Hoettges Pitches Sovereign AI and 6G at Hannover Messe

During his keynote speech at Hannover Messe, Deutsche Telekom CEO Tim Hoettges pointed out Germany’s prospects of taking a leading role in the adoption of AI in industrial environments. He has also hinted at the future enterprise potential of 6G.

During the opening day of the industrial show in Hannover, Germany, the executive pointed to the importance of sovereign infrastructure to support AI applications, an area the operator has been investing in. Discussing so-called physical AI, which he defined as the application of the technology in industrial environments, Hoettges indicated Germany had all of the ingredients to take a leading global role. “Progress happens where AI and sovereignty come together. The country has all the elements required to become a world leader in technology, with its strong industrial base, engineering excellence, and the ability to combine production with cutting-edge technologies. “If we follow through consistently, Germany will not just keep pace; we will lead,” Hoettges said.

However, he insisted companies needed to adopt the right applications and redesign business processes to take advantage of AI technology, while also being aware of the knock-on impact on the workforce. Regarding what the operator offers enterprises, Hoettges noted that different levels of sovereignty are required depending on the use case and industry. This includes products aimed at those with requirements for sensitive data processing to meet regulations; operational sovereignty for core business processes; and technological sovereignty for those wanting to distance their architecture from non-European providers. The session also included a hint at what 6G could offer industry in the future, with Hoettges outlining an expectation that it would open the way to new applications.

Hoettges promoted the various investments DT is making in its home market with an eye to the industrial segment. Among these is an AI Factory project in Munich, together with partners Nvidia, SAP, and Siemens, that bolsters network architecture to support current and future technologies. The operator notes it spends €6 billion annually on networks and other infrastructure in Germany, while also advancing technology, including 6G, which it expects to enable systems to manage network operations largely autonomously.