attention is also being paid to so-called foundation models: these are complex AI systems equipped with cross-domain data – in the future, potentially also including data from suppliers – that bring together all stages of product development in a seamless, integrated digital workflow and continuously optimise them.

Jonas Kulawik
Corporate Communications
Spokesperson Product & Technology, Digitalization
+49 (0)152 2945 2616
jonas.alexander.kulawik@volkswagen.de | www.volkswagen-group.com

Kate Thompson
Corporate Communications – Volkswagen Group UK
+44 (0) 7713 265562
kate.thompson@vwg.co.uk | www.volkswagengroup.co.uk

Technische Universität Braunschweig Dr. Jörn Rieckhoff
Head of Communications and Press Service Spokesperson
+49 531 391-4122
joern.rieckhoff@tu-braunschweig.de | www.tu-braunschweig.de

About the Volkswagen Group:
The Volkswagen Group is one of the world's leading car makers, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. It operates globally, with 111 production facilities in 16 European countries and 10 countries in the Americas, Asia and Africa. With around 663,000 employees worldwide. The Group’s vehicles are sold in over 150 countries.

With a comprehensive portfolio of strong global brands, leading technologies at scale, innovative ideas to tap into future profit pools and an entrepreneurial leadership team, the Volkswagen Group is committed to shaping the future of mobility through investments in electric and autonomous driving vehicles, digitalisation and sustainability. The goal: As a “Global Automotive Tech Driver”, to make the best automotive technologies accessible to customers worldwide - from entry-level mobility to the luxury segment.

In 2025, the total number of vehicles delivered to customers by the Group globally was 9.0 million (2024: 9.0 million). Group sales revenue in 2025 totaled EUR 321.9 billion (2024: EUR 324.7 billion). The operating result in 2025 amounted to EUR 8.9 billion (2024: EUR 19.1 billion).

About TU Braunschweig:
Technische Universität Braunschweig is one of Germany’s leading technical universities and a member of the TU9 alliance. Located at the heart of one of Europe’s most research-intensive regions, it addresses major future challenges through its interdisciplinary and cross-faculty research centres. Its activities focus on four key research areas: Mobility, Metrology, Engineering for Health and the City of the Future.

In the mobility sector, researchers are developing innovative technologies for sustainable and environmentally compatible transportation—from intelligent and connected vehicles and energy-efficient aircraft to modern charging infrastructure, digital mobility management, and new materials as well as resource-efficient production technologies.

TU Braunschweig benefits from an exceptional ecosystem that includes universities, federal research centers, Helmholtz institutes, Fraunhofer institutes, Leibniz Association research institutions, museums, libraries and even a research airport. This creates a wide range of interdisciplinary research and networking opportunities for researchers and students. Its internationally oriented academic programmes are characterised by a strong practical focus through research projects, excellent connectivity, and extensive transfer activities.