AIKnowIT meetings

The meeting focused on strengthening collaboration within the IT sector in the region, highlighting the need for an organizational structure to coordinate industry‑wide initiatives such as risk management, shared training frameworks, microcredentials, market research, procurement strategies, talent development, regulatory navigation, and ICT sector promotion.

Participants emphasized that universities can play a central role in bridging communication gaps and facilitating cooperation. Administratively, the subsidy contract is ready for signing, and dates were confirmed for subsequent project workshops and the final conference.

The second AIKnowIT workshop focused on developing a survey to identify the needs and expectations of SMEs for the AI and IT knowledge-sharing platform. Partners revisited the project’s scope and discussed the most relevant thematic areas and features for the platform.

Project partners agreed to jointly prepare a shared document of interview questions, conduct interviews with SMEs, and later transform the insights into a mass-survey questionnaire distributed in spring 2025. Short AI explainer clips were also proposed as future platform content.

The third workshop presented interview results from SMEs and finalised the questionnaire for gathering wider industry needs for the AI and IT knowledge-sharing platform. Findings revealed significant differences in AI readiness across companies and highlighted barriers such as high costs, limited knowledge, and data privacy concerns.

Using the What–Why–How approach, participants formulated final questionnaire questions covering company characteristics, AI use, needs for support, challenges, and opportunities. Each partner will distribute the questionnaire in their country during July–August 2025.

The fourth workshop centered on presenting and analysing survey results collected across all partner countries. These insights will guide the final development of the AIKnowIT platform by identifying needed tools, support mechanisms, and common SME challenges.

Partners compared national findings and discussed how companies perceive AI, what support they require, and where the platform can add the most value based on the identified needs.

The final AIKnowIT project meeting reviewed remaining deliverables and clarified partner responsibilities. The team refined the Generative AI chapter, discussed risk-related content, and began shaping the project’s success story based on a real company case.

The final conference included academic presentations and partner discussions, with participants suggesting further use cases for SMEs related to business planning, project preparation, and micro‑model applications. A “Data Privacy” section will be added to the platform to address GenAI risks and compliance requirements.