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It has not yet been possible to achieve the desired aim of decoupling economic growth from global material demand. Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) represent the backbone of most industrialized economies. Although material efficiency is of vital importance for many SMEs, few of them actually treat it as their top priority. There is a cornucopia of tools and methods available which can be used for material efficiency purposes. These, however, have gained little ground in the SME-field. This work deals with the enabling factors for material efficiency improvements in manufacturing SMEs and projections towards aspects of supply chain and circular economy. A multi-disciplinary decoupling approach for manufacturing SMEs and an implementation roadmap for further practical development are proposed. The approach combines appropriate complexity of technology and socio-economic considerations. It enables a connection of existing methods and the implementation of established information technologies.
Imagine a world in which the search for tomorrow's trends of (software) products is not subject to a long and laborious data search but is possible with a single mouse click. Through the use of artificial intelligence (AI), this reality is made possible and is to be further advanced through research. The study therefore aims to provide an initial overview of the young research field. Based on research, expert interviews, company and student surveys, current application possibilities of AI in the innovation process (defined as Smart Innovation), existing challenges that slow down the further development are discussed in more detail and future application possibilities are presented. Finally, a recommendation for action is made for business, politics and science to help overcome the current obstacles together and thus drive the future of Smart Innovation.