With ZIEHL-ABEGG as a new member, our ecosystem grows and grows further. ZIEHL-ABEGG is a global leader in air, control, and drive technology, specializing in products for heating and cooling systems, as well as cleanroom and agricultural applications. With a workforce of around 5,000 employees, the company operates 15 production facilities, 30 subsidiaries, and 117 sales locations worldwide.
As a kind of introduction into our community and to get to know each other, we conducted an interview with Joachim Ley, Chief Executive Officer at ZIEHL-ABEGG.
IPAI: Joachim, you’ve mentioned that leveraging AI is a key competitive advantage for the future. Can you elaborate on how AI impacts your business processes?
Joachim: Absolutely! For us, the use of AI is a decisive competitive advantage for the future. In our business processes, AI supports our customers and employees in achieving the best possible results. In our products, AI enables us to become technological leaders.
That’s fascinating! It sounds like AI is already a significant part of your operations. How do you plan to further integrate AI across the company?
We’re very committed to advancing AI throughout our organization. AI has already made significant inroads in several areas. We aim to professionalize the networking and usage of AI across the company.
AI has already found its way into several areas at our company. We now want to professionalize company-wide networking and use. Our involvement in the IPAI will help us a great deal in this regard: Experts from a wide range of industries and company sizes exchange ideas and cross-fertilize each other.
The organization of the first ‘AI Communication Award’ in 2024 shows how close the topic of AI is to our hearts. We are always on the lookout for best practice solutions.
Joachim Ley
Chief Executive Officer at ZIEHL-ABEGG
It seems like you’re very proactive about AI. How does your involvement in the IPAI community support these efforts?
Our engagement in the IPAI community is crucial. It allows us to exchange ideas with experts from various industries and company sizes, which helps us foster new concepts, partnerships, and business models.
You mentioned the importance of Human AI. How do you see it improving your operations?
Human AI describes how artificial intelligence enhances human work practices and interactions. We aim to strengthen AI systems within human interactions while also considering ethical implications.
Collaboration seems to be a key theme for you. How do you envision better collaboration in software development and with other companies?
As a technology leader in our field, we are broadly connected within the industry. We aim for improved collaboration in software development and better integration with other industry and software companies, including start-ups and students.
Given the rapid pace of AI development, what challenges do you face, particularly in data quality and integration?
The fast-paced evolution of AI presents challenges such as data quality and availability, and there are often skill gaps. Integration with existing systems is also a concern as we build our initial prototypes and establish AI across the organization.
As you look ahead, what specific AI projects are you currently pursuing?
We are focusing on various initiatives, including lifespan calculations, the implementation of chatbots, forecasting, and developing key metric systems. We’re also working on proprietary developments using tools like MS Co-Pilot and ChatGPT, alongside many integrated AI tools.
Joachim, thank you for your time and your insights on your AI journey. Happy to have you onboard and as part of our growing ecosystem!