On October 21, 2026, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce for Munich and Upper Bavaria hosted the seventh edition of the sold-out conference “AI for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises.” The event was organized in collaboration with appliedAI Institute for Europe gGmbH and fortiss GmbH, both of which are project partners in edih dina. TechBase was also present at the event as part of edih dina, alongside the DGO and the technology clusters AIR Artificial Intelligence Regensburg and Cluster Mobility & Logistics.
To kick off the event, Prof. Dr. Alexander Pretschner (fortiss) made it clear that AI cannot bypass a lack of digitalization, because a process does not automatically improve simply because it is digitized. The introduction of AI is therefore also a strategic task for SMEs.
David Rottenegger (Bayern Innovativ) then introduced edih dina. Since September 2026, the European Digital Innovation Hub has been supporting companies and government agencies with free services. These range from testing technologies before making an investment and building expertise to advice on grants and financing, as well as networking opportunities. During the panel discussion “How Do I Bring AI to SMEs?”, he spoke with Dr. Wolfgang Fischer (appliedAI), Diana Grillmeier (evolWing), and Prof. Pretschner about how SMEs can successfully launch and implement AI projects.
The startup community was also actively involved in the event program: Ten startups presented specific AI applications in short pitches—including Movitus UG, a member of the Mobility & Logistics Cluster, which aims to improve the utilization of transport capacity with its solution. Afterward, Dr. Till Klein (appliedAI Institute) introduced the Bavarian AI Innovation Accelerator, which supports companies in implementing the EU AI Act. Four concluding breakout sessions provided in-depth discussions on AI agents in the workplace, a research project on neuromorphic computing in the context of soccer, AI for secure software development, and the selection of appropriate AI tools.
Upcoming edih-dina events at TechBase: On November 10, 2026, Pitch & Match will bring companies and startups together online. This will be followed on November 12, 2026, by the webinar Funding at a Glance: Digitalbonus.Bayern for IT Security and Digitalization.”
NOTE
Participation took place as part of the edih dina project (European Digital Innovation Hub | Digital Innovation & Artificial Intelligence). The project focuses on the digital transformation of SMEs and public administrations, particularly with regard to the responsible use of AI technologies. As part of edih dina, TechBase Regensburg GmbH is responsible for services in two areas: regional and international networking opportunities for SMEs and startups, as well as support regarding grants and financing. Participants include the Upper Palatinate Digital Startup Initiative, the Mobility & Logistics Cluster, and AIR Artificial Intelligence Regensburg.