In order to advance the strategic planning and further development of the existing project offerings around the topics of digitization and the use of artificial intelligence among SMEs in the manufacturing sector, the Department of Information Systems at the University of Kassel invited the project consortium to Kassel on May 30 and 31, 2022.

The overarching goal of the ZuKIPro project is to create low-threshold access to the topic of AI for small and medium-sized enterprises. To this end, SMEs are advised and supported in the participatory, co-creative introduction and human-centered design of AI systems. Across modules, the Future Center informs and advises according to needs and thus enables small and medium-sized enterprises to implement concrete solutions.

For the University of Kassel, the departments of Information Systems (Prof. Dr. Leimeister), ComTec (Prof. Dr. David) and Human-Machine Systems Engineering (Prof. Dr. Schmidt) are involved.

Further consortium partners are the Machine Tool Laboratory WZL of RWTH Aachen University with the Chair of Production Metrology and Quality Management as well as the Chair of Manufacturing Process Technology, the German Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) with the Smart Service Engineering research group, Darmstadt University of Technology with the Institute of Industrial Engineering, the Institute for Technology and Work e.V., the Kassel-Marburg Chamber of Industry and Commerce and IHK Hessen-Innovativ as well as Regionalmanagement Nordhessen GmbH.