The AI (Artificial Intelligence) industry is more than generative AI services like ChatGPT, Midjourney, and others.
As generative AI grabs all the headlines, AI is becoming more commonly used in healthcare, banking and finance, transportation, marketing, education, cybersecurity, and others.
While consumers grapple with the impact of AI, there is another segment of the society looking at how AI will impact them: SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises).
During the COVID-19 pandemic, SMEs in the Netherlands showed remarkable resilience by prioritising customers and embracing digital-first solutions.
Now, as AI comes knocking on their door, they are preparing for a major technological shift. They are doing so with the help of organisations like NL AIC, ROM InWest, and others.
“AI is a technology that impacts many industries and offers opportunities for SME. As North Holland’s development agency, we want to support SMEs by educating them about the potential of AI,” says Linze Rijswijk of ROM InWest.
Simplifying AI for SMEs
After making generative AI practical for executives, business professionals, and educational staff, ROM InWest has now partnered with NL AIC for a workshop that simplifies AI for SMEs.
Called “Value creation with data & AI for your company: first steps towards a concrete roadmap,” the workshop is being held at Cupola XS in Haarlem from 12:30 PM CET to 5 PM CET on June 7.
The idea of this workshop stems from an initiative the Netherlands AI Coalition took to develop and implement AI workshops aimed at SMEs at the beginning of 2022.
“We realised we were not alone in this ambition and have been collaborating with various partners from the AI ecosystem,” says Annekaat van Welsem, Project Coordinator at the Netherlands AI Coalition (NL AIC).
She adds, “There is an important role for SMEs in adopting the latest AI knowledge and applications to make an impact within the various sectors.”
The NL AIC observed that SMEs often do not have the resources or knowledge to explore how AI can contribute to their company’s ambitions.
“The aim of these workshops is therefore to actively seek out SMEs and help them innovate with AI,” explains Van Welsem.
While most workshops on a technical subject like AI can seem like preaching to a crowd, the AI workshop being held tomorrow really stands out for its format.
It aims to address the fundamental AI challenge faced by SMEs in the region. The NL AIC investigation found that identification of use cases, strategic mapping, cutting big projects into smaller pieces, benefits and risks of AI, are the challenges faced by SMEs.
Van Welsem says entrepreneurs and SMEs participating in the workshop will be able to immediately work on their own use cases and strategic roadmap with the help of a team of experts.
If you are an entrepreneur in small and medium-sized enterprises in the Netherlands, you can register by clicking here. Follow NL AIC and ROM InWest on LinkedIn for latest updates.
Education to overcome lack of knowledge
Kees van der Klauw, Coalition Manager at NL AIC further adds that SMEs generally lack knowledge on what AI can do for their business or what AI from competition can do to their business.
“They need more education and hands-on support to implement AI,” Van der Klauw told Silicon Canals over email.
Another challenge for SMEs is the lack of means and resources to engage in longer term partnership with universities that have experience in AI.
During the pandemic, SMEs were among the first to realise how behind they were when it comes to adoption of digital solutions.
Now, they are realising the lack of data management and its applications as more organisations become AI-fuelled for long-term success.
Both NL AIC and ROM InWest see the current moment not only as an opportunity to educate SMEs in the region but also to digitally transform them.
In addition to working closely with ROM InWest and Hub Amsterdam AI, NL AIC also plans to use the AiNed programme to create learning communities for SMEs where innovation, work, and training is closely linked.
“There are many more initiatives with our regional partners such as information sharing on upcoming legislation,” Van der Klauw adds.
With instruments like MIT (Mkb-innovatiestimulering Regio en Topsectoren) introduced last year and second call for government funding based on NL AIC initiative announced this year with a budget of €3.55M, it is clear that there is a lot of impetus on not only educating SMEs about AI but also helping them accelerate transition to AI.
AI as a tool
The key messaging of the AI workshop for SMEs will be how AI can be a tool to achieve their goals.
“In general, sectors can learn from each other as some are ahead in data management, some in legal and ethical frameworks and some in innovation programmes and real AI applications,” Van der Klauw says.
One of the ways NL AIC aims to facilitate this cross learning is by organising more matchmaking between SMEs and startups with knowledge on AI applications.
They also aim to bring SMEs together around projects of common interest while providing training on AI and legal frameworks.
Van Welsem adds, “The workshop is ultimately a strategic exercise to identify key issues/ambitions within your organisation and understanding in what way AI can support them.”
The SMEs participating in the AI workshop tomorrow will successfully identify relevant use cases of AI for their organisation while understanding the benefits and risks associated with AI.
“Start small and be aware that there are multiple ways to implement AI,” says Van Welsem as she explains SME’s can use off the shelf products or develop inhouse but also engage in collaborations and implement tailormade solutions..
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