AI Booster for Bavaria's SMEs

The Bavarian state government is pushing ahead with the digitalisation of the state at full speed - particularly the widespread use of future technologies such as artificial intelligence in Bavaria's numerous small and medium-sized enterprises. Central measures in this area are the AI Transfer Plus and NextGen4Bavaria programmes, which focus on the concrete transfer of knowledge to the economy. During his visit to Ingolstadt, Minister of State Mehring emphasised the great importance of technology transfer and innovation for Bavarian companies and the entire high-tech business location. ‘We are helping Bavaria's companies in a very practical way to shape the digital transformation and utilise the opportunities offered by future technologies,’ said Mehring. ‘Our main focus is on Bavaria's SMEs because they are the backbone of our economy and the basis of our prosperity.’

KI-Transfer Plus is a unique programme in Germany that is funded by the Bavarian State Ministry for Digital Affairs. Through targeted knowledge building and the development of a holistic AI strategy, companies can implement their own specific use case for the use of artificial intelligence within just nine months. Mehring only launched the fourth round of the successful programme in September. The 20 or so new participants include trade businesses, IT service providers, construction companies and mail-order companies from all over Bavaria. They will gain access to the comprehensive expertise of Bavarian research and scientific institutions, enabling them to quickly put state-of-the-art AI methods into practice. The focus is on current topics such as generative AI and large language models. The participating companies are supported locally by AI regional centres located at universities throughout Bavaria. One of these centres has been located in Ingolstadt since 2024 and is affiliated with the technical university there. The ‘AI Transfer Centre IN’, where the programme is based, is integrated into the AImotion Bavaria research institute, which is dedicated to the AI-based mobility of the future. The centre focuses on innovation potential in the areas of autonomous driving, unmanned flying and digital production.

The NextGen4Bavaria digital initiative of the Bavarian State Ministry for Digital Affairs is aimed at business successors of medium-sized companies in Bavaria. It supports them in developing and expanding skills in the areas of digitalisation and innovation and in networking with each other. In addition to digital and face-to-face events, participants benefit from an intensive exchange of experiences with like-minded people. This enables them to make their companies fit for the future. Topics include the organisation of collaborations with external partners such as start-ups and the use of new digital technologies and trends. At the end of the twelve-month programme, participants remain connected to other NextGen4Bavaria alumni as part of an exclusive network. The application phase for the fourth year of NextGen4Bavaria started in October.

To date, the Bavarian Ministry of Digitalisation has invested a total of 9.1 million euros in KI-Transfer Plus. Over the past three years, 150 company successors have already taken part in NextGen4Bavaria. The new cohort will start in March 2025 with 50 new participants. The programmes complement each other as important parts of a coherent overall concept for Bavaria as a digital location. Instead of many isolated solutions, the Ministry of Digital Affairs is focussing on a holistic approach that reaches as many people and municipalities as possible. In addition, the Bavarian state government is pushing ahead with its High-Tech Agenda, a unique nationwide investment offensive with a volume of 5.5 billion euros, of which 600 million euros are allocated to the areas of AI and SuperTech. ‘AI will trigger a new industrial revolution that will have a decisive influence on the working world of tomorrow and determine the prosperity of the future in Bavaria,’ said Mehring.