Exciting project seminars for bachelor's and master’s students are once again taking place at the Institute of Information Systems this summer semester.

The following project seminars have already started in the bachelor's program:

Eyes Wide Scroll - attention analysis in social media for AI training (Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Grimme, Marie Griesbach): To analyze content in modern online media such as social media, pure text analysis is no longer sufficient - images, videos and audio data must also be taken into account. This so-called multimodal analysis is complex and requires a focus on essential content, especially in real-time analyses. The project seminar investigates how image analysis methods can be equipped with a ‘human focus’ - for example, by using eye-tracking data to recognize which image areas are relevant for people. The aim is to further develop analysis algorithms so that they concentrate on these relevant areas. To this end, the Institute's eye-tracking lab is being utilized and expanded in order to conduct experiments and develop initial focus-based analysis methods.

AI for sustainable cities (Comuneo) (Prof. Dr. Tobias Brandt, Ann-Kathrin Meyer, Johannes von Ivernois): Cities play a key role in sustainable development, but are faced with limited resources. Artificial intelligence can help, for example in planning and monitoring, but has so far been little used in the public sector - partly due to high data protection and reliability requirements. Students are working with the start-up Comuneo to develop AI-supported solutions that automatically evaluate digital data sources and transfer them to a platform. In addition to technical implementation, the focus is also on organizational, ethical and regulatory issues.

These project seminars in the master's program had their kick-off:

Future Mobility Lab (Prof. Dr. Jan vom Brocke, Mara Burger): The Future Mobility Lab is a cooperation between ERCIS and Transdev, the largest private mobility company in Germany. This semester, the seminar focuses on  crises prevention through process optimization. To this end, machine learning techniques and GenAI are being applied to real data from Transdev. In order to better understand crises in local public transport, they will also visit a control center of the S-Bahn Hannover to exchange ideas with the dispatchers there.

Digital entrepreneurship: Building a technology-driven startup (Prof. Dr. Tobias Brandt, Shariga Sivanathan): This semester, the entrepreneurial team from MOTO will be working on their own startup idea for open all-day schools. What makes this seminar special: the participating students already bring a specific, digitally focused business idea to the table, which they will further develop during the course of the project seminar, and it fully counts towards their academic credit.

The Sims, Startup Edition: Simulating entrepreneurial decision-making with Generative AI (Prof. Dr. Tobias Brandt, Shariga Sivanathan): Six students will work together throughout the semester. The aim is to explore how entrepreneurial decision-making can be simulated using Generative AI agents, offering participants an immersive learning experience. 

Hilti Seminar (Prof. Jan vom Brocke, Sandro Franzoi): In this project seminar, students collaborate with the global manufacturing company Hilti to tackle a real-world challenge at the intersection of artificial intelligence and business process management. Their task: to design and develop an LLM-based learning assistant that helps process managers acquire relevant knowledge more efficiently and engagingly – using cutting-edge AI capabilities and Hilti’s real training resources.

We are already looking forward to the results of the project seminars!

On May 2, 2025, the farewell lecture of Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Jörg Becker took place in lecture hall Leo 1 at the Leonardo Campus. Numerous colleagues from across the School of Business and Economics, long-time companions, former and current doctoral students from three decades, as well as his family, attended the event.

The Rector of the University of Münster, Prof. Johannes Wessels, the Vice Dean of the School of Business and Economics, Prof. Christoph Watrin, and the Director of the Department of Information Systems, Prof. Jan vom Brocke, honored Prof. Becker in their welcoming speeches. They expressed their gratitude for his outstanding commitment –particularly in establishing and advancing the field of Information Systems in Münster –as well as for the many forward-thinking projects he initiated and shaped.

Jörg Becker then gave his farewell and inaugural lecture titled “The best of both worlds”, in which he reflected on his beginnings at the department and provided insight into his future plans as a senior professor.

The Senior Professorship of Information Management continues the long-standing work of the Chair of Information Systems and Information Management. Jörg Becker and his team conduct research in the fields of process and data modeling. In addition to the development and evaluation of new methods, the focus is on the transfer of results into practice – particularly in the areas of services, e-government, and trade – remains a key focus. Through integration into the European Research Center for Information Systems (ERCIS), an interdisciplinary approach is pursued that brings together core competencies from information systems, computer science, business administration, and law.

Since 1990, Jörg Becker has profoundly shaped the Department and the field of Information Systems. His research in process management, data management, e-government, information modeling, retail information systems, and hybrid value creation has left a lasting impact. As the founder of ERCIS, he has decisively advanced the network in Information Systems not only throughout Europe, but also internationally.

The Department of Information Systems would like to thank Jörg Becker for everything he has done for the Department and the SBE – for his extraordinary commitment, many years of loyalty, and for preserving the founding spirit that has inspired so many of his colleagues along the way.

The first Bootcamp as part of the EU-funded CURATE project took place in Košice on 7 and 8 April. The event was hosted by the Technical University of Košice (TUKE), which is working with five other partner universities in the Ulysseus network to set up an innovative, student-centred incubator programme.

The aim of the CURATE project is to enable students to develop entrepreneurial skills and build AI-supported problem-solving capabilities. A total of around 70 students from the partner universities took part in the boot camp - accompanied by coaches and other project participants.

The University of Münster was represented by 15 students under the direction of Prof Dr Tobias Brandt and Shariga Sivanathan. While eight of them were able to experience the inspiring atmosphere on site in Košice, the other students joined in digitally.

The boot camp offered a varied programme: In addition to practice-oriented workshops on the topic of design thinking, the participants gained exciting insights from expert presentations from the industry as well as targeted coaching sessions. One particular highlight was the keynote speech by Prof Dr Tobias Brandt on the topic of ‘AI-Driven Innovation’. The event not only enabled the students to develop their specialist skills, but also provided them with their first valuable experience of intercultural and interdisciplinary collaboration.

The next boot camp will take place in September at the University of Münster. We are already looking forward to welcoming not only our students, but also our partner universities here in Münster!

Professor Dr. Jan vom Brocke from the University of Münster has been elected the next president of the Association for Information Systems (AIS), the global association for Information Systems research and education. He will take up the honorary position on July 1, 2025, leading the international association for a three-year term as its 32nd president – and only the third representative from a German university to hold this office.

Jan vom Brocke holds the Chair of Information Systems and Business Process Management and is Director of the Institute of Information Systems at the University of Münster. He also serves as Academic Director of the European Research Center for Information Systems (ERCIS). He is considered one of the pioneers in the fields of Information Systems, design-oriented research, and sustainability, and as a founder of the Process Science discipline, which uses digital traces to analyze and improve business processes.

"I am truly honored by the trust placed in me and excited to help shape the future of the AIS," said Jan vom Brocke. "As president, I am particularly committed to strengthening the economic and societal impact and recognition of our discipline." His candidacy was based on a strategic agenda, which includes the proposal of an AIS Impact Agenda – a collaborative initiative to identify key questions and challenges together with stakeholders from business and society and to develop innovative solutions. He also plans to introduce new formats of science communication, such as AI-powered media services, to enhance the dialogue between academia and practice.

Founded in 1994, the Association for Information Systems is a nonprofit organization with members in over 100 countries. It publishes leading academic journals, hosts international conferences, and fosters collaboration between individuals and institutions engaged in the study, teaching, and practice of Information Systems worldwide.

All AIS members across the three strategic regions – the Americas, Europe/Middle East/Africa, and Asia-Pacific – were eligible to vote in the election. Jan vom Brocke will succeed Andrew Burton-Jones (University of Queensland, Australia, 30th president) and Dorothy Leidner (University of Virginia, USA, 31st president). Previous presidents from Germany include Claudia Loebbecke (University of Cologne, 11th president) and Helmut Krcmar (Technical University of Munich, 20th president).

Jan vom Brocke has been actively involved with AIS for many years, serving as Vice President for Education and being named an AIS Fellow in recognition of his academic contributions. He brings extensive international experience to his new role: he is Vice Dean for Internationalization at the School of Business and Economics at the University of Münster, Academic Research Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Honorary Distinguished Professor at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, and Visiting Professor at the University of Liechtenstein. He is regularly listed among the most influential scholars in Information Systems, as recognized by rankings such as the WirtschaftsWoche and the Stanford study of the world’s most cited researchers.

Links:

You can find the AIS announcement here.

Find out more about Jan vom Brocke here.

The 2025 Design Thinking Seminar successfully launched with its first virtual session. Students from the University of Münster and Georgia College met online for the first time, laying the foundation for a transatlantic, interdisciplinary academic collaboration.

Special thanks go to SAP facilitators Julie Bartholic, Brandi Starks, and Rebecca Reagan-Thieme for delivering an interactive  webinar that combined methodological depth with interactive elements centered around Design Thinking.

Appreciation is also extended to the faculty members who make this international seminar possible year after year: Joy Godin and Jeannie Pridmore from Georgia College, as well as Armin Stein and Katrin Bergener from the Department of Information Systems.

The seminar will continue in May with the visit of the U.S. students to Münster.

In the latest episode of the “Born & Kepler” podcast, Andreas Deptolla speaks with Prof. Benedikt Berger (Junior Professorship for Digital Transformation and Society) about the real-world challenges and opportunities of using artificial intelligence (AI) in business and society.

Prof. Berger shares insights from his academic career and discusses current developments in the media landscape – including the influence of influencers, emerging platforms, and ongoing digital trends. Key topics also include the use of AI tools like ChatGPT and DeepL in teaching, as well as preparing students for a job market increasingly shaped by AI.

The conversation further explores responsible data management and governance, human-AI interaction, ethical questions surrounding predictive policing, and broader legal and societal implications.

The episode is now available on Spotify and all major podcast platforms.

On April 1, 2025, the Department of Information Systems welcomed Dr. Johannes Sedlmeir as Acting Professor for Statistics, Security & Trust.

After completing his master’s degree in Theoretical and Mathematical Physics, he did  his doctorate at the University of Bayreuth and the Branch Business & Information Systems Engineering  of the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technologie FIT, focusing on the challenges and potential of using blockchain technology in organizations. Since October 2022, he has been conducting research in the FINATRAX (Digital Financial Services and Cross-Organisational Digital Transformations) research group at the Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SnT) at the University of Luxembourg. There, he investigated both economic and technical aspects of new digital technologies, particularly in the field of applied cryptography. In addition to blockchain technology, a particular focus of his research lies in digital wallets (the underlying paradigm is also known as ‘self-sovereign identity’). Dr. Sedlmeir is also a lecturer at the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH), where he holds block seminars on blockchain technology and digital identity management twice a year.

We would like to welcome Dr Johannes Sedlmeir to the Department of Information Systems and asked him a few questions at the beginning of his work:

Dear Dr. Sedlmeir, after your time in Luxembourg, you are continuing your academic career at the University of Münster. What motivated you to return to Germany and teach and research at the University of Münster?

Firstly, the University of Münster in general and the Deparment of Information Systems in particular enjoy an excellent reputation, and I am sure that the university and the European Research Center for Information Systems (ERCIS) founded there offer the perfect environment for my interdisciplinary research. In addition, there are many points of contact with my new colleagues' areas of focus, both in terms of methodology (e.g. design science research) and content (e.g. new mobility concepts, the detection and combating of disinformation and the management of cross-organisational processes), which I would like to discuss with them. I would also like to contribute to establishing the topics of digital identity management and applications of modern cryptography in the areas of security, data protection and trust in data at a new location and to bring them into teaching and research projects.

I am also very much looking forward to being able to give large and, for a Information Systems  degree program, highly technically-oriented basic lectures at the University of Münster, as my previous work had a stronger focus on industry cooperation and specialised seminars and I was therefore limited to smaller and more specialized courses. I have enjoyed teaching since I was a student and I hope that I can inspire the students in the lectures for my research topics and at the same time emphasize the relevance of basic education for current challenges in society and the economy.

One of your main areas of research is digital identities. What exactly is this about and what fascinates you most about this topic?

Digital identity management is one of the basic prerequisites for successful digital transformation, both in terms of IT security and the efficiency of processes based on data exchange and access rights. Today's identity management is extremely fragmented – both for end users as well as for organizations and networked devices. This inevitably leads to low user-friendliness, security gaps, high costs and lock-in effects for providers of solutions for IAM systems. These challenges can be addressed with a unified, user-centric system that uses modern cryptography and stores machine-verifiable proof of identity locally. At the same time, an approach based on ‘digital wallets’ increases users' control over which data they pass on to which organizations, which can largely address the usual criticism of a lack of data protection in the digital space. Furthermore, reducing the dependencies of digital identity ecosystems is also a key to greater European digital sovereignty, for example as an alternative or supplement to single sign-on solutions from large technology platforms and web PKI. Last but not least, secure digital identities also enable machine-verifiable transaction data, on the basis of which the creation of many digital proofs becomes possible in the first place, especially in cross-organisational processes.

On the other hand, many projects to improve digital identity management have also failed in the past due to various technical and non-technical hurdles. In this respect, I find it very exciting to learn from these attempts and to actively support the hopefully successful implementation this time, both as a scientific observer and by developing innovative solutions for and based on digital identities. I also appreciate the combination of cryptographic and economic aspects in the successful implementation of digital wallets, which make interdisciplinary research necessary and provide a holistic perspective that can also offer valuable insights in other areas of digital transformation.

What research projects are you currently working on?

Similar to the German Fraunhofer Institutes, the SnT is characterised by a very strong industry focus, where research projects are strongly demand-oriented and interdisciplinary. My current favorite projects deal with potential security issues of Bitcoin induced by the quadrennial “halving”, the controversy around qualified website certificates and European digital sovereignty between browser providers, the European Commission and European trust service providers in the context of the amendment of the eIDAS regulation, as well as applications of digital wallets in organizations and general security and privacy challenges arising from the current implementation plan of European digital wallets (EUDI wallets). In addition, I am also working on the development of verifiable data-driven processes between financial institutions and the privacy-oriented tokenization of artworks on public blockchains - the latter is a public research project funded by the Luxembourg Fonds National de la Recherche, which I was able to acquire in collaboration with the APSIA research group for applied cryptography at the SnT and which ultimately attracted me to Luxembourg.

What courses will you be offering students in the future?

I will be offering two lectures and two seminars in the  summer semester 2025. In the bachelor's lecture ‘Security of Distributed Systems’, I will first introduce the general basics of distributed systems and then use this preliminary work to provide an insight into both classic (e.g. security of email and web PKI) and highly topical security-related issues in the context of distributed systems, such as challenges for the security of cryptocurrencies and blockchains as well as digital wallets, where both cryptographic and economic design aspects are crucial. In the master's lecture ‘Trust and Security in Data Science’, I will first highlight challenges regarding access control in cross-organizational data exchange and the verification of the origin and trustworthiness of data.

We will then look at typical problems and paradoxes in data analysis and statistical and cryptographic approaches to solving them. The seminars then delve deeper into more general current issues in European digital wallets and a critical examination of perspectives on the potential and challenges of blockchain technology that are often one-sided or driven by business interests. To give one example: Proponents of bitcoin mining often argue that mining hardware can easily be switched off, thereby stabilizing power grids, promoting the expansion of renewables or using waste heat for heating. However, counter-arguments are sometimes ignored, such as the fact that mining is initially an additional consumer from a grid perspective, that the high investments in mining hardware make grid-friendly behavior with volatile generation economically difficult and that heating with waste heat makes little sense in summer and has major efficiency disadvantages compared to a heat pump in winter. So, you can see that I approach passionately controversial topics with a high degree of interdisciplinarity from the perspective of business informatics in order to provide a balanced perspective that can then inform the broader discourse.

In the coming winter semester, I will be giving the introductory lecture on data and probabilities for business IT specialists, which I am particularly looking forward to as a former mathematical physicist.

Is there a course that you are particularly interested in and would like to take yourself?

This is probably the most difficult of the questions because there are simply too many topics that interest me. As an enthusiastic supporter of electromobility, for example, I would be interested in courses on battery management or the quantitative evaluation of data on battery health during operation, the coordination of charging processes in a more system or grid-friendly way and more user-friendly charging planning and payment. On the other hand, I find the mathematical foundations of the latest generation of artificial intelligence (large language models) very exciting and would like to delve even deeper into the unfortunately often underestimated challenges and possibilities of supplementing these with fundamentally different (e.g. neuro-symbolic) approaches.

As of April 1, 2025, God’sgift Okoebor (M.Sc.) has joined the Junior Professorship for Digital Transformation and Societey as a research assistant and doctoral candidate.

She holds a Master of Science in Information Systems from the University of Münster, where she specialized in Information Management and Business Networks, and a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems from Covenant University, Nigeria.

God’sgift brings both academic and practical experience to her role. Her master’s research explored the integration of Generative AI in academic work, highlighting her interest in the intersection of technology and organizational processes. Professionally, she has supported strategic initiatives in digital transformation and data management at BASF Coatings, and has held roles in project management, IT support, and business development across Nigeria and Germany.

Her research interests lie in digital transformation, AI-driven business innovation, and the evolving role of information systems in organizational change.

We wish her the very best and are looking forward to working together!

On April 7, 2025, the Department of Information Systems bid farewell to Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Jörg Becker during his “last” lecture.

Since 1990, Jörg Becker has significantly shaped the department and the field of Information Systems. His research has left a lasting impression in the areas of process management, data management, e-government, information modeling, retail information systems and hybrid value creation.

He is also the founder of the European Research Center for Information Systems (ERCIS) and currently heads the research group “Digital Mittelstadt of the Future”, which researches innovative solutions for the digital transformation of municipalities and local administrations.

As part of the farewell, colleagues, long-time companions and former and current doctoral students looked back on three decades of academic excellence, leadership and mentorship - all wrapped up in a creative and inspiring program.

Fortunately, this is not really a farewell, as Jörg Becker will remain with the department as a senior professor. We would like to thank him warmly and look forward to the next chapter!

On March 31, 2025, members of the Department Board Meeting gathered for a strategy day at the REACH EUREGIO Start-up Center to shape the future of the department.

The day began with a vision workshop, using the innovative “Lego Serious Play” method. This hands-on approach encouraged creative and collaborative thinking and led to several inspiring models that reflected visions for the future of the department.

In addition, there were stimulating discussions on topics such as teaching, research, and knowledge transfer. Together, participants explored new approaches to strengthen the department’s impact and further development in the field of Information Systems.

A big thank you to everyone who contributed their ideas, creativity, and commitment!

The first (virtual) Town Hall Meeting took place on 28 March 2025 to provide information on organizational and administrative topics and changes, as well as new projects and similar topics at the department. The aim is to improve the flow of information at the department.

The agenda included new staff members, among them a new acting professorship with Dr. Johannes Sedlmeir and numerous new doctoral students from the various chairs. Other topics included teaching, news from the ERCIS, and internal processes.

The meeting also offers employees the opportunity to discuss questions and specific concerns. In future, the Town Hall Meeting will take place once a semester.

In the upcoming summer semester, we are pleased to once again welcome international guests to our institute, who have been accompanying us for many years in research and teaching.

Their expertise will provide not only our students but also the entire academic community with new perspectives and valuable insights.

As part of our International Visiting Professors Program, we are honored to welcome:

Prof. Isabel Ramos (University of Minho, Portugal)

Visit period: April 1 to May 31, 2025

Prof. Sirkka Jarvenpaa (McCombs School of Business, University of Texas at Austin, USA)

Visit period: May 2 to June 15, 2025

Prof. Dr. Dragos Vieru (TELUQ University of Quebec, Montreal, Canada)

Visit period: June 2 to June 10, 2025

Prof. Dr. Russell Haines (Appalachian State University, Boone NC, USA)

Visit period: June 1 to July 31, 2025

Dr. Nathalie Mitev  (Université Paris-Dauphine, France) 

Visit period: June 16 to June 30, 2025

The “CARE-FLOW” project is being funded with 4.5 million euros by the Interreg VI program to enhance cross-border cooperation in the healthcare sector between Germany and the Netherlands. The aim is to develop innovative, data-driven solutions that optimize patient flow and capacity planning in emergency services, hospitals, and care facilities. Using AI algorithms and data analysis, resources such as ambulances, intensive care beds, and staff will be used more efficiently to provide patients with faster and better care.

An important aspect of the project is the consideration of exceptional events such as pandemics in order to make the healthcare system more resilient. In the border region, cooperation between the two countries is crucial to better coordinate resources such as available beds or ambulances – an important step in the light of  demographic changes and staff shortages in healthcare.

The consortium is led by the University of Twente and includes partners such as Stokhos Emergency Mathematics BV, L2R GmbH, ORTEC (Rhythm b.v.), University of Münster (ERCIS Competence Center for Crisis Management by Prof. Bernd Hellingrath and Dr. Adam Widera), and University Hospital Muenster. Together, they are developing software solutions and mathematical models that integrate real-time data from various healthcare institutions, improving resource planning.

The project will run until Spring 2029, with a total budget of 4,5 million euro, of which 2 million euro is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

“CARE-FLOW” is an important step towards better healthcare and stronger cooperation between the neighboring countries.

As part of their project seminar, four Master's students from different parts of the world successfully developed and presented solutions for automating the end-to-end use cases of the quote-to-invoice process based on the test cases provided for the company d.velop. The aim of the project was to rationalise the test process, ensure accuracy and efficiency and at the same time reduce manual effort. This should facilitate the validation of critical functionalities in connection with quotations and invoices.

Over the course of the winter semester, the students successfully automated the end-to-end process from quotation creation to invoicing using Microsoft Power Automate. ‘Throughout the project, we encountered several challenges at different stages. Before diving into automating, we first needed access to the company's internal platforms and had to understand the overall process. However, resolving access and credential issues took longer than expected. In the meantime, we familiarised ourselves with the functions and capabilities of Power Automate to ensure that we could use them effectively later. In the end, everyone gained access, and the process was fully automated!’ says Sabina Rahimova, participant of the seminar.

The students were accompanied by Miriam Möllers and Prof Benedikt Berger, who provided them with valuable advice. They were also supported by d.velop employees, who provided weekly feedback. According to Sabina, co-operation and communication were the driving forces behind the success of the seminar.

About the company d.velop

d.velop is a German software company specialising in enterprise content management (ECM) and digital document management solutions. The company offers software for document management, digital workflows, contract management and cloud-based content services to help companies streamline processes, improve collaboration and ensure compliance.

As part of a project seminar, six students from the Information Systems master's program presented their innovative prototypes, which were developed in collaboration with the Marquardt Group - a leading company in the field of switching and sensor systems based in the Black Forest.

The seminar was led by Dr Thomas Haskamp and accompanied by Niklas Kloth. The focus was on the application of the design thinking method for user-centred solutions to complex problems. Over a period of more than six months, the students worked in two teams to develop forward-looking concepts.

Team 1: FlowWise - Efficient use of water in the home

The first team, consisting of Jonas Reinhard, Leon Schlösser and Mubariz Ahmad, focussed on ecological challenges in the smart home sector. Their prototype is a retrofit solution that is installed between the shower hose and tap and helps to reduce heating costs by optimising showering behaviour. Their research has shown that heating water has a significant impact on energy costs, particularly in Germany. The system developed enables detailed monitoring and adjustment of water consumption to conserve valuable resources. Gamification elements were also introduced to increase user acceptance.

Team 2: Vellastra - safety solution for older people

Marwin Kralemann, Lukas Gerwens and Sandesh Kumar, forming the second team, developed an innovative solution to support older people in their everyday lives. Existing aids such as emergency buttons or care services often reach their limits and face challenges. In view of demographic change and the desire of many senior citizens to live independently within their own four walls for as long as possible, their system utilises UWB (ultra-wideband) radar technology. This detects presence and movement patterns in a room and recognises potential falls. The device can be easily integrated into existing lamp sockets. In an emergency, relatives or emergency services are notified immediately via an app to improve the safety and quality of life of older people.

Positive response from Marquardt

The final presentation was very well received by the Marquardt representatives. The practical implementation of the prototypes and the detailed analysis of user needs were particularly emphasised. Anabelle Marquardt and her team praised the innovative strength and creativity of the students and described the seminar as a complete success.

About the Marquardt Group

The Marquardt Group, based in the Black Forest, is a globally active company specialising in the development and production of switches and switching systems. As a renowned supplier to the automotive industry, Marquardt sets standards in sensor technology and innovative technologies.

Last Friday, nine students from the "Eduplay Hub" bachelor’s project seminar presented their newly developed learning platform with innovative AI features. The event took place at the headquarters of Provinzial Versicherung and was attended by about 30 interested people from different departments of the company.

The task of the project seminar was to create a modern and interactive learning platform that offers Provinzial employees a flexible and versatile learning experience. The platform includes webinars, in-person events, mandatory courses, and offers personalized learning paths and development opportunities. The aim was to create a  user-friendly solution that is both effective and motivating.

A key component of the presentation was the integration of gamification elements. These were meant to make the learning experience more fun and engaging. These include badges, achievements, and other incentives that help motivate users and allow them to track their progress. Additionally, an AI-powered course assistant (chatbot) was introduced to guide learners through the entire process, answering questions and providing personalized support.

The students presented their ideas and concepts to attendees and received   valuable feedback on both the practical aspects and the theoretical approaches  of the platform. The event was a resounding success and demonstrated what practical and forward-looking digital learning solutions can look like.

As part of the final presentation of the “Future Mobility Lab” project seminar, students presented a prototype and dashboard that helps Transdev employees make quick and informed decisions in crisis situations. The project, which focuses on the use of GenAI in crisis management in the mobility sector, was developed in collaboration with Transdev - a company of the Rethmann Group and Germany's second-largest rail and bus company.

The students developed a dashboard and programmed a Large Language Model (LLM) that uses real-time data and crisis manuals in critical scenarios - such as accidents, storms, or absenteeism - to provide sound decision support. In their presentation, they explained the underlying mode of operation, software architecture, and data structure. They provided insight into the evaluation of the LLM for the specific application.

The dashboard shows, among other things, the currently running trains and their delays. The interactive bot that allows user interaction was also presented. In a live demonstration, the students presented the functional prototype of the LLM/bot, which was extensively tested by the attendees. Edge cases were also analyzed and explored.

Five representatives from Transdev – including the Managing Director, Regional Manager, Data Lead and members of the Innovation Team – attended the presentation, underlining the strong interest in the collaboration and the project.

After the successful final presentation of the project seminar, the group embarked on a two-day excursion, which first took them to Transdev’s workshops and operations in Germany, and later to the Netherlands. The excursion began with a company presentation at Nordwestbahn, an important partner in public transport. Following this, the participants gained detailed insights into the maintenance and technology of the trains during a workshop tour. A particularly exciting part of the tour was the opportunity to not only inspect the technical details under the train but also to visit the train driver's cabin and even board the train to experience the technical infrastructure firsthand. The second part of the excursion took the group to the Netherlands, where they visited one of the largest E-bus fleets and its associated workshop. In addition, the participants were informed about the latest developments in electromobility at a training facility. A highlight of the trip was the opportunity for some participants to drive an actual passenger bus through Haarlem for around 15 minutes, under the guidance of an instructor. This unique hands-on experience provided invaluable insights into the operation of public transportation. After these impactful experiences, the group finally returned to Münster.

The project, focused on the use of GenAI in crisis management in the mobility sector, will now be presented internally to colleagues by Transdev's Data Lead.

On Friday, April 4, 2025, the next “Master your Future” Infoday of the School of Business & Economics will take place in the "Schloss" of the University of Münster. We invite you to find out more about our Master's degree program in Information Systems as well as the programs in Business Administration, Business Development and Economics and experience highlights from our research and teaching. In addition to information stands and plenty of time for questions, we also offer a campus tour. On-site advice is available in German and English, the program will be mainly in English. Participation is free of charge, registration is now open and possible until March 21, 2025.

You can find out more about the program and register directly here.

Impressions of the succesful premiere in April 2024 can be found here.

The project seminar ‘Retrieval Augmented Generation at the City of Krefeld’ ends with the presentation of the results of all seven students. 

The goal of the project seminar, which focused on the integration of documents from the decentralised and separate wikis and the transfer of the intranet into an AI-supported knowledge management system using the Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) system, was achieved. From now on, contextualised answers will be possible and internal data sources of the city of Krefeld will be used that are not available to public GenAI models.

In the final presentation, the students explained the technical, organisational and legal challenges of the project to those present - including Mr Baumann from the City of Krefeld as well as Prof. Tobias Brandt and Niklas Korte (Chair of Digital Innovation and the Public Sector) - and presented the functioning prototype (a RAG prototype), which combines its own LLM with an efficient retrieval system. Important milestones included the implementation of a web crawler for data updating, the optimisation of retrieval and the solution of technical hurdles, such as the integration of the system into the IT infrastructure of the city administration.

The presentation was followed by a discussion on the future use of the developed prototype and possible further developments. In particular, the potential of the solution for other municipal applications was discussed.