How VAHLE and AI Company Ziya Strengthen the Mittelstand with AI – and What German Politics Can Learn from It
When regional matching becomes real transformation.
Something is happening in the Ruhrgebiet – and it's anything but quiet.
Right in the heart of NRW, it becomes clear that AI innovation and the Mittelstand don't have to be contradictions – they can be the key to tomorrow's competitiveness.
One company courageously walking this path with us is the VAHLE Group, a traditional enterprise from Kamen – known as the inventor of the world's first conductor bar system. Today, VAHLE relies not only on proven technology but increasingly on Artificial Intelligence to optimize production processes, unlock new potential and future-proof its operations.
From Skepticism to Substance: Trust Instead of Corporate Solutions
"What if you don't exist in two years?" – A question we often hear as a young AI start-up. But VAHLE deliberately chose Ziya – AI made in Dortmund.
Not because we're big. But because we work precisely, adaptably and with local roots.
Because we see data protection not as an obligation, but as a promise.
And because we have the courage to build solutions that fit.
The collaboration with VAHLE was no coincidence – it was the result of a unique network: the innoclub, a platform that purposefully connects start-ups, Mittelstand companies and industry. Without this format, despite geographical proximity, this Perfect Match might never have happened.
Media Coverage & Political Attention
That this partnership is making an impact became evident in the summer edition of RUHR Wirtschaft (07/08 2025). The article "Ziya and VAHLE: Impressed by the Matching" recognized not only the impact of the collaboration but also the courage of both companies to venture into new territory – with substance rather than buzzwords.
This media momentum did not go unnoticed:
Shortly after the publication, Member of Parliament Oliver Kaczmarek (SPD) visited us together with representatives of IHK Dortmund at our office in the Technologiezentrum Dortmund.
In the exchange, we discussed not only the collaboration with VAHLE but also structural topics:
- How can Germany remain an attractive location for AI investments?
- What regulatory framework does responsible AI need?
- And how do we pragmatically promote collaboration between the Mittelstand and start-ups?
A central topic was also technological singularity – and what decisions we need to make today to seize opportunities and actively manage risks.
Our Conclusion
What is happening here is not a pilot project – it is a model case for innovation in practice.
A sign that courageous companies, strong networks and political openness can work together to ensure that AI in Germany is not just thought about, but actually built.
Thank you to VAHLE for the trust. Thank you to innoclub for the matching. And thank you to MP Oliver Kaczmarek and IHK for the open, future-oriented dialogue.
The future emerges where people are willing to build it together.
And that is exactly what is happening here. In Dortmund. In Kamen. In the Ruhrgebiet.