TY - CHAP A1 - Zeitschel, Diana A1 - Mühle, Bettina A1 - Kilimis, Panagiotis A2 - Madsen, Ole A2 - Berger, Ulrich A2 - Møller, Charles A2 - Heidemann Lassen, Astrid A2 - Vejrum Wæhrens, Brian A2 - Schou, Casper T1 - Digitalization and Automation in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Challenges, Needs, and Solutions in Brandenburg, Germany T2 - The Future of Smart Production for SMEs : A Methodological and Practical Approach Towards Digitalization in SMEs N2 - Digitalization and automation represent both a major challenge and a long-term opportunity for SMEs to secure their business success. They often lack specialist knowledge and a sufficient financial scope and therefore need external support in meeting these challenges. This is of particular relevance and political interest as Brandenburgs economy is determined by SMEs. Knowledge and technology transfer between scientific institutions and companies is seen as a possible solution. However, different goals, approaches and expectations of researchers and companies inhibits or complicates a successful cooperation. Therefore, transfer intermediaries are needed as mediators.The book chapter uses the example of IMI Brandenburg to show how knowledge and technology transfer can be implemented by intermediaries and what key findings were obtained in the process. Furthermore, possible success factors for both the digitization of Brandenburg's SMEs and successful knowledge and technology transfer are discussed.The chapter addresses decision-makers in SMEs as well as research institutions and transfer intermediaries and is intended to raise awareness of the opportunities, challenges and solutions in the cooperation between science and industry. KW - SME KW - Digitalisation KW - Knowledge and technology transfer KW - challenges KW - services KW - use case KW - modeal factory Y1 - 2022 UR - https://opus4.kobv.de/opus4-UBICO/frontdoor/index/index/docId/29585 UR - https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-15428-7_11 SN - 978-3-031-15427-0 SP - 127 EP - 137 PB - Springer CY - Cham ER -