On 18 November 2025, Prof. Dr. Jürgen Frikel and his team at OTH Regensburg welcomed Johannes Becher, Deputy Chairman of the Green Party parliamentary group, and Jürgen Mistol, Member of the State Parliament. The discussion focused on the opportunities offered by bureaucracy reduction and digitalisation – a topic that is of equal interest to politics, science and business.
In addition to project manager Prof. Frikel, Christoph Reithmair (OmniCert Umweltgutachter GmbH), Prof. Skornia (Vice-President of OTH Regensburg), Prof. Hermann (Dean of the Faculty of Computer Science and Mathematics) and Prof. Mauerer (Chairman and Director of the Regensburg Centre for Artificial Intelligence, RCAI) also took part in the discussion.
Courage to make concrete changes
It quickly became clear that reducing bureaucratic hurdles is seen across party lines as an urgent necessity in order to strengthen innovation, competitiveness and efficiency in Bavaria, Germany and Europe. At the same time, the participants agreed that real relief can only be achieved if courageous decisions are made and digital solutions are consistently implemented.
BAICert: AI-supported approaches for modern certification processes
The BAICert project, funded by the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, pursues precisely this approach. In close cooperation, OTH Regensburg and OmniCert Umweltgutachter GmbH are developing standardised interfaces and AI-based methods to simplify and automate complex certification processes.
A key objective is to make the tools developed as widely accessible as possible. The project therefore relies on open, modular frameworks and ongoing exchange with relevant stakeholders to ensure that the solutions are practical and create real added value.
‘With BAICert, we want to develop digital tools that help to overcome bureaucratic burdens and thus create noticeable relief,’ emphasised Prof. Frikel.
Political support for innovative approaches
The MPs present expressly praised the work of the BAICert team.
Jürgen Mistol, Member of the Bavarian Parliament, emphasised that digital solutions not only reduce the workload for employees, but can also improve the quality of administrative processes. Johannes Becher also highlighted the team's courage in critically analysing established processes and rethinking them.
‘Here, concrete solutions are being worked on that can relieve the burden on both the administration and the economy – this is exactly the kind of innovative strength we need in Bavaria,’ explained Mistol.
BAICert is a prime example of how applied research can pave the way for efficient, modern and citizen-oriented administration.
Outlook
OTH Regensburg and the BAICert team plan to continue the exchange with political decision-makers in order to further increase the visibility and impact of the solutions developed.
The team would like to express its sincere thanks for the constructive dialogue and valuable input.
