Olaf Mersmann appointed as the new Professor of Computer Science

“I am very much looking forward to training the next generation of digitalisation specialists at the H-BRS and to further expanding my research work in the field of HPC,” says Professor Mersmann. High-performance computing has become increasingly important, not least due to the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI). “In the past, you might have come into contact with it once towards the end of your degree; today, every computer scientist needs it,” he emphasises. 

Analysing large amounts of data with HPC clusters

When researchers want to analyse large amounts of data, they do so with the help of HPC clusters – that is, a network of computers working together on the task – as the required computing power simply could not otherwise be provided. With the development of AI, this demand has risen dramatically. “We need students who can not only apply AI, but also further develop it,” says Mersmann. 

Systems consume a lot of electricity

This is because the systems consume a lot of electricity. “If you can manage to make systems run just one, two or three per cent faster and more efficiently, that may not sound like much at first, but it has an enormous impact, both environmentally and economically.” The topic is highly relevant, both in the region and beyond, as AI is an issue for all businesses. Added to this are questions of data protection and, consequently, the need for local AI that is hosted here in Germany.

Professor Mersmann attaches great importance to practical relevance

Professor Olaf Mersmann attaches great importance to practical relevance, which he also aims to ensure in his courses through project-based learning formats and a mix of theory and practice. He himself studied physics, computer science, data analysis and data science at the Technical University of Ilmenau, Philipps University of Marburg and the Technical University of Dortmund. He obtained his PhD in statistics from TU Dortmund. Mersmann worked as the managing director of a consultancy firm, an advisor at a security agency and a software developer before being appointed Professor of Data Science at TH Köln in 2020. Three years later, he moved to the Federal University of Applied Administrative Sciences in Brühl as a professor of computer science. From September, the Bonn native will be teaching and conducting research at the H-BRS in Sankt Augustin.