This morning in Saarbrueken, Germany we launched a new research center at Saarland University called the Intel Visual Computing Institute. Intel has committed $12 million to this effort, which will become the newest member of Intel Labs Europe and our largest university collaboration in the region. The Intel VCI will be chartered with accelerating innovations in realistic graphics and new immersive, connected experiences such as the 3D Internet.

Through our work with Professor Philipp Slusallek, we’ve supported visual computing research at Saarland University for a number of years. Given the growing importance of visual computing to Intel’s future, it made perfect sense for us to take our relationship with the university to the next level by forming the Intel VCI. In this video, featuring Phillipp, Professor Thorsten Herfet, Jim Hurley and myself, we describe the vision for the institute.

I am confident that the Intel VCI will become an internationally-recognized center in the visual computing field.