THA AI Production Network: Publication Offers Insights into How Companies and Employees Can Become “AI-Ready”
“The Augsburg AI Production Network is a flagship project for the Bavarian Swabia region. We at THA are working closely with our network partners to actively shape the AI transformation of companies and craft businesses and to nurture the AI professionals of tomorrow, starting today. I am incredibly proud that we have been given the opportunity to serve as a strong catalyst and key driver for the AI-based production of the future. After five years, this is a good time to take stock. We are doing so with this publication. “Let us inspire you to see how we can make your company ‘AI-ready’ as well,” says Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Gordon Rohrmair, President of the THA.
Over the past five years, THA researchers have developed innovative solutions for AI-based production in more than 60 projects. In particular, four model factories have been established, including the Recycling Atelier Augsburg—the world’s first model factory for holistic textile recycling—and the OITC (Open Industrial Training Center), where visitors can experience digitalization in manufacturing and assembly on the industrial scale of a medium-sized company.
Technology Transfer: AI Solutions Are Put to Immediate Use
AI is one of the key technologies of the future. Technological developments in AI research are advancing at a breakneck pace. For Bavarian companies competing on the global stage, this means that speed of implementation is key—while at the same time, demands for efficiency, security, and sustainability are rising. Opportunities for interactivity are also emerging. AI-based solutions, such as those being developed in the THA’s AI Production Network, are part of the solution.
Prof. Dr. Frank Danzinger, Vice President for Technology and Research and Scientific Director of the THA’s AI Production Network, says: “Numerous funding programs are driving the development of foundational research and new AI models. In the THA’s AI Production Network, the focus is consistently on practical relevance: Each project arises from a specific need of a industry partner, and the AI innovations developed are immediately implemented in companies in the region—with tangible added value for the entire region.”
Thus, the THA’s AI Production Network makes key contributions to the transfer of ongoing fundamental AI research into application-oriented solutions. This feeds into the Augsburg AI Production Network, which is funded by the Free State of Bavaria as part of the High-Tech Agenda Plus and comprises a total of four partners.
THA Researchers Develop AI Innovations for Trade and Industry
Interested companies and craft businesses of all sizes—particularly those in the greater Augsburg area and Bavarian Swabia—can work with researchers in the THA’s AI Production Network to develop AI-based solutions tailored precisely to their current business challenges.
Prof. Dr. Björn Häckel, scientific director of the THA’s AI Production Network, says: “Small and medium-sized manufacturing companies are facing profound challenges. Small and medium-sized enterprises, in particular, must strengthen their digital capabilities and continuously train their employees to remain competitive. In this publication, we showcase a wide range of AI-based solutions for craft businesses and SMEs, as well as for larger industrial companies. Interested companies can contact us at any time to discuss their current challenges or share their own project ideas—we view collaboration as an excellent opportunity to jointly master the demands of digital transformation.”
Through direct dialogue with community partners and the broader community
One of the ways to initiate projects within the THA’s AI Production Network is through the annual network meeting #TddP—a forum for experts and decision-makers from research and industry focused on networked, flexible, and secure production—which will take place this year on October 15, 2026, at the THA. THA researchers will also participate in the Long Night of Science on July 4, 2026, at Augsburg City Hall, and in the Technology Transfer Congress organized by Regio Augsburg Wirtschaft GmbH on July 21, 2026.
The Augsburg AI Production Network
The Bavarian State Government has launched the Augsburg AI Production Network as a consortium of key AI experts in the greater Augsburg area. The network partners include the University of Augsburg, the Technical University of Applied Sciences Augsburg (THA), the Fraunhofer Institute for Foundry, Composite, and Processing Technology (IGCV), and the Center for Lightweight Production Technology (ZLP) of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Augsburg. Numerous regional industry partners are also involved. The network partners engage in regular dialogue with one another.
As part of the High-Tech Agenda Plus, the Free State of Bavaria is funding the Augsburg AI Production Network. The THA’s funding allocation within the AI Production Network totaled 12 million euros over the first five years. In addition, the THA has so far secured an additional 150 million euros in research and grant funding. The collaborative project was launched in the fall of 2020 and is scheduled to run through 2025 with a total funding volume of approximately 92 million euros. The next funding phase is planned to run through 2028.