Prof. Dr. Axel-Cyrille Ngonga Ngomo (Heinz Nixdorf Institute, University of Paderborn) receives the NRW 2024 Innovation Award in the “Audience Award: innovation4transformation” category
With the NRW 2024 Innovation Award, Minister President Hendrik Wüst and Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Protection Mona Neubaur honor committed personalities who contribute significantly to the state's innovative strength through their creativity and commitment.
Audience Award “innovation4transformation” (25,000 euros)
Prof. Dr. Axel-Cyrille Ngonga Ngomo (Heinz Nixdorf Institute, University of Paderborn) developed the first family of so-called neuro-symbolic algorithms. These enable novel AI-based systems that combine the properties of neural approaches (time-efficient and robust) with the properties of symbolic approaches (data-efficient and explainable). The new approach solves what is currently a fundamental AI problem. As a result, the answers generated by the AI become more comprehensible for the user.
This is the 14th time that North Rhine-Westphalia has awarded the NRW Innovation Prize to individuals who develop and drive innovation in a special way. Personalities are honored along the various phases of the innovation chain - from the testing of an outstanding idea to commercial application and scaling.
The award winners and nominees are selected by a jury made up of renowned personalities from science and business. The jury members come from various areas of the innovation system in order to ensure a holistic assessment of the applications.
Minister President Hendrik Wüst: “We want to make North Rhine-Westphalia the first climate-neutral industrial state in Europe - to achieve this, we must also be pioneers in modern technologies. It is in this spirit that we have set out on our journey: from coal to AI, to becoming the leading digital region in Europe. In addition to the right political framework conditions, this also requires innovative strength, creativity and entrepreneurial courage. The nominees for the North Rhine-Westphalia Innovation Award are particularly representative of this. They provide important impetus for more investment, which we urgently need for the economic relaunch in Germany.”
Minister Mona Neubaur: “Courage to change, inventiveness and a passion for the cause - that deserves recognition. That is why I am delighted to be able to award the NRW Innovation Prize to people who make progress possible with clear goals and intelligent solutions. They are courageous trailblazers. They think beyond the status quo and make possible today what seemed unthinkable yesterday. With large companies, a proud SME sector, an impressive scientific landscape and a state government that champions new ideas
