"AI is a great opportunity to make businesses more efficient and competitive in planning, organization, administration, and processes," says UVH President Rüdiger Otto. (Photo: © Kittipong Jirasukhanont /123RF.com)
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March 2026
The entrepreneurs' day organized by UVH, WHKT and Handwerk.NRW focused on the topics of innovation spaces and artificial intelligence.
This year, the Entrepreneurs' Day took place from NRW Crafts Entrepreneurs' Association (UVH), West German Chamber of Crafts (WHKT) and Crafts.NRW It takes place in Essen. At the trade fair SHK+E The participants discussed the topics of innovation spaces and artificial intelligence (AI) in the skilled trades.
Entrepreneurs from all sectors of the skilled trades took the opportunity to learn about the opportunities that digital technologies, processes and business models offer for craft businesses and to participate in a guided tour of the trade fair. Trade Association Sanitation Heating Air Conditioning NRW to participate. In addition, the State Secretary in the NRW Ministry of Economic Affairs, Silke Krebs, presented key aspects of promoting skilled trades in the field of AI for businesses.
In his keynote speeches, Lukas Fischer reported on Heinz Piest Institute for Craft Technology, Matthias Imdahl from Mittelstand Digital Centrum Handwerk and Jens Fiedler from the North Rhine-Westphalia Association for Sanitary, Heating and Air Conditioning, discussing application examples of artificial intelligence in the various sectors of the skilled trades.
In the subsequent panel discussion, the presidents of the North Rhine-Westphalian craft associations Andreas Ehlert (Handwerk.NRW), Berthold Schröder (WHKT) and Rüdiger Otto (UVH) discussed the potential and limitations of using AI in the craft sector together with the deputy state guild master of the SHK association, Hans-Werner Eschrich.
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Craft policy
"AI presents a great opportunity to make businesses more efficient and competitive in planning, organization, administration, and processes. This will allow businesses to refocus on their core competencies," concluded Rüdiger Otto. "The future of skilled trades is digital. We will respond to these changes with consulting and training services offered by our organizations."
Source: UVH
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