cortAIx, Thales's AI accelerator, launched in Germany to Drive AI for Critical Systems

• In January 2026, cortAIx, Thales's AI accelerator, has opened a new site in Germany, bringing the total number of these cortAIx entities to five, after France, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Singapore
• This initiative aims to contribute to the development of transparent and trustworthy AI solutions, specifically for critical systems and security-relevant military applications

By establishing cortAIx in Germany, Thales is responding to the rising demand for trusted and resilient AI solutions in the defence and security sectors. cortAIx in Germany represents an additional building block in Thales’ global AI network, which aims to strengthen the responsible and effective use of AI to tackle complex challenges. The focus is on developing robust solutions for AI for cybersecurity, and military use cases such as autonomous cyber-defence, agent-based penetration testing, command & control, and sensor-centric applications.

Based on customer feedback and Thales in-house research, new potentials for innovative or existing solutions are identified—solutions that can be effectively applied and ease users’ workloads with the help of trustworthy AI. The cortAIx approach extends from customer-centric basic research to the development of use cases and minimum viable products, and ​ to market-ready products. This approach has already proven successful in NATO countries with an existing cortAIx presence, such as Canada, the UK, and France.

“With cortAIx in Germany, we are bridging the gap between technological innovation and the highest standards of security. Our goal is to provide our customers in the defence and security sector with solutions that are not only technologically advanced, but above all, trustworthy and sovereign. In a world of mounting digital threats, resilient AI is no longer a ‘nice-to-have’—it is the backbone of modern security architectures. We invite our partners and customers to join us in this important endeavor. Close collaboration between industry, academia, and public sector is crucial for advancing AI innovations that both strengthen Europe and Germany’s sovereign capabilities and meet the highest standards of transparency, ethics, and accountability.” Christoph Ruffner, CEO & Country Director Thales in Germany

Global AI Expertise of cortAIx

To pool the comprehensive expertise of Thales and efficiently advance trustworthy AI development, experts from cortAIx in Germany benefit from the global network. Thales already employs over 800 AI and data specialists, and is the leading patent applicant for AI for critical systems in Europe, with more than 200 patents filed to date. With over 100 products integrating AI, Thales is accelerating the development and deployment of trusted AI-based systems in the most demanding environments. cortAIx in Germany builds on this success and will serve as a central hub for AI innovation—bringing together cutting-edge technology, talent, and research with the goal of delivering AI solutions that provide the right data foundation for the right decisions in critical scenarios.

cortAIx’s research and development focuses on solutions for critical systems, including:

• Building resilient data and knowledge foundations as prerequisites for efficient, scalable AI systems;
• Developing and evaluating AI systems that act autonomously and make independent decisions in highly dynamic, security-critical environments, as well as implementing defence measures against hybrid (cyber & physical) threats;
• Securing AI systems against manipulation, malfunction, and attacker influence throughout their entire lifecycle.

About Thales

Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies for the Defence, Aerospace, and Cyber & Digital sectors. Its portfolio of innovative products and services addresses several major challenges: sovereignty, security, sustainability and inclusion.

The Group invests more than €4 billion per year in Research & Development in key areas, particularly for critical environments, such as Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum and cloud technologies. Thales has more than 83,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2024, the Group generated sales of €20.6 billion.

About Thales in Germany

Based in Germany for over 140 years, Thales in Germany is one of the largest national organisations of the Thales Group, employing around 2,200 people at a total of nine sites with their own production and development facilities. As a recognised part of the German high-tech industry, Thales in Germany offers its customers at home and abroad state-of-the-art, highly secure and available reconnaissance, radar, communication and information systems as well as services for secure land, air and sea transport and for civil and military security and protection requirements. The company also has a comprehensive portfolio of IT solutions for cybersecurity and manufactures and develops satellite components at its Ulm site.