The article from Revue Hémisphères, titled “For Swiss SMEs, adopting AI is a matter of survival,” explores how artificial intelligence (AI) presents both challenges and opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Switzerland.

Jean Hennebert, head of the Swiss Center for Artificial Intelligence for SMEs (CSIA-PME) and professor at the School of Engineering and Architecture of Fribourg (HEIA-FR), stresses that integrating AI is essential to prevent obsolescence in the face of growing competition from larger companies.

The CSIA-PME supports SMEs with tailored resources, offering basic training to understand AI fundamentals, as well as advanced training for businesses already experimenting with internal solutions. Common concerns among SMEs include data privacy, regulatory compliance—especially with the EU’s AI Act—and implementing local AI solutions to protect sensitive information.

To help SMEs adopt AI, the CSIA-PME offers “prototyping vouchers,” which provide up to 300 hours of engineering support to develop prototypes. Practical solutions such as AI pipelines for automating document processing or private language models (like those from French company Mistral) are being deployed to meet specific business needs.

In conclusion, the article emphasizes that for Swiss SMEs, adopting AI is no longer optional—it is a strategic necessity to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving market.