Bielefeld's Cluster of Excellence Cognitive Interactive Technology (CITEC) is building the foundations of smart technology: machines that can think for themselves and adapt themselves autonomously to what their human partners expect and need. Future technology should adapt to the human user – not the other way around.

Over a period of more than ten years, CITEC has succeeded in establishing cognitive interaction technology as a distinct branch of research, funded by the Federal and State Governments as part of the Excellence Initiative.

Nowadays, CITEC is a well-known institute with a strong network of partners in research and application. The institute anchors in top-class research through the Virtual Faculty, comprised of leading international experts from the field of cognitive interaction technology. CITEC's strategic partners belong to the leaders in their branch: v. Bodelschwingh Foundation Bethel, Miele, Bertelsmann, and the Honda Research Institute.

• 27 research groups contribute to the Cluster of Excellence. 
• The interdisciplinary research activities at CITEC are organized into four main areas.
• Around 5000 research publications present the outcomes of the CITEC research.
• CITEC researchers have been working on more than 100 projects of varying sizes.
• A range of films visualises the research performed at CITEC.