Recap: futureSAX New Work & AI 2026 in Bautzen
Craft businesses, SMEs and, with Infineon, the chip industry: at the futureSAX Innovation Forum “New Work and AI” on 24 September 2026 in Bautzen, people from very different sectors shared one room. More than 150 participants came to the Sorbian National Ensemble.
Zöllner Büro- & IT-Systeme GmbH took part in two ways, with a joint stand with NFON and with a pitch by managing director Peter Gemander.
What futureSAX is
futureSAX is the innovation platform of the Free State of Saxony. It brings together founders, companies, universities and funding bodies and is a central point of contact in the Saxon start-up and innovation scene. The forum in Bautzen focused on how AI is changing work in small and mid-sized companies.
Peter Gemander found the format genuinely exciting. Because small businesses and large industry met in one place, the conversations were varied, and there was enough time between sessions for networking.
A pitch with a customer, not just slides
His pitch was titled “Rethinking business communication”. Peter Gemander did not stand on stage alone: Uwe Ortlepp, who works in mortgage advice and uses the Zöllner voicebot, travelled to Bautzen specifically to talk about his experience.
In his office the bot mainly handles two tasks. It books appointments and takes customer requests that keep coming in the same form. For Peter Gemander this is a good example of how AI can help SMEs in practice: with a clearly defined everyday task. Read more in the case study.
The next generation came along
Peter Gemander was accompanied by his 18-year-old daughter. He wanted young people to see how working life is changing and where AI is already in use today.
Thank you to futureSAX for organising the event and for the many encounters that day. The preview with the programme is on our event page, and more about the platform is at futuresax.de.
Frequently asked questions about the futureSAX Innovation Forum
When and where did the “New Work and AI” forum take place?
On 24 September 2026 at the Sorbian National Ensemble in Bautzen, with more than 150 participants.
What is futureSAX?
The innovation platform of the Free State of Saxony. It connects people and organisations from different sectors and makes innovation from Saxony visible.
What was the Zöllner pitch about?
Peter Gemander spoke about “Rethinking business communication”. Voicebot customer Uwe Ortlepp shared his day-to-day experience on stage.
What does the voicebot do for Uwe Ortlepp?
It books appointments and handles recurring customer requests in his mortgage advice business.
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