Compliance at DFKI

DFKI does not tolerate bribery or corruption - of any kind. Any corrupt behavior damages DFKI's business relationships and reputation and will therefore not be tolerated under any circumstances. This means that all employees must reject any form of bribery or corruption, whether in direct or indirect form via intermediaries.

With the company's internal policy for the avoidance of corruption and other conflicts of interest (anti-corruption policy), all employees of DFKI are informed about the principles of conduct that must be bindingly observed to avoid corruption and conflicts of interest. In this way, employees are made aware of the dangers of corruption and informed of the possible consequences of misconduct.

As one of the leading research centers in the field of artificial intelligence, we are aware of our social responsibility. We are fully committed to upholding and respecting human rights and environmental concerns both in our own business operations and in our value and supply chains, and expect the same from our business partners and suppliers.

We reject child labor, forced labor and modern slavery, as well as other violations of human rights, and are guided by the core labor standards of the International Labor Organization (ILO).

With the introduction of the Act on Corporate Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chains (LkSG), the legislator has created concrete framework conditions for responsible and sustainable value creation in supply chains. We fulfil the requirements of the law. We describe the details in our Declaration of Principles on Human Rights and Environmental Protection.

To ensure that the LkSG is complied with in our own business unit and in our supply chains, we have set up a complaints procedure through which human rights and environmental risks and violations of human rights-related or environmental obligations in DFKI's business unit and by business partners or other third parties (suppliers) can be reported. Such notifications can be submitted via the reporting channels of our internal whistleblower system.

Further information on the complaints procedure can be found in the Rules of Procedure.

Compliance with laws, rules and internal company regulations is a top priority for DFKI. All employees are expected to act in accordance with the law and with integrity in order to protect DFKI, other employees and business partners from damage. Therefore, it is of great importance to DFKI to become aware of and remedy any misconduct within the company and potential violations of rules by employees. Serious information helps us to counteract breaches of rules at an early stage.

DFKI offers all employees and external third parties the opportunity to report violations of rules - also anonymously - through various reporting channels.

An important pillar of our whistleblower system is the principle of fair proceedings. It guarantees the greatest possible protection for whistleblowers, persons affected by a whistleblower and employees who are involved in clarifying the reported misconduct. This also includes offering opportunities for anonymous reporting and communication. Discrimination against whistleblowers will not be tolerated under any circumstances and will also be punished as a violation. The presumption of innocence always applies to persons affected by a whistleblower. Investigations are conducted with the utmost confidentiality.

We encourage all employees, business partners and third parties to report observed or suspected misconduct or violations of rules.

We are aware that reporting requires a high degree of moral courage and courageousness and therefore assure all whistleblowers comprehensive protection against reprisals and confidential processing of the information.

Information and complaints within the meaning of the Act on Corporate Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chains (LkSG) can also be reported via the whistleblower system.