Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI
Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI

Dr. Bernd Beckert

Deputy Head of the Department of Emerging Technologies and Coordinator of the topic Artificial Intelligence

Bernd Beckert studied Political and Communications Science at the University of Konstanz, Germany and the Portland State University in Oregon, USA. 1997-2000 he was a researcher at the Department for Applied Computer Science at the University of Bremen, Germany, where he did empirical research on the different uptake patterns of digital technologies in Germany and the United States of America. He holds a doctoral degree from Technical University Munich with a thesis comparing Internet developments and diffusion patterns in a comparative perspective. Since 2001 he is a researcher and project coordinator at the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI, since 2008 he is also Deputy Head of the Department of Emerging Technologies. Moreover, he is the coordinator of the artificial intelligence group at Fraunhofer ISI which was launched 2020 .

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    • Application and impacts of artificial intelligence
    • Implementation strategies for responsible AI in companies and organizations
    • Analysis of research policy approaches and instruments with regard to digital technologies and AI in europe and on national level
    • Scenarios for the use of Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) in the context of AI
    • Strategies for effective knowledge transfer and sustainable innovations

    • Development and diffusion patterns of new technologies
    • Impact of AI on science
    • Impacts of new technical infrastructures in terms of economic and social developments
    • Evaluation of government initiatives and regulation on the diffusion and innovation potential of digital and other new technologies

    • AI research and AI transfer in Germany. Analysis of international AI strategies and best practices of leading countries.
    • AI in inpatient rehabilitation
    • New data protection governance – technology, regulation, and transformation (DatenTRAFO, BMFTR project) www.forschung-it-sicherheit-kommunikationssysteme.de/projekte/datentrafo 
    • Impact of Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence to Improve Electronic Identities (IMPULSE EU-project) www.impulse-h2020.eu
    • Analysis of new technologies for anonymizing mobility data (BMFTR-project ANYMOS) www.isi.fraunhofer.de/de/competence-center/neue-technologien/projekte/anymos.html
    • Digitising SMEs in Baden-Wurttemberg - Competence Center Stuttgart. (BMWI-project), www.isi.fraunhofer.de/de/competence-center/neue-technologien/projekte/mittelstand4-0.html
    • Visionary and Collaborative Research in Europa. Impacts of use-inspired basic research. Evaluation of the EU research programme for blue sky research „FET Open“ (EU project FET-TRACES)

    • Beckert, Bernd (2025): Is the future of AI really federated? Federated Learning as an emerging market. Paper presented at the 3rd IEEE International Conference on Federated Learning Technologies and Applications (FLTA25) in Dubrovnik, 14-17 October.
    • Beckert, Bernd; Metzger, Frederik M. (2025): Collection and Use of Digital Mobility Data, Challenges in Their Anonymization, and Alternative Strategies. Discussion Paper, Fraunhofer ISI, Karlsruhe. September, https://doi.org/10.24406/publica-5338 .
    • Beckert, Bernd; Kroll, Henning (2024): Definition of the research and innovation field "Artificial Intelligence" and approaches to determining quality. Fraunhofer ISI Discussion Papers Innovation Systems and Policy Analysis No. 88. Karlsruhe: Fraunhofer ISI, November 2024, ISSN 1612-1430, 10.24406/publica-3792
    • Beckert, Bernd; Hoxha, Julia; Kellmeyer, Patrick; Philipp, Patrick (2023): Trustworthy AI in the healthcare sector: Challenges and solutions illustrated by three real-world examples. Paper presented at the conference “Artificial Intelligence and Social Equity” at the Université Bordeaux Montaigne, May 14-16, 2023, Doi:10.24406/publica-3667 .
    • Kulicke, Marianne; Beckert, Bernd; Stolz, Christopher (2022): Wo steht Deutschland bei Innovation und Digitalisierung im internationalen Vergleich? Studie zum Förderfeld „Digitalisierung und Innovation“ im Auftrag der KfW. Karlsruhe: September. 
    • Beckert, Bernd (2021): The European way of doing Artificial Intelligence: The state of play implementing Trustworthy AI. Paper presented at FITCE/IEEE-Conference “Industrial Data – Cloud, Low Latency and Privacy” September 29-30, 2021, Vienna. Download: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9588560.
    • Beckert, Bernd; Eberling, Elisabeth; Feidenheimer, Alexander; Friedewald, Michael; Gotsch, Matthias; Klobasa, Marian; Kroll, Henning, Lerch, Christian; Martin, Nicholas; Schubert, Torben (2021): Die Digitalisierung aus Innovationsperspektive. ISI Policy Brief 1-2021, Karlsruhe: Fraunhofer ISI.
    • Beckert, Bernd; Bollhöfer, Esther (2021): Ready for Industry 4.0. In: Müller-Friemauth, Friederike; Hafkesbrink, Joachim; Schaffner, Michael et al. (Eds.): Fallstudien zur Digitalisierung im Mittelstand. Wiesbaden: Springer, pp. 29-37.
    • Schmoch, Ulrich; Beckert, Bernd; Schaper-Rinkel, Petra (2019): Impact assessment of a support programme of science-based emerging technologies. In: Scientometrics, first online: 19 January 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-018-03002-x  .
    • Baden-Württemberg Stiftung (Ed.) (2020): Struktur und Dynamik des Forschungs- und Wissenschaftsstandorts Baden-Württemberg. Authors: Rainer Frietsch, Knut Koschatzky, Bernd Beckert et al. Stuttgart: Schriftenreihe der Baden-Württemberg Stiftung Forschung No. 93. http://publica.fraunhofer.de/dokumente/N-593306.html.
    • Schleife, Katrin; Niemann, Frank; Dupuis, Dominique, Beckert, Bernd, Wydra, Sven (2017): The Economic and Social Impact of Software & Services on Competitiveness and Innovation. Study for the European Commission by Pierre Audoin Consultants – PAC and Fraunhofer ISI. Brussels: European Commission.