Great recognition for knowledge transfer between research and small to medium-sized enterprises: The KMU-AI Experience Center of the University of Bamberg was in the nationwide competition "Innovator of the Year" with the Audience Award for Innovation Location of the Year 2025 honored. The award underscores the impact of the concept of making Artificial Intelligence practical, understandable, and directly experienceable for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Project goal

The goal of the experience center is to support as many SMEs in the region as possible with their digital transformation. Companies can learn about innovative, AI-supported manufacturing processes, test concrete applications, and qualify their employees. The centerpiece is a prototypical demonstration environment with a real production facility, diverse sensors, as well as digital twins, that make complex processes transparent.

The interdisciplinary project combines expertise from cognitive science, psychology, and adult education. At the center are human-centered, transparent, and correctable AI systems. The offering is complemented by demonstrators for process monitoring, predictive quality control, resource efficiency, and for Human-robot collaboration.

Implementation and Promotion

The project is implemented at the Cleantech Innovation Park in Hallstadt and supported by the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs with around two million euros.

The audience award makes it particularly visible: There is a great need for low-threshold, trustworthy access to AI in medium-sized businesses – and Bamberg delivers a convincing model for this.