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Symbolfoto: Das AIT ist Österreichs größte außeruniversitäre Forschungseinrichtung

Industry Summit in Graz with AIT participation

05.12.2024
Alexander Mirnig and Christine Wahlmüller-Schiller from the AIT Center for Technology Experience took part in the Industry Summit in Graz on 27 November as speaker and moderator respectively.
 

Alexander Mirnig, Automation Experience expert at the AIT Center for Technology Experience, kicked off the renowned industry conference in Graz with his keynote speech on ‘Occupational safety, user-centred systems and XR’ with projects from the forestry industry FWSafeXR, health/emergency paramedics MEd1stMR, remote indoor crane control CRANEium and VR training for the construction industry BuildSaVeR. 

Challenging times in the industry - but companies that focus on new business models, IT & AI can hold their own in a highly competitive market. Research is the additional engine that strengthens Austria as an industrial location. The digital transformation can be driven forward by a wide range of innovative projects. At the Industry Summit, Automation Experience expert Alexander Mirnig from the AIT Centre for Technology discussed how this can work and what benefits artificial intelligence can bring to industry in a panel with Dominik Achleitner, CIO of NÖM, Waltraud Jelinek Krickl from FH Joanneum and Wolfgang Schaffer, Managing Director of M.I.T. Solutions, moderated by Christine Wahlmüller-Schiller from the AIT Centre for Technology Experience. 

Everyone agreed that there are many useful applications. At NÖM, AI-based knowledge management brings great benefits, and process efficiency can also be improved through the use of artificial intelligence.  With language models (LLMs) and the use of Generative AI, the topic of Modern Workplace, Collaboration & Content Production is experiencing a completely new dimension. At the AIT Centre for Technology Experience, we are dedicated to researching all these aspects with the aim of achieving an optimal user experience and, more broadly, technology experience. The topic of human-centred & responsible AI is therefore naturally also a strong focus.

RIAMO project: test operation in Linz

Autonomous vehicles are a major topic. Alexander Mirnig reported on the RIAMO (Rural Communities Enabled for Integrated Automated Mobility) project, for example. A pioneering test operation for autonomous driving has been running in the Pichling district of Linz for two months since the end of September. An automated eVAN could be ordered to the desired stop via app by the employees of the Südpark business park. An important part of the new on-demand booking system is the AI-based AIT Optimizer, which enables dynamic route generation while minimising travel and waiting times. 

The on-demand shuttle bus took passengers from their companies to Pichling station or the solarCity tram stop. AIT is responsible for the app and the user survey. The Centre for Technology Exprience and the Centre for Energy are involved in the project. The project is managed by DigiTrans from Upper Austria. There are several benefits here: In addition to sustainability and greater flexibility, the plus points include ease of use and simple interaction.

EDIH AI5Production for manufacturing companies

There are many funding opportunities, emphasised the panel speakers. Alexander Mirnig mentioned the EDIH (European Digital Innovation Hub) AI5Production, in which the AIT is involved: a test-before-invest project is 100 per cent funded. Companies with fewer than 3,000 employees in the manufacturing industry can take advantage of this funding and are welcome to contact us. The project manager at AIT is Julia Hofstätter.

Other keynotes from the field of research were given by Eva Eggeling from Fraunhofer Austria on Industrial AI or the power of data and Willibald Krenn on the SAL toolbox at Silicon Austria Labs. The topic of security and IT/OT interaction was also highlighted in several presentations. The presentation by Klaus Reisinger from ClimatePartner and Christoph Knogler CEO KEBA Group on the topic of ‘Climate protection and digitalisation’ was exciting. They showed how the two can be successfully combined. We at AIT are convinced that we need a triple transition: ecological, digital and humane

The Industry Summit was organised by LSZ and, as always, was attended by a very good specialist audience, who also greatly appreciated the exchange in the afternoon roundtables.