Working Group - HFA in Midsized Enterprises & Family Business

SMEs and family-owned businesses are not scaled-down versions of large corporations: They have neither dedicated AI departments nor large transformation budgets, but they do have a well-established corporate culture, which is often their strongest competitive advantage. SMEs therefore do not need a distilled corporate logic, but rather tailored, practical entry points.
 
That is exactly what we develop: methods and tools that help SMEs introduce AI and automation in a way that preserves and strengthens professional identity, accumulated knowledge, and corporate culture. As a translation layer within the HFA Alliance, we adapt the guidelines from the other working groups specifically to the SME context.
 
We invite individuals who are familiar with the SME sector—whether as entrepreneurs, executives, or researchers—and who are convinced that HFA needs a language tailored to SMEs and family-owned businesses. The prerequisite is not expertise in AI technology, but rather experience with what transformation truly means in SMEs and family-run businesses.

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Members

Status of Work

• 04.08.2026, 16:00 - 17:00: Group's kickoff session. 

• Online meetings every four weeks (dates to be aligned in group's kickoff.

Group's Contact

Prof. Dr. Daniel Werth & Dr. Hans-Joachim Gergs (Member of the board of HFA Alliance e.V.)