Industrial AI Community Event 2026

At the heart of the event were short expert presentations, the so-called lightning talks: experts from Magna Steyr (Sarah Dober, Christian Thurner, Michael Gföllner), Siemens Mobility (Thomas Moshammer, Kurt Wöls), Infineon (Daniel Valtiner), and AVL (Jakob Leiner) shared their experiences with artificial intelligence. Particularly notable was the openness with which these companies provided insights into their internal processes and ongoing projects. The contributions illustrated how AI is being used in development and manufacturing, what added value it generates — and what challenges must be overcome when implementing new technologies.

Another central theme of the evening was the close cooperation between business and academia. The collaboration between Magna Steyr and TU Graz was highlighted as an example of successful innovation partnerships. It became clear that the exchange between research and industry is a key factor for sustainable progress.

Many participants saw 2026 as a turning point in industrial AI adoption. Companies and research institutions are increasingly focusing on systematically unlocking the potential of new technologies and transitioning pilot projects into operational practice. This shift shaped the discussions throughout the evening.

A master’s student from FH JOANNEUM who attended the event summarised the current development as follows: “In the corporate environment, this year is defined by the transition from the pilot phase to company-wide scaling of AI applications. The Gartner Hype Cycle presented to us illustrates this clearly, with Generative AI currently sliding into the Trough of Disillusionment. At the same time, Agentic AI is already emerging as the next wave at the Peak of Inflated Expectations. In my view, there is still a lot ahead of us — particularly when it comes to adapting processes, integrating AI into existing systems, and organisational transformation. There are new developments in this field practically every week, which suggests that the coming months will certainly be very exciting.”

Following the presentations, the networking session offered an opportunity to make new contacts and explore potential collaborations. Three students and a lecturer from FH JOANNEUM’s Department of Applied Computer Science made active use of this exchange.
As already announced in the invitation, the event clearly demonstrated how essential digital innovation is for the future competitiveness of the regional economy. Furthermore, the event underscored the significance of Graz as one of the leading locations for research and development in the field of industrial AI.

For further information about the event, Dipl.-Ing. Christian Thurner, BSc (Magna Steyr) is happy to assist. For cooperation enquiries, please contact DDr. Wolfgang Granigg and FH-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Elmar Krainz (FH JOANNEUM).