AI moves from hype to practice – Nordic leaders gather at IFS Connect in Gothenburg

Nordic companies are increasingly focusing on faster implementation and measurable outcomes in their AI initiatives, as industry leaders prepare to gather at IFS Connect Nordics 2026, taking place tomorrowThe annual event brings together customers, partners and experts from across the IFS ecosystem, and is expected to highlight how Industrial AI is evolving from early experimentation into practical use across ERP and asset-intensive industries. For many organizations, the focus is now shifting toward how AI can create value in day-to-day operations.

“The question is no longer whether companies should adopt AI, but how quickly they can make it deliver value in real business processes,” said Fredrik Wingren, Addovation, an IFS Premium Partner and Gold Sponsor at the event.

This shift is particularly visible in ERP environments, where companies are looking to integrate AI capabilities directly into core systems rather than running isolated pilot projects. The aim is to improve efficiency, support decision-making and make better use of available data.

Events such as IFS Connect play an important role in this development by providing a platform for sharing practical experiences and insights across industries. By bringing together organizations facing similar challenges, the event helps accelerate learning and identify new opportunities for improvement.

According to Addovation, there is also a growing need to validate AI use cases more quickly.

“We see a clear change in expectations. Organizations are increasingly focused on testing concrete ideas and understanding their value early,” Wingren said.

In response, companies are adopting more time-bound approaches to innovation, such as Addovation’s “AI in a Day,” where specific use cases are rapidly tested and developed into working prototypes.

This is driving broader interest in iterative ways of working, where solutions are developed and refined in shorter cycles rather than through long, exploratory projects. The goal is to reduce uncertainty while ensuring that initiatives are aligned with real operational needs.

At the same time, companies continue to face challenges related to data quality, system complexity and organizational readiness, which can influence how quickly AI solutions are implemented and scaled.

As Industrial AI adoption continues to mature across the Nordics, the ability to move efficiently from idea to implementation is becoming an important factor in realizing business value.