New Cooperation Strengthens International AI Research at Lamarr
28. January 2026
The Lamarr Institute, the University of Bonn, and the Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding and a Student Exchange Agreement. The partnership sets a long-term framework for joint research, teaching, and scientific exchange across AI-supported life sciences, bioinformatics, chemical informatics, data science, and materials science. This is structured collaboration with clear goals, not a symbolic alliance.
Why Japan-and why now
Japan leads in robotics, materials science, and applied AI in medicine, backed by national initiatives like Society 5.0 that link innovation with social benefit in an aging population. NAIST contributes strong data and domain expertise and participates in national excellence programs that promote international research networks. The fit is direct: combine methods, data, and experiments to push outcomes that matter.
Society 5.0 (Cabinet Office of Japan) | Nara Institute of Science and Technology
Scope of the cooperation
- Joint research projects at the interface of AI methods, data-driven modeling, and experimental validation
- Shared teaching formats and co-supervision across institutions
- Structured student exchange for master's and doctoral researchers (up to one academic year abroad)
- Focus areas: life sciences, bioinformatics, chemical informatics, data science, and materials science
What researchers can expect
- Integrated teams combining algorithm development, domain data, and lab-based experiments
- Early involvement of graduate researchers in international projects and lab rotations
- Access to complementary datasets, platforms, and evaluation protocols
- Cross-cultural collaboration skills built into the research process
Initiation and leadership
The collaboration was initiated by the NAIST Data Science Center and the Life Sciences & Health division of the Lamarr Institute, which have worked together for years. "The greatest advances occur where the development of AI methods, data-driven modeling, and experimental research intersect," says Prof. Dr. Jürgen Bajorath, Area Chair of Life Sciences & Health at Lamarr. "International collaborations such as this one promote excellent, effective, and socially relevant research to a particular degree."
Representatives of the collaboration include Prof. Dr. Jürgen Bajorath (Lamarr Institute), Prof. Dr. Kazuhiro Shiozaki (President, NAIST), and Prof. Dr. Kimito Funatsu (Director, NAIST Data Science Center).
International training and exchange
The agreements formalize a student exchange that enables master's and doctoral candidates from both institutions to spend up to one academic year conducting research abroad. Participants will work inside ongoing projects, gaining exposure to different scientific practices and academic cultures.
As one of Japan's leading universities in information, bio, and materials sciences, NAIST adds strong data science and experimental capabilities. Paired with Lamarr and the University of Bonn, the network aligns methods, data expertise, and lab work into one pipeline.
New cross-appointment to accelerate collaboration
To extend scientific cooperation, Dr. Andrea Mastropietro has taken on a dual role: junior research group leader at the University of Bonn and the Lamarr Institute, and assistant professor at NAIST. His group focuses on graph-based learning methods, generative AI, and explainable AI for life science applications. "I am very much looking forward to combining research and teaching across national borders in the future and to providing new scientific impetus together with colleagues in Bonn and Japan," he says.
A value-based alliance with social impact
The partnership emphasizes transparency, responsibility, and sustainable knowledge gain-offering an alternative to established research axes with the US and China. The goal is clear: develop AI methods where they can move the needle in society, especially in health research and in the context of demographic change.
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