AI project by Klingele and the University of Stuttgart receives scientific recognition

The Klingele Paper & Packaging Group has always been characterised by its ability to react flexibly to change and to continuously learn and improve. A project as part of the strategically important innovation system of the packaging manufacturer from Remshalden has now received high scientific recognition.

Scientific confirmation for AI cooperation project
Klingele has developed an innovative concept for a service consulting platform in a collaborative teaching project together with the Chair of Information Systems II of Prof Dr Georg Herzwurm and subsequently with the Graduate School of Excellence advanced Manufacturing Engineering (GSaME) at the University of Stuttgart. It describes a digital assistant supported by artificial intelligence, which Klingele can use to offer various knowledge-based services. For example, it is intended to support players in the packaging industry by pooling specific balancing knowledge in the creation of CO2 balances. The development of the concept was described by the junior research group leader for intelligent circular value creation systems Dr Dimitri Petrik from the GSaME and Florian Härer, Innovation Manager at Klingele, in a research paper entitled "Conceptualising AI-driven Knowledge Services for Circular Economy". This research paper has now been accepted by the IEEE International Conference on Engineering, Technology and Innovation, a major computer science conference. In its evaluation, an independent committee of the conference sees great potential in the concept of offering consulting services in particular in parallel via a platform and using AI as a knowledge service. Dr Petrik will therefore present the concept at the conference on behalf of the entire cooperation team. "The assessment is an important recognition of our joint high-quality research work. This is the appeal of a project like this: we are accompanying an industrial company that has been successful with physical products for over 100 years into the AI age. I am delighted that Klingele is opening up to these topics and actively shaping them," says Dr Dimitri Petrik.

Realisation of the idea and continuation of the project
Encouraged by the assessment of the scientific committee, the concept is to take the next step towards market maturity this year and be realised as a prototype as part of a research project. The teaching co-operation project is considered a success and is already being continued. A new project round is currently underway with the Master's students in Business Informatics in the summer semester of 2024. As in the previous year, the students will initially develop innovative business ideas in groups, which will be evaluated by a jury made up of representatives from academia and industry. The concept idea from the previous summer semester 2023 was also selected in this process and will now be implemented. "For the University of Stuttgart, the teaching cooperation project with Klingele is a valuable collaboration between business and science that offers students the opportunity to gain practical experience with software-intensive business models at the highest level," says Prof Dr Georg Herzwurm.

Innovation as a driver for the future of Klingele
Cooperations with research partners such as GSaME from the University of Stuttgart are an important part of Klingele's innovation system. "There are opportunities for us to open up our current business model and enable a wider range of innovations. With these efforts, we are driving forward the future viability of the entire packaging industry and at the same time contributing to our goal of fulfilling current and future customer requirements, acting sustainably and securing our competitiveness and thus also jobs in the digital age," says Florian Härer.