KI-KMU 2025: KI im Mittelstand 2025 Universität Potsdam - Campus Griebnitzsee August-Bebel-Straße 89 14482 Potsdam Potsdam, Germany, September 16, 2025

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in German companies is becoming increasingly prevalent across a wide range of business processes. More small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are recognizing AI as an opportunity for growth within the German economy. The potential of AI in SMEs spans various areas, such as optimizing distribution and logistics, enhancing targeted advertising, and promoting sustainability—both economic and ecological. Economic sustainability is achieved through cost reduction and increased process efficiency, while ecological sustainability focuses on avoiding unnecessary resource consumption, reducing waste, and minimizing environmental pollution. Technologies like intelligent automation, sensor technology, and assistance systems play a crucial role in these areas.

However, SMEs face challenges that can constrain AI projects, including limited resources and a lack of AI expertise. This tension between the significant potential of AI and the limitations inherent to SMEs is the central theme of the workshop.

The workshop titled "Artificial Intelligence in SMEs (KI-KMU 2025)" aims to bring together researchers and practitioners of AI to facilitate knowledge transfer between the two groups. The workshop will focus on two key areas: First, it will present research approaches that directly address the challenges faced by SMEs in implementing AI or that explore lightweight AI applications that can be easily integrated with minimal effort. Additionally, successful or ongoing pilot projects that provide insights into the real-world impact of AI in SMEs will be highlighted, along with the challenges encountered during implementation.

The target audience for this workshop includes researchers and practitioners of AI across various application sectors.

Submission Guidelines

All papers must be original and not simultaneously submitted to another journal or conference. The following paper categories are welcome:

• Submission deadline for workshop contributions (in LNI format): 01.05.2025
• Notification of authors: 16.05.2025
• Submission deadline for LNI contributions: 01.06.2025
• Workshop: Tuesday, 16.09.2025, all day

Contributions should not exceed the following length:

• Full Paper: 12 pages
• Short Paper: 8 pages
• Work-In-Progress-Paper: 3-5 pages
• Practical contributions from industry: 3-5 pages

The contributions can be written in German or English.

Review: Single-Blind

List of Topics

In addition to the technical side of AI, the contributions to the workshop can also address the ethical, economic andorganizational aspects and challenges of AI applications in small and medium-sized enterprises.companies.

• Production

• Mobility

• Autonomous driving

• Logistics

• Transportation

• Smart Factory

• Robotics

• Medicine / Healthcare

• Administration / Municipalities

• Energy

• Process automation and optimization

• Supply chain management

• Human resources

• Change management

• IT security

• E-commerce

• Business Intelligence

• Predictive Analytics

• Prescriptive Analytics

• Predictive Maintenance

• Sustainable AI

• Explainable AI

• Generative AI

• Text Mining

• Natural Language Processing

• Simulation

• Visualization

• Procedure models

• Ethical aspects of AI

• UX and AI

   

Committees

Consortium 

This year, the workshop will be supported by a broad consortium whose partners will contribute their respective networks to the workshop.

• Transferzentrum für Digitalisierung, Analytics & Data Science Ulm (DASU)
• Netzwerk für angewandte KI an der HTWK Leipzig
• Zentrum für künstliche Intelligenz Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Uni Rostock
• Technologietransferzentrum Digitale Intelligenz Oberfranken, TH Nürnberg
• Arbeitsgruppe Angewandte KI an der Hochschule Bielefeld
• Wildauer Netzwerk Künstliche Intelligenz an der TH Wildau

Organizing Committee 

• Prof. Dr. Frederik Bäumer, Hochschule Bielefeld, Bielefeld
• Prof. Dr. Hans Brandt-Pook, Hochschule Bielefeld, Bielefeld
• Joachim Hegenauer, DASU, Ulm 
• Sergej Schultenkämper, Hochschule Bielefeld, Bielefeld
• Prof. Dr. Reinhold von Schwerin, DASU, Ulm

Program Committee 

• Prof. Dr. Frederik Bäumer, Hochschule Bielefeld
• Prof. Dr. Tobias Bocklet, TH Nürnberg
• Prof. Dr. Hans Brandt-Pook, Hochschule Bielefeld
• Dr.-Ing. Hannes Grunert, Universität Rostock
• Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jens Jäkel, HTWK Leipzig
• Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jörg Reiff-Stephan, TH Wildau
• Prof. Dr. Reinhold von Schwerin, Technische Hochschule Ulm

Venue

The conference will be held in Potsdam, Germany.

Contact

Please visit: https://www.kikmu-workshop.de