Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO
Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO

Digital Business

Tailor-made and secure IT solutions for versatile applications

Keywords such as digitalization, the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence speak to the remarkable pace of innovation in information technology. Smart IT solutions and methods pave the way towards exploiting the potential of digitalization and successfully realizing innovative processes and products. In the scope of multiple research projects, our Digital Business researchers develop and test how new software systems and algorithms based on big data and artificial intelligence boost the creation of value at companies by means of, for instance, automation, assistance with making decisions, analyses, and forecasts.

Fraunhofer IAO collaborates with partners in Germany and abroad to carry out these projects, some of which are funded by the European Union, Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the German state of Baden-Württemberg. At present, the main technological topics are artificial intelligence, big data, the Internet of Things (IoT) and secure clouds. Typical areas of application include business processes, energy systems, electromobility and smart cities.

Our key areas of research:

  • Digitalization strategies and solutions
  • Artificial intelligence and digital assistants
  • Big data and process automation
  • Cloud-based platforms, ecosystems and business models
  • Cognitive IT applications for the Internet of Things (IoT)
  • Corporate software and process optimization
  • IT for intelligent energy systems and electromobility
  • Use of service platforms for smart cities

Projects

 

Cloud Mall Baden-Württemberg

The idea behind Cloud Mall Baden-Württemberg is to create a platform for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) on which cloud service providers can position their products and services and users can select the cloud services relevant to them. 

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Eco Fleet Services

Transport in municipal areas is changing. For businesses and the general public alike, there is a growing need for transportation, which leads to ever greater pollution, noise and congestion. In order to maintain the flow of traffic in our cities, we therefore need to leverage the various elements in a new mobility mix to achieve an optimal blend. 

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KI4ROBOFLEET

The aim of the KI4ROBOFLEET project is to identify and evaluate potential application scenarios that will arise from the inclusion of autonomous vehicles in vehicle fleets. The project team is also carrying out traffic simulations to enable a dynamic and real-time evaluation of application scenarios. Finally, the project is developing car-sharing ICTs that enable the incorporation of AI in specific applications. 

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SmartAIwork

The aim of SmartAIwork is to identify the opportunities and risks arising from the use of AI-supported clerical processes in the German workplace. For this purpose, it has also established an expert panel and is developing a digital toolbox containing practical items such as case studies and checklists. Following completion of the project, training measures will be drawn up to help disseminate the project findings in political and business spheres. 

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The LamA project – charging points at the workplace

In 2017, a total of 70 German cities exceeded statutory thresholds for nitrogen oxides, some of them by a substantial margin. In response, federal government launched an emergency program – entitled “Saubere Luft 2017–2020” – to improve air quality in built-up areas.  

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The SME 4.0 Competence Center in Stuttgart

The SME 4.0 Competence Center in Stuttgart focuses on cloud services and their role in the value-creation process. Whether SMEs are looking for inspiration or already have a concrete vision for their migration to cloud services – we are there to provide help with both technical and practical issues related to implementation.

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