Mittelstand 4.0 Competence Center Ilmenau: AI trainers for companies

The German government's AI strategy aims to secure the competitiveness of SMEs through targeted support measures in the field of artificial intelligence. However, many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have no or very little experience in dealing with AI. Yet SMEs in particular can gain great advantages from the use of this key technology. From assistance systems that can make work easier and increase efficiency, to intelligent production systems and maintenance measures that conserve resources, to optimizations in planning, purchasing and marketing, AI offers a wide range of possible applications.

In order to support SMEs in the introduction of AI, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) has launched a tender competition "Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI trainers and AI transfer services in the Mittelstand 4.0 Competence Centers", in which the Mittelstand 4.0 Competence Center Ilmenau, under the consortium leadership of the Ilmenau University of Technology, has successfully prevailed. From now on, the AI trainers will start their work at the Mittelstand 4.0 Competence Center Ilmenau and support companies throughout Thuringia in application possibilities, data analysis and implementation of AI measures.

Decisive for the success in the AI competition and the associated further strengthening of the competence center were the expertise of the project partners involved and the results achieved so far by the competence center in supporting regional companies with regard to the digitalization of their operational processes. Through the free offers, such as workshops, conferences, individual entrepreneurial discussions and realized practical projects, numerous companies have already been able to benefit from the transfer services.

"We are pleased to now also be able to offer transfer formats and implementation projects for AI due to the increase by the federal government, in order to bring artificial intelligence and machine learning to regional companies. In this way, we are continuing the previous successes of the Competence Center and ensuring the competitiveness of companies," says Dr. Mauricio Matthesius, Managing Director of the Mittelstand 4.0 Competence Center Ilmenau.

The head of the Department of Manufacturing Technology at TU Ilmenau and coordinator of the center, Prof. Jean Pierre Bergmann, agrees: "Above all, the Ilmenau Competence Center offers small and medium-sized enterprises in the region hands-on artificial intelligence with workshop discussions and practical demonstration and implementation projects. The focus is on the practical use of AI methods and concepts for digital production and cross-company cooperative value creation. Here, AI, machine learning and neural networks are used in particular in networked manufacturing processes, production planning and predictive maintenance as well as real-time capable sensor-based signal processing systems."