Is Dortmund ready for AI? A new study gives the answer.
The Dortmund Economic Development Agency has presented its first comprehensive AI study. More than 500 companies from Dortmund were surveyed between June and August, the results of which were presented as part of the #diwodo presented.
The key result: The Dortmund economy is fundamentally ready for the use of AI. 80 percent of companies see this as an opportunity for their business model, and 77 percent say the benefits clearly outweigh the risks.
However, the extent to which companies are actually advanced varies greatly: The study distinguishes four stages of maturity – around a third are considered „start-ups,“ another third are considered „experimenters,“ 16 percent are considered „adopters,“ and 14 percent are already considered „scale-ups,“ which fully integrate AI into new business models. The range of AI use in Dortmund is therefore wide. Particularly far advanced is the industry: 94 percent of companies see AI as an opportunity there.
The greatest added value for companies lies clearly in efficiency improvement (84 percent). AI is currently most frequently used for internal knowledge management as well as for communication and content creation. The biggest hurdles are legal, data protection and security-related requirements as well as a lack of expertise among employees. At the same time, 35 percent of companies using AI see AI as an opportunity to address the shortage of skilled workers and relieve employees of workload.
Dortmund is now well into the AI era: the degree of maturity may vary from company to company, but as a productivity booster, AI is already a reality for the city. With research institutions, companies, and expertise right on site, Dortmund has the perfect conditions for what some are already calling the fifth industrial revolution: the AI transformation.
The full study can be read on the website of the Dortmund Economic Development Agency. https://www.wirtschaftsfoerderung-dortmund.de/blog/2026-09/wirtschaftsfoerderung-legt-erstmals-ki-studie-fuer-dortmund-vor-unternehmen-sehen
