Our joint project secures a spot in the finals
The decision has been made: Our joint practical project with the OST – University of Applied Sciences of Eastern Switzerland is one of the three finalists for the WTT Young Leader Award 2026 in the Management Concept category. The project focuses on the fundamental further development of our AI Readiness Check. On October 28, 2026, at the awards ceremony at the Tonhalle St. Gallen, we’ll find out how the jury has ranked the three finalist projects.
Alongside our project, Hafner AG from Amriswil and SanaFürstenland AG from Gossau, SG, are also in the finals.
From the AI Readiness Check to the Adaptive Maturity Model
The project began with our existing AI Readiness Check, which allows companies to assess their current status regarding the use of artificial intelligence. Working together with the OST project team, we fundamentally refined this approach.
To this end, the team analyzed existing AI readiness and maturity models and developed an adaptive question tree with three paths: Readiness, Early Maturity, and Maturity. The tool’s usefulness, clarity, and practical applicability were assessed through twelve semi-structured interviews with AI experts and users from SMEs.
From Analysis to Concrete Recommendations for Action
The result is a functional prototype that provides a nuanced view of a company’s AI maturity level. Dimension scores highlight the current status and key areas for action, while benchmark comparisons provide additional context. The results report derives prioritized recommendations for action based on this information.
The assessment follows a clear structure: from the company profile, through the evaluation across seven dimensions and targeted in-depth questions, to the final evaluation with dimension scores, an overall score, a maturity level, and prioritized areas for action.
A product with direct practical value
What is particularly valuable to us: The result is not a theoretical study, but a functional, adaptive prototype that can already be used in real-world applications and serves as the basis for our further product development and AI consulting.
The combination of a scientific foundation and a consistent focus on practical application makes the results particularly valuable to us.
The AI Readiness Check 2.0 will be released on October 1
We are now building on these findings. On October 1, 2026, we will officially launch the AI Readiness Check 2.0—exactly three years to the day after the release of the first version.
The previous version has since been used by over 500 companies. With Version 2.0, we are now taking the next major step in development and incorporating the insights from our joint pilot project into the next generation of our assessment.
A project also gives rise to a new #proudOnliner
The OST project team included Lucas Fässler as project manager, as well as Fabian Wydler, Azem Abdi, Berat Koxha, and Benjamin Stricker. Dr. Sebastian Scheler served as the OST project coordinator.
But this collaboration also led to a particularly heartwarming personal story for us: Over the course of the project, we got to know Berat Koxha better—and Berat, in turn, got to know us. This led to him submitting a speculative application.
And, of all days, on the very day we learned we had made it to the finals of the WTT Young Leader Award, Berat started his first day at Online.
This joint university project has thus not only resulted in a new product, but also in a new connection and a new #proudOnliner.
Thank you to everyone involved
A big thank you goes out to the entire student team for their outstanding work, as well as to Ralf Angermann and Fabienne Bouffé, who supported the project on our end.
Now it’s time to keep our fingers crossed: On October 28, 2026, we’ll find out at the Tonhalle St. Gallen where our joint project ranks in the WTT Young Leader Award.
Regardless of the outcome, one thing is already clear to us today: this project has created something that will endure.
