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The logo of the Social Research Centre Dortmund
Department of Social Sciences
Studierende sitzt am Arbeitsplatz und schaut auf den Laptop. © Aliona Kardash​/​TU Dortmund
PETRA-AI: Consortium meeting in Berlin

PETRA-AI: Consortium meeting in Berlin

The members of the PETRA-AI project team are posing together for a group photo on a bridge over the Spree river in Berlin. © Dr. Theresa Ahrens, Fraunhofer IESE
Members of the PETRA-AI project team in Berlin
From 1–2 July 2026, the second consortium meeting of the BMFTR-funded project “PETRA-AI: AI-supported, educational therapy support for the perimenopause” took place at the Fraunhofer IESE premises in the Spreepalais, Berlin. The focus was on the results of a needs assessment, to which the Social Research Centre made a significant contribution, as well as the next steps in the project.

Eight months after the launch of the “PETRA-AI: AI-supported, educational therapy support for perimenopause” project, it is becoming increasingly clear just how great the need is for digital support for affected women and queer people going through perimenopause. With PETRA-AI, funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space, the project consortium, comprising the Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering IESE, Ruhr University Bochum, FEMNA, the Berlin Institute of Health at Charité Berlin and the Social Research Centre, is developing an AI-supported app featuring evidence-based information, personalised recommendations and an intelligent chatbot. The aim is to support people during a phase of life that, despite its significant impact on health, quality of life and working life, still receives too little attention.

During the consortium meeting, which was attended by Christine Best, project manager at the sfs, the main focus was on presenting and discussing initial findings from the needs assessment carried out by the Social Research Centre in collaboration with Ruhr University Bochum. The survey comprises expert interviews with specialist gynaecologists, co-creation workshops with affected women and queer people, and an online survey focusing on perimenopause. The preliminary results highlight a significant gap in knowledge and care. This is precisely where PETRA-AI comes in, with the development of a low-threshold app designed to offer support to those affected during this often challenging phase of life, which is characterised by multiple pressures. In addition to its involvement in the needs assessment, the Social Research Centre is primarily responsible for ensuring that the app’s content is tailored to users’ needs and is educational. Particular focus is placed on the topic of perimenopause in the context of paid work and care work.

As well as discussing the preliminary results, the consortium meeting also set out the next steps for the project. PETRA-AI brings together medical, social science and technical expertise in an interdisciplinary manner to develop an app that is tailored as closely as possible to users’ needs. sfs is looking forward to the next milestones!