Bridging data, AI, and business, for the digital age: the TUM Heilbronn Data Science Center (HDSC) drives innovation through interdisciplinary research and realworld impact. Our mission is to transform data into knowledge and knowledge into solutions by empowering academia, industry, and society alike.
The HDSC is an interdisciplinary research center funded by the Dieter Schwarz Foundation and jointly shaped by two leading TUM Schools:
Five professors from each school form the scientific core of the Center.
Together, they conduct cuttingedge research in:
- Information Infrastructures
- Marketing Analytics
- Analytics in Manufacturing
- Transportation Analytics
- Software-Engineering & AI
- Data Science
- Machine Learning
with a strong focus on the development of new methods, models, and algorithms. This foundational research is complemented by application-oriented projects to deliver actionable insights and real-world solutions.
Where Research Meets Practice
At HDSC, we all work hand in hand to achieve the best outcomes. The Center addresses pressing economic and societal challenges across diverse domains from supply chains and operations to finance, health, and digital transformation.
Through this collaborative ecosystem, the Center serves as a platform for:
- Interdisciplinary cooperation
- Knowledge exchange
- Scientific progress
- Innovation transfer
on local, national, and international levels.
Selected Research Topics at the Data Science Center
We focus on marketing analytics as the quantitative-empirical study of consumer and business behavior, examining how new technologies shape decision-making and welfare. We apply data science to uncover patterns in customer data, generate actionable insights, and guide strategy.
We work on the interdisciplinary research including AI(LLM)-assisted automated mobile app development e.g., source code generation and automated testing, and AI deployments into real-world software e.g., AI robustness, privacy, security, usability, and human-AI interaction.
We envision manufacturing as a dynamic, interconnected ecosystem spanning multiple locations and entities, where complex constraints and resource interdependencies – among people, machines, and robots – demand the deployment of intelligent algorithms for orchestration, informed decision-making, and planning. Our research pioneers advanced algorithms grounded in cutting-edge Data Science techniques, from mathematical optimization and deep learning to emerging quantum computing. Working at the intersection of disciplines, we rigorously apply and refine these innovations on real-world manufacturing challenges, ensuring our work addresses the sector’s most urgent needs.
We are developing advanced spatial-temporal machine learning and data mining models for the applications of smart cities and smart transportation systems. We aim to optimize the city resources (water, air, energy), vehicles, humans, infrastructures via machine learning, deep learning, large language models and so on.
We work on the design, development, and evaluation of reliable and de:centralized information systems. Our research features a strong domain focus for the application of secure and trustworthy AI, in particular, in the internet and health care industry. The principal goal of our research is designing and theorizing on the applications and methods required for creation and innovation of sociotechnical systems. In our studies, we rigorously employ various interdisciplinary methods and build on theories from information systems, data science, and other disciplines.
Mission of the Center
- Connect expertise from management and computation to foster an inspiring environment for foundational and applied data science research.
- Enable innovation and transfer of cutting-edge data science methods from HDSC to academia, industry, and society.
- Deliver immersive and English-taught programs to educate and empower the next generation of AI innovators and data scientists.
- Promote active exchange and collaboration on data-driven topics among researchers, industry leaders, policymakers, and the public – locally and beyond.
HDSC/MDSI Tandem Projects
Deadline: 27 February
These tandem projects aim to foster interdisciplinary collaboration among core members of the HDSC, core members of the Munich Data Science Institute (MDSI), as well as other researchers at TUM.
- Each project must include at least one principal investigator (PI) from HDSC and at least one PI from MDSI. Additional TUM researchers may also participate.
- The proposal must designate a senior researcher (e.g., a postdoc) who will coordinate the project and serve as the main point of contact for HDSC/MDSI. This individual will be referred to as the project coordinator.
Our Professors
Prof. Dr. Ali Sunyaev
Information Infrastructures
Heilbronn Data Science Center
(Center Director)
Prof. Dr. Christine Eckert
Marketing Analytics
Heilbronn Data Science Center
(Deputy Center Director)
Prof. Dr. Chunyang Chen
Software Engineering & AI
Heilbronn Data Science Center
Call for Applications for the TUM HDSC PhD Fellowship 2026
The TUM HDSC PhD Fellowship 2026 offers up to 10 young scientists the opportunity to conduct research with a host at TUM for up to 3 years within the framework of the fellowship. It consists a list of tandem projects between HDSC and Munich Data Science Institute (MDSI) and especially welcome international candidates.
More details will follow soon – stay tuned
Contact
Heilbronn Data Science Center
Bildungscampus 2
74076 Heilbronn
hdsc@tum.de