The management teams of Studio Babelsberg, Jörg Bachmaier, and Film University Babelsberg, Prof. Dr. Susanne Stürmer, have agreed on a long-term innovation partnership. The focus is on applied research related to the “studio of the future” and new data-driven production processes.
The Erich Pommer Institute (EPI), a continuing education institute under the umbrella of the Film University, will play a central role in the strategic partnership. Together with Studio Babelsberg and the Film University, the EPI will design and be responsible for a series of workshops and discussion formats on AI technologies, data-driven production processes, and new qualifications and job profiles. The issues identified will be translated into continuing education and exchange formats that will have an impact on the industry and will be presented to the industry at the media.think.tank 2026 conference, among other venues.
These issues will also be incorporated into the research and research-based teaching of the Film University’s CX Studio. The CX Studio conducts research at the interface between film production and new media technologies. In addition to its own research projects – a major Horizon research grant application on the topic of AI and film, led by Prof. Lena Gieseke, has just been selected for funding – the CX Studio supports student graduation films in piloting new and experimental production technologies.
Prof. Björn Stockleben from the CX Studio explains: “We are united by our interest in the job profiles of the future. While in film production it has traditionally been the older generation that has trained the next generation, we are now seeing the opposite trend: alumni of the Film University are now leading the way in productions using virtual production and sharing their knowledge with experienced staff at the Babelsberg site. This requires students to have access to the sometimes complex technologies required for virtual production and AI workflows during their studies. Studio Babelsberg and its partners at the location have been continuously creating access to these technologies for years, and this is now beginning to pay off. We now want to systematically consolidate what has evolved so far.”
Together with Studio Babelsberg and the Film University, the HPI Engine, the HPI’s entrepreneurship center, is in discussion about specific cooperative formats that enable students to gain experience with new technologies at the interface of media and IT and inspire them to develop and implement their own ideas. Last but not least, spin-offs are an important focus of the cooperation: Successful and dynamic spin-offs from the Film University, such as Arkanum and Chunky Panda, have emerged in the Babelsberg ecosystem. Studio Babelsberg has been a partner of the Startbüro of the Film University since 2025, a successful settlement initiative that included Arkanum Pictures, among other young start-ups.
Jörg Bachmaier, CEO Studio Babelsberg: “With the Film University Babelsberg, the EPI, and the Hasso Plattner Institute, we are bringing together top expertise in film, technology, and research in Babelsberg. Our goal is to provide practical training for the filmmakers of tomorrow, combined with the responsible further development of innovative production processes, AI-supported workflows, and sustainable energy solutions – always with a focus on people. In this way, we are securing the international competitiveness and long-term viability of Babelsberg as a production hub and continuously expanding our role as a center of excellence for AI-supported film and media production.”
President Susanne Stürmer adds: ”This strategic cooperation shows what is possible when corporate partners and universities join forces. I am delighted that we can showcase the entire spectrum of the Film University – from film creation to research, transfer, continuing education, the EPI, and start-ups – and I would like to thank Jörg Bachmaier and the Studio Babelsberg team, as well as Frank Pawlitschek with the HPI Engine, for their productive openness. The location and the entire industry can benefit from what we are achieving here.”
