On 5 July 2023, it was as follows: The European Digital Innovation Hub Saarland (EDIH) was officially launched with a landmark kick-off event on digital transformation and artificial intelligence (AI). Under the motto ‘Innovate, Collaborate, Transform’, the EDIH project team, political and business representatives, as well as businesses, public institutions and educational institutions in the Luminance in Saarbrücken, gathered together to launch the Saarland EDIH.

The Saarland EDIH, part of the European funding initiative ‘Digital Europe Programme’, brings together five Saarland innovation actors – the Centre for Mechatronics and Automation Technology (ZEMA), the August-Wilhelm Scheer Institut für 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 a substantial supply, supporting and accompanying manufacturing companies, small and medium-sized enterprises, the IT economy, the trade and services sector, and public administration in digitisation projects and the use of AI.

At the opening, Minister for Economic and Digital Affairs Jürgen Barke stressed the importance of the digital transformation for structural change in Saarland. Businesses increasingly recognise the opportunities offered by digitalisation, but there is often a lack of know-how to successfully implement these strategies. EDIH Saarland now acts as a one-stop-shop to provide small and medium-sized enterprises with one-stop-shop information and support free of charge.

The event focused on individual support to businesses in planning and implementing digitalisation projects and the use of AI. EDIH experts accompany through workshops, seminars and courses to develop and test technologies and processes. In addition, EDIH Saarland provides assistance in finding investors and appropriate funding programmes, as well as in connecting economic, scientific and public sector stakeholders. The advisory team of the Saarland EDIH agrees: Digitalisation and the use of AI can bring significant economic benefits to businesses in the wider region. Nevertheless, it is a challenge for many companies to successfully implement the necessary technologies. EDIH Saarland therefore offers a variety of events and services to make these technologies targeted in small and medium-sized enterprises and in the public sector.

The event provided not only a comprehensive insight into the digital potential, but also an enthusiastic example of best practice. Prof. Dr Christian Schorr of DFKI presented an impressive joint development with ZF, illustrating the benefits of using AI for automated quality control in manufacturing.

With this project launch, the European Digital Innovation Hub Saarland strengthens the position of the regional economy as a frontrunner in the use of digital technologies. The project is planned for the period 2023-2025 and is 50 % funded by the EU and 50 % by the country and the consortium partners. The participants were enthusiastic about the opportunities offered and provided valuable insights and ideas for their own digitalisation projects. The Saarland EDIH thus provides an important impetus for the digital future of Saarland and beyond.