Follow-up report on the EDIH & DIH Forum on 5 March 2025

On March 5, 2025, the Salzburg Exhibition Center became the central hub for companies, research institutions, and digitalization experts as part of salz21 – Salzburg’s Technology and Innovation Forum. The EDIH & DIH Forum focused entirely on collaboration and showcased, how digital technologies can be strategically leveraged for business success. Under the motto "Innovation Ecosystems: Shaping Digital Transformation Together" one thing became clear once again: digital transformation is most successful within a strong network.

A particular focus was on EDIH AI5production, which presented its expertise in artificial intelligence (AI) in production at the forum. Backed by 16 strong partners from the AI5 consortium, the initiative demonstrated the value of a coordinated collaboration between research, development, and application-oriented solutions for the digital future of the industry.

EDIH AI5production presented the latest results from its projects:
Dipl.-Ing. Franz Sümecz from TU Wien, consortium leader of EDIH AI5production, showcased practical examples of how AI can be successfully implemented in production. The main focus was on AI-based data analysis for process optimization and image-based AI applications for quality assurance. The presented use cases impressively demonstrated how companies can increase efficiency, conserve resources, and secure their competitiveness.

In the dedicated session “AI as a Driver of Innovation,” Austria’s seven DIHs and EDIHs presented their services and success stories. EDIH AI5production provided practical insights into AI-supported data analysis and image-based quality control in production. Dipl.-Ing. Franz Sümecz highlighted how companies can significantly improve their efficiency through these applications.

The EDIH & DIH Forum not only featured expert presentations but also offered ample opportunities for dialogue. During the World Café, participants discussed their specific requirements and gained valuable insights into the services and support offers of the Digital Innovation Hubs.

The EDIH & DIH Forum was a great success – thanks in no small part to the strong collaboration of EDIH AI5production, EDIH Innovate, EDIH Crowd in Motion, and EDIH Applied CPS. The event impressively demonstrated how regional and thematic cooperation can sustainably support companies on their journey into the digital future.

Photos: © PROFACTOR