10 Years of Digital Week Dortmund: Our network was once again part of this anniversary #diwodo. During a special lunch break on September 18, 2026—or, to be more precise, a particularly delicious lunch break here at Hafenraum—new faces and old friends came together. In keeping with the “HafenQuest” digital scavenger hunt, which also took place that day, we served up real, delicious schnitzel.

The “AI Masterclass,” which included our AI Navigator sessions, has come to an end. On September 9, 2026, our group met for the last time in its current configuration to document our findings, review what we had learned and implemented, take stock, and look ahead to the future.

How can artificial intelligence and MS Copilot be used in practice in day-to-day procurement?
An exclusive training session held on September 10, 2026, at our NIRO Hafenraum addressed this question. We invited procurement managers who are actively involved in our Procurement Working Group, the negotiation groups, and the further development of our procurement pool.

For the fifth time, talented individuals from our member companies have completed the training program offered by the NIRO Academy. Motivated young professionals participated in the program to further their professional and personal development over the course of about five months.

Have you ever heard of AI agents? I’m sure you have—the hype just keeps going.
In an in-depth workshop on this topic held on June 8, 2026, we explored what AI agents are all about and how they work.

Our workshop was aimed at participants who already had a basic understanding of AI and wanted to delve deeper into the technical aspects. It was led by Marco Fries from the Zukunftszentrum AI NRW, who gave us a hands-on introduction to the world of (open-source-based) AI agents.