Into the future together with SPRIND
The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation (SPRIND) are intensifying their partnership and playing to their respective strengths in order to improve the lives of the population in a tangible and sustainable way and to set up “Mein Bildungsraum” in a future-oriented manner. In this way, BMBF and SPRIND are already creating future prospects for the results of three years of research and development work on “Mein Bildungsraum”.
On 1 July, the BMBF handed over the basic version of the network infrastructure to SPRIND and commissioned SPRIND to further develop and expand it: SPRIND is responsible in particular for the three central components “Wallet”, “Digital Identities” and “Digital Certificates”. SPRIND can decide independently on further and new developments and, if necessary, add further products or functionalities. Specifically, this involves extending the secure and flexibly expandable infrastructure, optimising usability, developing a sustainable operator concept and transferring it to operations. SPRIND's focus here is on the certification and management of educational certificates and data.
The common goal is to develop a modern, nationwide infrastructure for digital education in Germany. The transition is based on the results of an extended technical review (assessment of product maturity) and user feedback from the test phase. The perspective of the users and stakeholders involved was and remains at the centre of the project.
To this end, the BMBF and the Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation (SPRIND) have already signed the contract for the handover of the developments for the digital network infrastructure. The contract was awarded from 1 July 2024 with a possible term until the end of 2027.
FAQ
Question: Who is SPRIND?
SPRIND, the Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation, sees itself as a real-life laboratory for innovation and is breaking new ground in implementing government projects. With the introduction of the “SPRIND Freedom Act”, which was passed in November 2023, SPRIND is able to operate with greater autonomy and less bureaucracy. With the freedoms granted in the SPRIND Freedom Act, which has been in force since 29 December 2023, SPRIND can act largely independently. This allows SPRIND to manage this project with the flexibility and agility required in the current project phase through to subsequent real operation. The handover of the development results thus represents the next logical step in the innovative further development of the digital network infrastructure for education.
Question: What role will the BMBF have in "Mein Bildungsraum" in the future?
The BMBF has commissioned SPRIND with the further development of the project and will remain a key decision-maker in the strategic direction and funding even after the handover. In addition to developing “Mein Bildungsraum”, the BMBF will continue to research and promote innovative solutions to improve learning and teaching in the digital space and make it future-proof. Through strategic programmes and initiatives, the BMBF will increasingly initiate, promote and network processes and projects in the field of “education in the digital space”.
Question: When can we expect an open beta?
With the beta version of “Mein Bildungsraum”, a functional version, a so-called Minimal Viable Product (MVP), was made available to the first test users in October 2023. In the closed beta phase, users were able to test the functionalities of “Mein Bildungsraum” using various fictitious scenarios. The aim of SPRIND is to make the first services available in 2025 in cooperation with individual federal states.
