On July 1, 2025, IHK Regensburg for the Oberpfalz/Kelheim held a webinar with AIR Artificial Intelligence Regensburg.
Following a brief introduction by Innovation Officer Michael Vogel and Cluster Manager Uwe Pfeil, Fabian Reichwald, an expert at the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) and the Green AI Hub for SMEs, provided possible answers to key questions regarding AI in industry: What data is particularly relevant? What prerequisites must be met to implement AI? What challenges can be expected in the process? And above all, which specific use cases are already creating added value today?
In addition to an introduction to data types, prerequisites, and success factors, the discussion also addressed risks and realistic expectations—for example, regarding data quality, infrastructure, and employee engagement.
The focus was on inspiring real-world examples such as
- AI-powered inventory and demand planning to reduce CO₂ emissions and overproduction,
- Image recognition in 3D printing to prevent scrap and energy waste,
- Automated object recognition for returning furniture to the circular economy.
The conclusion: SMEs, too, can achieve tangible gains in efficiency and sustainability through targeted AI applications—provided that implementation is well-planned and tailored to their actual needs.