The “KI4KMU-RLP” project is being funded by the Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of Economic Affairs, Transport, Agriculture and Viticulture with around 1.5 million euros. The project will run for two years, until the end of 2026.

“Artificial intelligence offers enormous opportunities for our economy - especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. With this targeted funding, we are helping to break down barriers to innovation and bring the potential of AI into operational practice,” explained Minister Daniela Schmitt at the presentation of the funding decision.

With this initiative, the Ministry of Economic Affairs is implementing a central point of its innovation strategy to make it easier for SMEs to access future technologies. “We are actively supporting our companies on the path to the digital future. AI must be usable for everyone - with this project, we are creating the right framework conditions and connecting business and science,” said Schmitt.

The cooperation project is being implemented by RPTU in collaboration with Fraunhofer IESE, Fraunhofer ITWM and DFKI. The aim is to support manufacturing companies in the identification and implementation of AI applications.

The contact person for interested companies is Marco Hussong, research associate at the FBK chair: “Many companies already have large amounts of digital production-related data that an AI can use as a working basis,” he explains. “We are looking for precisely such SMEs to participate in our research project. Further criteria for participation are that the company is based in Rhineland-Palatinate and that the companies are motivated to use AI or ideally have already defined possible areas of application.”

 

Supporting the introduction of AI with knowledge and methods

The researchers from RPTU, Fraunhofer IESE, Fraunhofer ITWM and DFKI are convinced that AI has enormous potential in production. This starts with production planning, for example, where process costs can be reduced - especially in the production of small series. Another worthwhile area of application is quality monitoring. For example, AI can be used to detect deviations with greater efficiency, speed and precision than manual inspection. AI also helps with the sustainable use of resources, for example by reducing tool wear and maximizing the useful life of tools.

“The aim of the project is to make AI more accessible for SMEs in Rhineland-Palatinate,” explains Professor Jan Aurich, who heads the FBK chair. “To this end, we will use specific examples to identify the obstacles to the introduction and use of AI in manufacturing SMEs and develop supporting methods and measures together with the companies. The topic of 'digital technologies for production systems' is one of our main areas of research at the FBK. From factory layout planning to machine control and process optimization, we have built up comprehensive and application-oriented knowledge in various research projects, including a lead project of the Commercial Vehicle Cluster on the potential of AI in commercial vehicle production.”

 

Professional support through to final implementation

How does the project work? As part of the funding project, use cases proposed by manufacturing SMEs will be designed and implemented in a two-stage process. In the first project phase, planned from spring 2025, the potential analysis will take place. In the subsequent implementation phase in the second year of the project, companies that not only meet the basic selection criteria but also have convincing implementation ideas of their own will qualify. They will each receive technical support from one of the four research partners through to implementation in a demonstrator. “The use cases developed in the course of the project should ultimately serve as convincing showcases to encourage other SMEs to get to grips with the topic of AI,” summarizes Marco Hussong.

 

Questions answered:

Marco Hussong

Chair of Production Engineering and Industrial Organization (FBK), RPTU in Kaiserslautern

T: 0631 205-4305

E: marco.hussong@rptu.de

 

About the RPTU  

The Rhineland-Palatinate University of Technology Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU) is the state's technical university with around 17,000 students and over 1,600 academics. Research activities and study programs include engineering, natural and environmental sciences, education and social sciences, mathematics and computer science, psychology and teaching for all types of schools. Through research and teaching, many of which are interdisciplinary, RPTU finds solutions to social challenges such as climate change and the energy transition. It also lays the scientific foundations for driving digitalization and the digital transformation. As a place of cutting-edge international research, an academic talent factory and an innovation and transfer partner, RPTU is in constant communication with politics, business, society and the research community. Anyone who studies, learns, researches or works at RPTU is part of a diverse university community and shapes the future. More at rptu.de.