Schaeffler invests in artificial intelligence

Schaeffler joins with eleven other partners to establish KI Park e.V. in Berlin

The purpose of KI Park is to foster real-life applications in the field of artificial intelligence

Greater use of artificial intelligence forms an integral part of Schaeffler’s digitalization strategy

Schaeffler has joined with eleven other partners to establish KI Park e.V., an incorporated society, in Berlin, Germany. The purpose of KI Park is to foster real-life applications in the field of artificial intelligence (KI is German for AI) and to develop the associated ethical and regulatory frameworks for Germany and the rest of Europe. The members of the new society include big-name companies and organizations from business, science and government. “Greater use of artificial intelligence forms an integral part of Schaeffler’s digitalization strategy,” commented Schaeffler CEO Klaus Rosenfeld. “Our objective as a founding member of KI Park is to unlock new AI and digitalization opportunities so as to ensure that the Schaeffler Group is well positioned for the future. We are looking forward to working with the other founding members.”

Digitalization and AI offer major opportunities
Digitalization technologies, especially AI, represent major opportunities for Schaeffler and its customers. That is why the company has a group-wide strategy for all of its digitalization activities, which it is implementing systematically via a comprehensive and closely coordinated program of digitalization initiatives. AI is a core part of this. Schaeffler already uses intelligently integrated production facilities to achieve significant reductions in throughput times. It leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning at the machine level and in the cloud to continually optimize many aspects of its plant operations, including maintenance cycles. To support its employees in their daily work, the company is working on advanced, intelligent assistance functions that enable natural-language interaction between humans and machines. In addition, Schaeffler’s digital value-added service OPTIME integrates condition monitoring and preventive maintenance in a single system, yielding major efficiency gains for customers. And at the Schaeffler Hub for Advanced Research (SHARE) at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg – established in 2016 and itself a founding member of KI Park – Schaeffler experts are partnering with scientists to conduct research into industrial applications of AI. “Being a member of KI Park gives us an opportunity to collaborate in partner ecosystems so that we can take our use of innovative AI technologies to a whole new level across all four pillars of our digital agenda: smart products, digital value chain, interconnected plants and machines, and digital workplace,” said Jürgen Henn, Schaeffler’s Head of Strategic IT and Digitalization.