Germany Expands AI Skills via Future Skills Convention and SME Support

The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Knowledge (IZB) hosted the Future Skills Convention 2026 in Sankt Augustin, where Mayor Dr Max Leitterstorf highlighted the need for future‑oriented competencies. A keynote by Prof Wolfgang Prinz of RWTH Aachen examined the impact of Web 3, artificial intelligence and autonomous agents, stating, “Instead of merely consuming calculations and their results, new tools enable us to move from consumer to designer.” Seven practical workshops covered Human‑AI teaming, resilience in modern work, user‑research methods and offered Fraunhofer certifications such as Usability Engineer and Design Thinking Practitioner. Local partners from the Rhein‑Sieg region, the Digital Hub Bonn and other innovation networks supported the event.

On 19 November 2024, State Secretary Leonie Gebers opened the ESF Plus‑funded annual work‑policy meeting in Berlin for the “Zukunftszentren” programme, which assists small and medium‑sized enterprises (SMEs) in digital transformation and AI adoption. Dr Vanessa Just of the KI Bundesverband and numerous company representatives demonstrated how AI can optimise processes and relieve staff. Gebers emphasized, “In the competition for workers, SMEs face major challenges; AI can significantly help close skill gaps and ease employee workloads.” The programme provides up to 80 hours of free advisory to SMEs nationwide, building on its origin in eastern German states and expanding across the country since 2023.