Regional Hub for AI and Digital Transformation Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate (RZzKI)

The use of digital technologies, especially of artificial intelligence (AI) fundamentally changes the way we work and do business. The resulting upheavals in the world of work underline the need for companies to implement new approaches of integrating stakeholder perspectives and enabling a human-centric technology use. Based on this, the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and the European Union through the European Social Fund Plus (ESF Plus) the program „Hubs for tomorrow“ promotes mainly small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by supporting them in the transformation of their work environment.

The regional transformation hub was founded in 2021 and since then accompanies companies and their employees in the region of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland in the digital transformation and introduction and testing of human-centered AI systems. The regional transformation hub RZzKI is funded until the end of 2026 through the ESF Plus program „Hubs for tomorrow“. RZzKI offers information, individual counselling and employee qualifications. The offers are suitable both for companies that are at the beginning of their digitalization journey as well as for more advanced companies that are looking for a very specific solution.

With the help of the RZzKI, companies can gain initial access to the topic by assessing the degree of maturity or exploring digitalization potential. On top of this, there are innovative qualification modules on various aspects of digitalization for different target groups such as management, skilled workers, and employee representatives. These promote self-learning and creative skills and make the companies and their employees fit for the future. In addition, companies have access to advanced and more in-depth consulting options.

At the regional transformation hub, ITA has the task of providing support in the research field of ergonomics. Both in the development of AI or digital solutions and in the process of technology implementation, the ITA team focuses on the needs of the users. SMEs are advised on how digital transformation processes can be organized in a participatory way and increase technology acceptance. In addition, ITA builds on its expertise in new forms of work and the use of digital technologies and offers support in work design as well as organizational design, in the broad area of digital learning, and also in the development of decision models.

Project website: www.rzzki.de