Word of the month: AI integration

Nevertheless, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are facing the challenge of integrating AI into their business processes in a strategic and sustainable manner.

Findings from the Interreg project AI Catalyst for SMEs (ATCZ00036) show that AI has long been perceived as a strategic topic for the future in many companies. Focus groups with representatives of Austrian SMEs revealed that generative AI has injected new momentum into the adoption of AI. At the same time, companies are increasingly investing in internal expertise and developing their first company-wide AI strategies.

However, the discussions also make it clear that the greatest challenges today are less technological in nature. Rather, there is often a lack of guidance in selecting suitable use cases, a shortage of internal expertise, and insufficient human and financial resources. Added to this are issues of data protection, compliance, and employee engagement.

The results suggest that the success of AI in SMEs will depend less on the availability of new technologies in the future than on their strategic and organizational integration within the company. This is precisely where the project comes in with the AI Readiness Radar, which helps SMEs assess their AI readiness and identify targeted development steps. AI integration succeeds when technology, strategy, and people are thought of holistically.

Elisabeth Frankus
IHS Researcher
Social Sustainable Transformation

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