Contact
Prof. Dr. Mathias Klier
+49 (0) 7 31 50-3 23 12
mathias.klier(at)uni-ulm.de
Funded by
Sharing data opens up new opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises to streamline processes, manage supply chains more effectively and develop data-driven and AI-powered business models. At the same time, the exchange of data across organisational boundaries presents significant technical, organisational and legal challenges. In particular, requirements relating to cyber security, data quality and regulatory compliance make it difficult for many SMEs to implement such projects securely and at scale.
This is where the research project ‘Secure and Scalable Supply Chains for SMEs’ (SafeScale-KMU) comes in. The project will examine four exemplary SME supply chains and, in collaboration with the participating companies, develop and test specific use cases for secure, data-driven collaboration. In doing so, business, technical and legal requirements will be systematically integrated. Specifically, the aim is to develop technical proofs of concept and a low-threshold web tool. The web tool is designed to help SMEs assess their own use cases, categorise risks and requirements, and identify suitable measures for secure and scalable data collaboration.
Cooperation partners: Ferdinand-Steinbeis-Institut & Bundesverband Großhandel, Außenhandel, Dienstleistungen e. V.
Project period: August 2026 to January 2029
Transfer
The project is funded by Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (BMWE) for the period from August 1, 2026, to January 31, 2029.
The goal of the BMWE’s “IT Security in Business” funding initiative is to raise awareness of IT and cybersecurity risks, particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to enhance their security levels, and to support them in achieving a secure digital transformation.
The insights gained in the SafeScale-KMU project will be translated into a practical web tool, guidelines, demonstrators, and knowledge-sharing events. This is intended to enable SMEs to implement data-driven collaborations in supply chains securely, confidently, and at scale. SafeScale-KMU thus contributes to strengthening cybersecurity competence and promoting the secure use of data- and AI-driven applications among small and medium-sized enterprises.