MPIKov AS 2026: How to implement Industry 4.0 in practice

Entrepreneurship

19. 5. 25. 5. 2. 6. 2026
MG Rohr doo, Ravne na Koroškem I MPIK1 Slovenj Gradec

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How to take the next step in your company's development? How to identify opportunities for automation, digitalization, and the use of artificial intelligence in practice?

In MPIK we have prepared a new cycle of workshops MPIKov AS, where we will address key issues of modern production and business development through three in-depth meetings.

The content of the workshops is very practical. The emphasis is on useful knowledge and concrete examples from practice that companies can immediately transfer to their environment. The workshop providers have extensive experience with the topics discussed, as they develop and implement them in real business and production environments. The first workshop will take place in a company that is intensively implementing elements of Industry 4.0.

Participants will learn, among other things :

when and why to start with automation and digitalization,
how to implement Industry 4.0 solutions in production,
how to leverage data, ERP systems and artificial intelligence for better decisions.

The workshops are intended for:

entrepreneurs and owners of manufacturing SMEs who want to implement advanced technologies into their production processes;
management of manufacturing companies looking for ways to optimize and increase competitiveness through digitalization and automation;
technical leaders in manufacturing who want to implement AI, data systems, robotics, and automation;
companies that are already implementing elements of Industry 4.0 and want to upgrade their knowledge.

Programme

1st workshop:

Automation in SMEs - decisions, opportunities and key steps

19. 5. 2026, 9:00-13:00

MG Rohr doo, Dobja vas 257, 2390 Ravne na Koroškem

Tour of automated production of MG Rohr (Matej Natlačen)

company status before automation
motives, goals and process of automation
practical gains from a production perspective

How to Design Your Company's Strategy (Mark Stemberger)

connection between business and digital strategy
the role of automation, robotization and digitalization in Industry 4.0
identifying opportunities to increase productivity
flow through the company and elimination of bottlenecks
tools for rational decision-making on change projects

The meaning of automation and digitalization (Borut Potočnik)

we automate the future - automating the past no longer helps
Future orientation - what will we do differently and why?
examples of individual participants

2nd workshop:

Connecting production - machines, systems and data

25. 5. 2026, 9:00-14:00

MPIK1 Slovenj Gradec, Ozare 19, 2380 Slovenj Gradec

Digital transformation in brief (Tomaž Bergant)

What is digital transformation?
key concepts (IIoT, UNS, MQTT)
Why digital transformation projects fail

Unified Namespace examples and Factory demo (Tomaž Bergant)

demonstration of the UNS (Unified Namespace) concept in practice
Demo Factory examples
how we connect OT (Operational Technology) and IT (Information Technology)

Configuration and installation of an OT platform using an example (practical workshop; Tomaž Bergant)

the basics of the Ignition or Siemens system
connection to PLC (Programmable Logic Controller)
connecting machines and systems and transferring data (OPC-UA communication)
What is a good IIoT platform and the criteria for choosing a platform

Sensor installation - energy consumption meter and integration into the system (practical workshop; Tomaž Bergant)

using the Shelly meter, connecting to the electrical network (220V), sending data via MQTT and integrating into UNS

Integration and visualization using the example of ASK.BI (practical workshop; Tomaž Bergant)

adding a sensor to ASK.BI, data structure in UNS, data visualization (dashboards) and real-time analytics

Processing of captured data (Oto Kac and Andrej Kreuh)

use of artificial intelligence in the production process
concrete example on captured data

3rd workshop:

From data to decisions - ERP, analytics and AI in practice

2. 6. 2026, 9:00-13:30

MPIK1 Slovenj Gradec, Ozare 19, 2380 Slovenj Gradec

How can manufacturing (OT) data support ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) (Sašo Sirk and Aleksander Štular)

material provision, machine utilization, work organization and mobile accessibility
data organization using the example of paperless work orders
good data management and data culture in the company

AI as your new digital intern (Oto Kac)

understanding the capabilities and limitations of AI
LLM and specialized agents
digital hygiene and intellectual property
How should a small business go about implementing artificial intelligence?

Project challenges of implementing solutions on the path of digital transformation (Aleksander Štular)

a path of small steps
the importance of work process analysis
timely definition of goals and project design

Support for companies in implementing artificial intelligence (Marko Štefančič)

Artificial Intelligence Competence Center – Services for Businesses
results of a survey on the use of AI in companies
training, workshops, consulting for AI
assistance in selecting use cases and gradually introducing AI

Completion of the MPIKov AS 2026 program (Jure Knez)

Speakers

Borut Potočnik

BPMC d.o.o.

Development of new competitive advantages, value-adding business models, and growth from value breakthroughs and efficiency.

Mark Stemberger

Expert in strategic restructuring and corporate turnarounds, especially in the small and medium-sized enterprise segment.

Tomaž Bergant

RESEVO d.o.o.

He helps companies recognize the value of production data and use it for digital transformation in accordance with the principles of Industry 4.0. He collaborates with the largest Slovenian companies in implementing advanced SME solutions and transfers knowledge from practice and international conferences. He is a lecturer at professional conferences and postgraduate studies.

Aleksander Štular

Aleksander Štular s.p.

Project manager in the field of digital transformation of fixed asset management and data capture and management organization.

Oto Kac

INTELEGRA d.o.o.

He helps companies establish high-performance development centers and agile product development management to successfully launch smart, artificial intelligence (AI)-enriched solutions. With 25 years of international experience, he bridges the gap between business strategy and technical execution and empowers teams through mentorship for successful end-to-end digital and AI transformation.

Andrej Kreuh

INTELEGRA d.o.o.

He helps companies design and manage scalable cloud and data infrastructures, which are essential for the reliable deployment and operation of modern artificial intelligence (AI) solutions. With extensive experience ranging from systems engineering and DevOps practices to product management, he successfully translates business visions into powerful technology architectures and expertly empowers development teams.

Sašo Sirk

Infosys d.o.o.

Over 30 years on an independent entrepreneurial path in software development and implementation, mainly in companies in Carinthia.

Matej Natlačen

MG Rohr d.o.o.

Director and co-founder of MG Rohr doo from Raven on Koroškem, which was the Gazelle of the Podravska-Pomurska region 2021. It is the leading company for processing steel pipes, sheet metal and related materials in the region into components of vehicles, machines and other equipment. They are involved in the phase of the idea or product design, development, feasibility studies, prototype production and all the way to serial production.