On 1 July 2021, Dr Yvonne Braukhoff (IAW) presented the HUMAINE Competence Centre at the poster session of the Data Science Ruhr Congress. The congress covers topics relating to data-driven innovation and is aimed at both interested users and technology experts. It was an ideal venue for HUMAINE to present and discuss its innovative methods at the interface between AI development and AI application, as well as their validation through practical pilot projects. We were delighted by the productive exchange of ideas and the fascinating presentations, and we would like to extend our sincere thanks to BO-I-T. The HUMAINE Centre of Excellence is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research as part of the funding priority ‘The Future of Work: Regional Centres of Excellence in Labour Research’ and is managed by the Project Management Agency Karlsruhe (funding reference: 02L19C200).