Who is involved in your project?
The project is headed by Prof Dr Wolfgang Mauerer, the scientific coordinator is Nicole Höß. Research assistants are Vincent Gierisch, Dominik Köster, Nils Rabeneck and Oliver von Sicard. A total of 18 regional partners, SMEs from industry and business, are involved in the project.
What is your research project about?
With the help of large language models, generative AI and classic machine learning methods, we are developing innovations for company-specific process improvements as well as for completely new products and services in close cooperation with the participating partner SMEs. The focus here is on reducing costs, increasing profits and reducing resource requirements and CO2 emissions. SMEs usually have neither sufficient resources nor in-depth knowledge of procedures and algorithms, which is why the entry hurdle for AI-based innovations is particularly high. Relying on commercial solutions and external service providers from non-European countries is often the obvious choice, but it means passing on sensitive company data and dependencies. In order to initiate a positive development here, the AIM-SMEs project team is transferring the key technology AI to specific use cases of the participating companies from the region.
What excites you about the project?
At the level of the individual companies, we want to implement AI lighthouse projects that act as a guide for the company. The successful completion of the first AI project should result in direct added value for the company and its market position. At the same time, this success can help to avoid fears of the key technology, bad investments and dependencies by teaching the company to realistically assess the potential, challenges and risks associated with AI during implementation and to adopt suitable approaches. This makes it easier for companies to further develop the solution and implement follow-up projects, leading to a sustainable and long-term increase in innovative strength.
How can findings from the project be applied in practice?
AIM-SMEs directly addresses the problems and issues faced by companies and therefore directly links science and practice. The lighthouse projects and transformations of the companies also act as a motivating factor, orientation aid and best practice reference for other SMEs that have not yet identified any concrete added value in the technology. At the same time, the success stories increase the attractiveness of the region for employees and create new, future-orientated jobs, e.g. through new business models.
On our website, you will find an overview of the current funded projects at OTH Regensburg.
