On 5 July 2023, the time had come: The European Digital Innovation Hub Saarland (EDIH) was officially opened with a groundbreaking kick-off event on the subject of digital transformation and artificial intelligence (AI). Under the motto ‘Innovate, Collaborate, Transform’, the EDIH project team, representatives from politics and business, as well as companies, public institutions and educational institutions gathered in the Luminanz in Saarbrücken to kick off the EDIH Saarland.
The EDIH Saarland, part of the European Digital Europe Programme funding initiative, brings together five Saarland innovation actors – the Centre for Mechatronics and Automation Technology (ZeMA), the August-Wilhelm Scheer Institute for Digital Products and Processes (AWSi), the German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), the East Side Fab (ESF) and saarland.innovation& Standort e.V. (saaris). Together, they provide an extensive range of services that support and accompany companies in the manufacturing industry, medium-sized companies, the IT industry, the trade and service sector as well as the public administration in digitization projects and the use of AI.
At the opening, Jürgen Barke, Minister of Economic Affairs and Digital Affairs, emphasised the importance of digital transformation for structural change in Saarland. Companies are increasingly recognizing the opportunities that lie in digitalization, but there is often a lack of know-how to successfully implement these strategies. The EDIH Saarland now acts as a one-stop shop to offer small and medium-sized enterprises free information and support services from a single source.
The focus of the event was the individual support of companies in the planning and implementation of digitization projects and the use of AI. The EDIH experts accompany you through workshops, seminars and courses in order to develop and test technologies and processes. In addition, the EDIH Saarland offers support in the search for investors and suitable funding programmes as well as in the networking of actors from business, science and the public sector. The advisory team of the EDIH Saarland agrees: Digitization and the use of AI can offer companies in the Greater Region significant economic benefits. Nevertheless, it is a challenge for many companies to successfully introduce the necessary technologies. The EDIH Saarland therefore offers a variety of events and services to make these technologies specifically usable in small and medium-sized enterprises and in the public sector.
The event not only offered a comprehensive insight into the digital potential, but also inspired with best practice examples. Prof. Dr. Christian Schorr from the DFKI presented an impressive joint development with ZF, which illustrated the advantages of the use of AI for automated quality control in manufacturing.
With this project launch, the European Digital Innovation Hub Saarland is strengthening the position of the regional economy as a pioneer in the use of digital technologies. The project is planned for 2023-2025 and is funded 50% by the EU and 50% by the country and the consortium partners.
The participants were enthusiastic about the possibilities offered and took valuable insights and ideas for their own digitization projects with them. The EDIH Saarland is thus providing an important impetus for the digital future of Saarland and beyond.
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