AI for smart cities: h_da computer scientist Florian Heinrichs receives hessian.AI professorship

Already a professor at 32. Is that all right, or is AI involved? Yes, it is, and it is the focus of Prof Dr Florian Heinrichs’ research and teaching. His topic: AI for smart cities. The young professor has been researching and teaching this topic at the Department of Computer Science at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences (h_da) since the current winter semester 2023/24 and is also strengthening AI research at the hessian Centre for Artificial Intelligence (hessian.AI). He is the new hessian.AI professor there.

In addition to his AI research activities, Prof Dr Florian Heinrichs will introduce computer science students at h_da to the basics of artificial intelligence in future. His many years of professional experience will also contribute to this: Florian Heinrichs most recently developed AI-based software as Chief Data Scientist for the technology company “SNAP” GmbH in Bochum. There he also worked on “brain-computer interfaces” – a neurotechnological interface between the human brain and computer.

“By filling the hessian.AI professorship, we are strengthening AI and smart cities research here at h_da and in the hessian AI network and are also helping to further advance Darmstadt as a digital city,” says Prof Dr Nicole Saenger, Vice President for Research and Sustainable Development at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences.

“With Prof Dr Florian Heinrichs, we are strengthening the expertise of hessian.AI and actively contributing to practical research and transferring results into application. We are convinced that the research and research transfer promoted in hessian.AI will bring about positive changes and sustainably strengthen Hesse as a business location. The appointment of Prof Heinrichs is a significant contribution to the entire ecosystem. We look forward to working with him in the future,” said Prof. Dr Dr Mira Mezini & Prof. Dr Kristian Kersting, Directors of hessian.AI.

Prof Dr Florian Heinrichs studied mathematics at the Ruhr University in Bochum from 2011 to 2016 and completed his doctorate in statistics there from 2016-2020. After starting his career as a data scientist at NOWEDA Apothekergenossenschaft eG in 2020 and 2021, he worked as Chief Data Scientist at “SNAP” GmbH until 2023.