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09.07.2025
Innovation through cooperation - that is the aim of the pilot project Cooperation between SMEs and start-ups. One successful example is the collaboration between the startup Qualiwise and Augsburg University of Applied Sciences, which enables SMEs to benefit from AI-supported, automated quality assurance - with less effort, lower error rates and greater process reliability.
Augsburg University of Applied Sciences (THA) is one of the largest universities of applied sciences in Bavarian Swabia. At THA, over 7,500 students from 70 nations learn about the latest developments in research and technology. THA researchers have long been working closely with partners from industry and society to jointly develop solutions for future topics, such as in THA's AI production network. Here, AI research is translated into applicable solutions with and for companies in the region.
The cooperation project
Quality assurance is still very manual in many companies. This leads to high process costs, non-conformity costs and supplier dependencies. Qualiwise is therefore developing an AI-based co-pilot for product quality in the manufacturing sector. It can be thought of as an autonomous quality planner that analyzes quality documentation, detects discrepancies and sounds the alarm at an early stage. The co-pilot learns from historical quality problems together with the quality team and ensures that critical features are systematically and appropriately checked in future.
Qualiwise's Copilot is to be used in the Open Industrial Training Center (OITC), which is currently being built at Augsburg University of Applied Sciences (THA). The OITC is a semi-virtual learning, teaching and research factory. It is intended to help companies and students to help shape the production world of tomorrow - with a focus on networked, flexible and safe production. The focus is on topics such as human-machine interfaces, digitalization, sustainability and the circular economy.
"The cooperation project with Qualiwise is intended to help companies and students to help shape the production world of tomorrow - with a focus on networked, flexible and safe production."
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stefan Braunreuther
Faculty of Mechanical and Process Engineering | Production Technology Center,
Augsburg University of Applied Sciences
Contact initiation as part of the pilot project
The first contact between the project partners took place at the B2B Demo Day in Augsburg in February 2025. The B2B Demo Day is a format at which SMEs and start-ups can come into contact with each other to encourage cooperation. However, selected relevant stakeholders from the region can also take part - which is how the contact between THA and the startup Qualiwise came about.
Qualiwise was able to present its demo at the B2B Demo Day, which sparked the THA's initial interest. In further discussions, the partnership became more concrete. The partners are currently in the implementation planning phase.
