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The two projects at IBT, titled "Strengthening production processes at SMEs through the use of AI in generative manufacturing" and "Virtual and physical human-robot cooperation", started at the end of 2020 and will be carried out until the fourth quarter of 2021. 

In times of global crises such as the current Corona pandemic, companies from all industries experience supply bottlenecks. These affect the procurement of spare parts, bought-in parts, or prototypes. A breakdown in the supply chain hits small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) particularly hard. They usually have a smaller product portfolio than large companies and find it difficult to switch to alternative supply chains.  The research project "Strengthening production processes at SMEs through the use of AI in generative manufacturing" supports SMEs, particularly in building resilience through the digitalization of production processes to bridge supply chain interruptions with the help of generative manufacturing.

The idea of the "Virtual and Physical Human-Robot Cooperation" project addresses the employee absenteeism of manufacturing companies in the wake of pandemics. Virtual and physical human-robot cooperation is intended to help companies cope with staff shortages and economically turbulent times. The goal is to build a demo factory equipped with virtual expert systems, telepresence methods, and physical assistance systems. This project aims to develop solutions that can be used by SMEs without much experience in digitization and expertise in artificial intelligence (AI). The goal is not to create new AI algorithms for exceptional cases but to make suitable AI methods and procedures applicable to existing production systems. In this way, the research project makes an essential contribution to the development of new hybrid forms of work, which, especially in the Corona pandemic, can make the difference for companies between short-time work or a declaration of insolvency and continued competitive production.