(Frankfurt am Main, July 9, 2026) Joachim Bürkle has taken over as head of the AI Quality & Testing Hub (AIQ) on July 1. The experienced manager comes from DB Systel, the IT subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn, and is an expert in the fields of artificial intelligence and digitalization.
“Artificial intelligence is transforming companies, products, and entire value chains. For technological potential to translate into sustainable benefits in practice, it takes more than just good ideas and powerful models. It requires quality, traceability, security, regulatory guidance, and trust,” says Bürkle.
This is exactly where the AIQ comes in: The startup, jointly founded by the State of Hesse and the VDE, provides practical support to companies and organizations in evaluating and improving their artificial intelligence in a transparent manner before problems arise in production, with customers, or during audits. With the AI Quality Testing Framework, the hub has now launched a product that can be used to test AI models of all kinds for trustworthiness and security.
Mission: Creating Value
Joachim Bürkle studied computer science at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology from 1990 to 1995. This was followed by professional roles at companies including Bosch Telecom USA, Nortel, and Ericsson. From March 2014 to June 2026, Bürkle worked at DB Systel, most recently for a good six years as a product owner in the “Innovations & Ventures” unit. At AIQ, he succeeds Dr. Cord Schlötelburg, who will be taking on a new role within the VDE in the future.
“In the three years since its founding, the AI Quality & Testing Hub has implemented projects with various partners and now offers the AI Quality Testing Framework—a system that can be flexibly applied across all industries and at all levels of testing,” says Dr. Beate Mand, Deputy Chair of the Executive Board of the VDE Group and Chair of the AIQ Supervisory Board. Joachim Bürkle is exactly the right person to establish the framework on the market now. “Artificial intelligence presents a major opportunity for companies that also want to demonstrate that their AI is powerful, secure, and trustworthy. Here, we at VDE—through our joint startup with the State of Hesse—serve as a partner to the business community.”
“Now that the provisions of the AI Regulation are gradually coming into effect, AI quality and compliance are becoming a real business case. With AIQ, the State of Hesse and the VDE recognized the importance of these issues early on and built up key expertise to support businesses and public administration. Under the new leadership, the company’s strategy will continue, and the company will be guided into the next phase of its development,” adds Hesse’s Minister for Digital Affairs, Prof. Dr. Kristina Sinemus.
“It is precisely the collaboration between the State of Hesse and the VDE that allows us to combine different perspectives,” says Bürkle. What matters most to him is that the work creates value. “Our goal is to support companies and organizations in developing AI systems responsibly, testing them thoroughly, and successfully implementing them,” he says.
