“SMEs, Get Moving!” – AI Is Making an Impact Faster Than Many Realize | BVMW Future Day 2026 Recap

The BVMW SME Future Day 2026 in Berlin once again demonstrated the potential that artificial intelligence offers small and medium-sized enterprises. Nevertheless, AI is still widely viewed as a topic for the future, even though it can already help make processes more efficient, reduce costs, and strengthen competitiveness in the long term.

Andreas Gehre, Executive Partner at Dataciders, sees this as a key challenge for small and medium-sized businesses. In his view, there is often an underestimation of the concrete role AI can play in solving business challenges and of how important it is to actively embrace new technologies for the long-term sustainability of companies.

It became clear that successful AI projects do not have to start with perfect planning. Often, the first measurable results can be achieved in a short period of time if companies begin with clearly defined use cases and take a pragmatic approach.

This is precisely where Dataciders helps companies by providing practical approaches and concrete implementation options. Currently, one of the options available is a Microsoft-sponsored program that provides up to €15,000 in funding to help companies get started with selected AI use cases.