--- title: "West Saxon University of Applied Sciences Zwickau presents grant award notification and launches AI pilot for SMEs at WHZ campus; 150,000 euros grant" sdDatePublished: "2026-08-11T14:06:00Z" source: "https://silicon-saxony.de/en/west-saxon-university-of-applied-sciences-zwickau-grant-award-notification-presented-whz-launches-ai-pilot-project-for-small-and-medium-sized-businesses/" topics: - name: "artificial intelligence" identifier: "medtop:20001298" - name: "university" identifier: "medtop:20000407" - name: "government aid" identifier: "medtop:20000367" - name: "regional development policy" identifier: "medtop:20001174" - name: "research and development" identifier: "medtop:20000208" locations: - "Sachsen" - "Dresden" - "Chemnitz" - "Zwickau" --- West Saxon University of Applied Sciences Zwickau presents grant award notification and launches AI pilot for SMEs at WHZ campus; 150,000 euros grant West Saxon University of Applied Sciences Zwickau: Grant Award Notification Presented – WHZ Launches AI Pilot Project for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses accompio: The Resilience Gap – Why Many Security Investments Don’t Work SAP and NTT DATA: Study Shows AI Is Becoming the Most Important Driver of IT Transformations Bitkom: EU Digital Ranking – Germany Ranks 17th West Saxon University of Applied Sciences Zwickau: Grant Award Notification Presented – WHZ Launches AI Pilot Project for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses August 11, 2026. The presentation of a grant award notice on August 7 at the ubineum on the campus of West Saxon University of Applied Sciences Zwickau (WHZ) marked the launch of a pilot project on the use of data and artificial intelligence (AI) in small and medium-sized enterprises. Regina Kraushaar, Saxony’s Minister of State for Infrastructure and Regional Development, presented the grant award notification for 150,000 euros to WHZ Rector Prof. Stephan Kassel and to the Rector of the Saxony Cooperative State University, Prof. Krabbes. As part of the simul⁺ future initiative, the two universities are jointly implementing the pilot project “A Prototypical Data Marketplace—Digitalization and AI as Opportunities for Regional Development and Structural Change.” Telefon: +49 351 8925 886 With this project, WHZ is playing a central role in the development of a regional, independent data space for southwestern Saxony. The goal is to enable small and medium-sized enterprises to securely exchange and share data, thereby facilitating the practical use of AI applications. In particular, the university is contributing its scientific expertise in the fields of data analysis, digitalization, and artificial intelligence. Prof. Dr. Christoph Laroque and Prof. Dr. Tobias Teich are leading the project on behalf of WHZ. Prof. Dr. Christoph Laroque: “This project and the support from the simul⁺InnovationHub give us the opportunity to sustainably expand and establish our activities in the field of AI. We are grateful to the Saxon State Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development for this, and we look forward to working together.” Prof. Dr. Tobias Teich also emphasizes the opportunities the project presents: “With this initiative, we are addressing a key issue for the future that is of great importance both for the regional economy and for our university’s research profile. At the same time, the project complements and strengthens our existing activities in the field of artificial intelligence.” Minister of State Regina Kraushaar underscored the project’s importance for regional development: “The Southwest Saxony region holds great potential for innovation—both in businesses and at universities. Bringing these two sectors even closer together and demonstrating how data and artificial intelligence can help small and medium-sized enterprises in their day-to-day operations is our approach in this project, for which we are providing 150,000 euros. This is money well spent, connecting academia and small and medium-sized enterprises with concrete use cases and laying the groundwork for later application in larger projects. Last but not least, with this project we aim to build a bridge to the planned federal funding from the BMDS, which we expect this year and which is intended to significantly accelerate the transfer of AI from research into market-effective applications. The preparatory work through this pilot project is intended to enable the region to apply as soon as a corresponding call for proposals is issued—so that the prototype testing in small and medium-sized enterprises can grow into something larger.” The project focuses on the prototypical testing of a regional “data marketplace.” Companies, research institutions, and public agencies will use this platform to test how data can be securely exchanged and utilized for AI applications. In at least four real-world experiments, specific use cases will be developed and tested in collaboration with companies. These include, among others, automated document processing, image-based quality control, and intelligent production planning. To ensure the project’s success, the Saxony Cooperative State University – Plauen Study Academy and the WHZ are pooling their AI expertise and networks. The project has a total budget of 187,500 euros with an 80 percent funding rate and is scheduled to run for six months. The results of the pilot project are to be incorporated into the ongoing master plan process for the Chemnitz Southwest Saxony region and open up opportunities for further funding projects in the field of artificial intelligence and key digital technologies. The project is funded as part of the simul⁺InnovationHub of the Saxon State Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development. The simul⁺InnovationHub supports innovation-driven regional development in Saxony and strengthens collaboration among universities, research institutions, industry, municipalities, and other regional stakeholders. Prof. Dr. Tobias Teich Professor of Networked Systems in Business Administration, esp. energy management Faculty of Economics West Saxon University of Applied Sciences Zwickau tobias.teich[at]whz.de +49 375 536 3415 Prof. Dr. Christoph Laroque Professor of Business Informatics West Saxon University of Applied Sciences Zwickau Faculty of Economics christoph.laroque[at]whz.de +49 375 536 3221 – – – – – You may be interested in the following As part of her summer tour of Saxony, Minister of State Regina Kraushaar presented the grant award notification for 150,000 euros to Prof. Dr. Stephan Kassel, Rector of the West Saxon University of Applied Sciences in Zwickau, and Prof. Dr. Markus Krabbes, Rector of the DHSN Plauen | Saxony Cooperative State University. Photo: SMIL Do you always want to stay up to date? M.-v.-Ardenne-Ring 20 F 01099 Dresden Presidium, Executive Board & Advisory Board © 2021 Silicon Saxony e.V.