Executive Summary
- According to KI.NRW, on 28 October 2026 a free, half-day group workshop on AI will take place in Hagen (SIHK zu Hagen, 11:00–15:30).
- The workshop is aimed at small and mid-sized user companies; team participation is recommended and no prior knowledge is required.
- As a follow-up, on 19 November 2026 a matchmaking event is planned in which selected young technology companies from NRW will present their solutions.
- The format is part of the pilot project ‘MittelstandsMAKERTHON Spezial’ of NRW.BANK and NRW.BANK.Innovationspartner and is offered together with local partners.
What happened?
The Südwestfälische Industrie- und Handelskammer (SIHK) zu Hagen, NRW.BANK and the competence platform KI.NRW invite employees from various companies in the region to a half-day group workshop on Wednesday, 28 October 2026 (11:00–15:30) at the SIHK zu Hagen, Bahnhofstraße 18, 58095 Hagen. According to KI.NRW, the goal of the workshop is to jointly understand the capabilities of modern AI systems, identify concrete use cases for company challenges, draft initial solution sketches and create a basis for decisions on potential deployments.
The scouting workshop is explicitly aimed at small and mid-sized user companies. The organizers recommend participating as a team (ideally two people). No prior knowledge is required. Participation is free, but places are limited and registration takes place via the event partner.
Following the scouting workshop, a matchmaking event is planned for 19 November 2026 at the SIHK, where selected young technology companies from NRW are expected to present their solutions. The workshop is part of the pilot project ‘MittelstandsMAKERTHON Spezial’ of NRW.BANK and NRW.BANK.Innovationspartner and is offered jointly by the SIHK zu Hagen and KI.NRW.
Why does it matter?
The offer targets groups that often face the question of how AI can be used practically and economically in operations. A half-day, moderated scouting session can help lower barriers, find concrete use cases and structure first implementation steps. The combination of a practical workshop and a subsequent presentation by young technology providers creates a direct bridge to potential solution providers and makes it easier to find partners for pilot projects.
Integration into the NRW.BANK pilot project signals that the format aims not only at knowledge transfer but also at networking and possible support or accompaniment up to pilot implementations. The regional focus is relevant for companies from North Rhine-Westphalia because local partners, legal frameworks and industry structures can be taken into account.
What does this mean for mid-sized companies?
For small and mid-sized companies in the region, the scouting offers a low-threshold way to examine AI potential for their own processes without prior knowledge. The recommended team participation increases the chance to discuss internal processes practically and identify realistic use cases. The format can serve as a decision basis to determine which ideas are suitable for initial pilots and what requirements exist for resources, data or partners.
The timing and location (28 October, 11:00–15:30, SIHK zu Hagen) and the limited number of participants make timely registration necessary. The subsequent matchmaking on 19 November provides a direct look at technical solutions and potential cooperation partners in NRW, which can improve the chances of implementing identified use cases. Companies should check whether the local providers and the pilot project profile match their needs.
Related: AI Readiness Check
Recommendation from Future AI Solutions
Fact-focused, we recommend the following pragmatic approach for interested mid-sized companies:
- Register early if you are based in North Rhine-Westphalia and have concrete process questions; places are limited.
- Send a small team (two people), ideally from the relevant business unit and the person responsible for the process, so internal workflows can be described practically and informed decisions can be made during the workshop.
- Prepare one to two concrete problem descriptions or typical process flows in advance (goal, expected benefit, available data and interfaces) so that the workshop moderators can quickly develop concrete solution sketches.
- Use the subsequent matchmaking to meet potential technology partners and ask about technical feasibility, timelines and possible support offers.
- Evaluate the developed solution sketches systematically afterwards (resources, data availability, regulatory questions, economic viability) before making a decision on a pilot.
This approach helps turn the half-day scouting into tangible next steps and increases the chances of a successful pilot. For organizational details and registration, we refer to the organizers (SIHK zu Hagen, NRW.BANK, KI.NRW).