INOS continues growth trajectory with AI x SME platform
St.Gallen - INOS has launched its new AI x SME platform. The innovation network of the cantons of Eastern Switzerland is seeking to help companies use and implement Artificial Intelligence (AI) in a targeted manner. Moreover, INOS has intensified its project support across all of its platforms.
(CONNECT) INOS, the innovation network of Eastern Switzerland, launched its AI x SME platform in 2026. With this, the aim is to facilitate practical access to AI for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Eastern Switzerland, as detailed in a statement. “With our platform, we are laying the foundations for companies to use and successfully implement AI in a targeted manner”, comments INOS Managing Director Lukas Budde.
According to the INOS website, the AI x SME platform is one of the three platforms currently operated by the network. Another focuses on sustainability in the plastics industry, and the third is dedicated to achieving excellence in supply chains. Thanks to a project by Gifas-Electric GmbH, two viable concepts for the further development of an inductively coupled system for decentralized lighting solutions were developed, which have been validated by the Institute for Electronics, Sensors and Actuators at OST - Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences and implemented in demonstrators. “The coaching provided us with rapid access to the relevant expertise and suitable infrastructure”, explains Adis Causevic, Head of Development at Gifas-Electric GmbH.
Generally speaking, INOS is observing growing demand among companies for expert innovation support. As such, it has intensified its project support services in a targeted manner. “We see that innovation projects are becoming increasingly in-depth”, as Budde comments, adding that: “This is precisely where we come in – with structured support and the aim of guiding companies safely and purposefully all the way through to implementation”.
INOS is supported by the cantons of Appenzell Ausserrhoden and Appenzell Innerrhoden, Glarus, Schaffhausen, St.Gallen, Graubünden and Thurgau, the Zurich Oberland investment promotion agency and the Swiss federal government. ce/ug