Helmut Leopold, Chairman of the Gaia-X Hub Austria and Head of Center for Digital Safety & Security at AIT Austria Institute of Technology, was made into the new Board of Directors for the Office Period as part of the second Ordinary General Assembly 2025 by the GAIA-X European Association for Data and Cloud (AISBL) Chosen 2025-2027. In addition to well-known organizations such as Airbus, Atos, Siemens, Dawex, OvhCloud, SAP, Bitkom and others, Austria will also have moved into the important control board in order to actively advance the GAIA-X mission in the future.
As a chairman of the Austrian hub, Helmut Leopold embodies the bridge to the European Gaia-X organization. In his role on the AIT, he leads the Center for Digital Safety & Security on digital transformation and focus issues such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data platforms and data spaces, as well as quantum and photonics technologies. In this role, Leopold supports Austrian and international companies and organizations in the context of their digital transformation- in various markets, including the semiconductor industry, the automotive sector, critical infrastructures such as the energy network and power plant operators, the financial sector, as well as high-security areas in the context of the protection of critical infrastructures. Before that, he was already responsible for the digital transformation of Telekom Austria as head of technology, whereby he was largely responsible for the introduction of broadband internet and interactive television in Austria and thus also significantly formed the development of the digital media landscape in Austria.
The Gaia X Hub Austria is an important initiative to support the strategic goals of national digital sovereignty. The GAIA-X platform bundles stakeholders from business, research and administration and accompanies companies in ensuring sustainable data sovereignty for new data-driven business models. The hub, which is supported by the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure (BMIMI) and the State Secretariat for Digitization, today in the Federal Chancellery (BKA) and coordinated by AIT, sees itself not only as an information hob, but also as an active co -designer of a European digital policy. He advises political decision -makers: Inside, supports companies in the development of sovereign data strategies and creates specific entry options for data rooms through real test environments and pilot projects.
“I feel honored and thank you for the trust. The choice in the Board of Directors of Gaia-X Aisbl is not only a personal recognition, but also a strong signal for the Austrian contribution to the European data strategy. Only interoperable federated data rooms that enable sovereign data management and counteract an excessive dependence on a few global data providers Real innovation and long -term competitiveness in data -driven business models. Helmut Leopold On the strategic relevance of GAIA-X for Europe’s digital future.
The AIT congratulates all newly elected board members, whose expertise will be decisive for the expansion of a federated, trustworthy digital Europe. The choice of Helmut Leopold in the board also signals the greater visibility and importance of Austria in the European Gaia-X network.
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