Signing in Berlin
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang met at Kraftwerk, a former power station in Berlin. The conversation centered on Germany's AI roadmap and, in particular, industrial applications of AI.
The same day, as part of the Invest in Germany Summit, Chancellor Merz, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space signed a Joint Declaration of Intent with NVIDIA.
What the agreement covers
The declaration sets out an agreement to work on a joint initiative to advance frontier AI models for physical AI — systems that let machines and robots perceive and act in the real world.
Formalizing NVIDIA's collaboration with Germany's federal government and its "Industry 4.0 Platform" — which brings together politics, industry, research and trade associations — supports the government's stated goal to systematically bring industrial AI into widespread use and build a state-of-the-art industrial AI ecosystem in Europe.
Merz: "Open your doors to AI"
Merz said Germany's biggest advantage is its Mittelstand, the small and medium-sized businesses, and urged the business leaders in the audience to open their data to AI.
Huang praised Germany's world-class manufacturing expertise, large and small, as well as its strength in math and science. "That knowledge belongs to you. It cannot be replaced. AI can only augment your capability, it will not replace your capability," he said.
Why it matters
Both sides agreed that combining Germany's expertise in physical technologies with AI can accelerate the economy. Merz said he would like to meet Huang at least once a year to review progress.
