Artificial intelligence for SMEs in the Danube region (BrAIn)

Many companies in the Danube region are facing similar challenges due to structural change and the increasing importance of AI. The BrAIn project connects partners from 10 Danube countries with the aim of strengthening the digital capacities of SMEs and thereby their competitiveness, thus taking a promising step towards future-oriented technologies.

The Interreg project focuses on key sectors such as manufacturing, agrifood and healthcare. Through cross-border cooperation and targeted trainings, SMEs will be raised aware of the use of AI on the one hand and their employees will be trained to meet the requirements of Industry 4.0 on the other hand. To this end, place-based demo cases will be carried out in which pilot projects will be tested, thus promoting a practical, transnational transfer of knowledge.

Finally, building on these experiences, the project partners will be drafting a policy strategy paper to enhance the definition of novel AI instruments. The BrAIn project thus strengthens the innovation capacity of the Danube region and advocates sustainable regional development.

As an integral part of the consortium, the Steinbeis Europa Zentrum leads:

• the establishment of a transnational network of trainers
• the critical evaluation of the demo cases
• the organization of a capitalization and knowledge transfer event including a transnational start-up competition in which start-ups present innovative solutions for product and service development
• the capitalization and exploitation of the results on a broader macro-strategic level

Further information:

• Project Name Acronym: BrAIn - BRinging Artificial INtelligence towards SMEs
• Funding: European Commission, Interreg Danube Region Programme
• Funding budget for all partners: 1.499.992 €
• Participating countries: Hungary (Coordinator), Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic,  Germany, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia
• Project duration: 01/2024 – 06/2026