{"id":100255560,"date":"2026-05-19T16:32:20","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T14:32:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fh-joanneum.at\/?p=100255560"},"modified":"2026-10-19T07:29:43","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T05:29:43","slug":"industrial-ai-community-event-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fh-joanneum.at\/en\/news\/industrial-ai-community-event-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Industrial AI Community Event 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n \n \n \n
\n \n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\n \n
\n\n
\n \n \"\"\n\n<\/picture>\n\n <\/div>\n
\n

MMMMag. DDr.<\/p>\n

Wolfgang Granigg<\/h6>\n

\n Head of Institute
Head of Degree Programme Computer Science
\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/a> <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n \n
\n\n
\n \n \"\"\n\n<\/picture>\n\n <\/div>\n
\n

FH-Prof. DI Dr.<\/p>\n

Elmar Krainz<\/h6>\n

\n Deputy Head of Institute
Head of Study Programmes Computer Science\n <\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/a> <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n

<\/div>\n
\n \n\n
\n
\n
\n

On 22 April 2026, the Industrial AI Community Event took place at Lendhafen Graz. Representatives from business, academia, and universities, as well as students, used the event to discuss current trends, practice-oriented applications, and future developments in industrial artificial intelligence. The quickly filled participation spots reflected the strong interest in concrete AI solutions for industry.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n

Lightning Talks: Industrial AI in Development and Production \u2014 Practical Examples and Experiences<\/h2>\n
\n

At the heart of the event were short expert presentations, the so-called lightning talks: experts from Magna Steyr (Sarah Dober, Christian Thurner, Michael Gf\u00f6llner), Siemens Mobility (Thomas Moshammer, Kurt W\u00f6ls), 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 \u2014 and what challenges must be overcome when implementing new technologies.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n

Cooperation Between Business and Academia as a Driver of Innovation
\r\n<\/h2>\n
\n

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.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n

Industrial AI 2026: From Pilot Projects to Operational Practice<\/h2>\n
\n

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.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n

FH JOANNEUM Perspective: Trends, Challenges, and the Future of AI<\/h2>\n
\n

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 \u2014 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.”<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n

Networking and Collaborations: Exchange Between Students, Research, and Industry
\r\n<\/h2>\n
\n

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.
\nAs 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.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n

Contact and Points of Contact for Industrial AI Collaborations<\/h2>\n
\n

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).<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

Experience AI Live: AI Summit 2026
\r\n<\/h4>\n

At the AI Summit Styria<\/a> in Kapfenberg in October 2026, current developments in artificial intelligence will be examined from different perspectives \u2014 from technical applications to legal questions. The event brings together experts from research and practice and demonstrates how AI solutions are implemented in concrete terms. At the same time, it highlights which competencies will be in demand in this field in the future and what role interdisciplinary knowledge plays in this.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n
\n \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\n
\n\n
\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \"Kurt\n<\/picture>\n\n

From left to right: Kurt W\u00f6ls, Thomas Moshammer (both Siemens Mobility), Christian Thurner and Sarah Dober (both Magna Steyr), Daniel Valtiner (Infineon), Michael Gf\u00f6llner (Magna Steyr), Jakob Leiner (AVL) \u2014 Photo: Magna Steyr<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":115,"featured_media":100254155,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10028912],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-100255560","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-shortnews"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t