The AI Forum at NERGroup recently brought together several organizations to share experiences, learnings and strategies on the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the business environment. The session aimed to share with other companies in the group how these technologies are being applied and what steps are needed to integrate AI in an effective and sustainable way.
Two companies currently leading the implementation of AI within the NER Group participated in this meeting: Panelfisa and Lancor Motores Eléctricos. Panelfisa was represented by Ibai Mitxelena, while Lancor participated through Yunior Lobo, José Luis Femia and Eider Iturrate. In addition, Iñaki Pertusa from Decidata, a company collaborating in advanced data and AI projects, participated with the coordination of Atzio Orexa, the driving force behind these initiatives within the group.
A first session to understand the current landscape of AI
The day began with a presentation by Iñaki Pertusa, who gave a clear and simple overview of the evolution of AI and the difference between:
- Generative AI, focused on accessible and immediately usable tools.
- Transformative AI, based on deep, strategic projects with large-scale impact.
His message was direct:
“The key is not to implement AI, but to identify real problems where AI provides a solution.”
Next, Ibai Mitxelena shared success stories already implemented at Panelfisa, showing how generative AI and automations have improved daily tasks, accelerated processes and increased efficiency. He emphasized that thanks to AI they can now measure, analyze and act faster, reducing repetitive loads and dedicating more time to valuable work.
A second session focused on strategies and diagnosis
In the second part of the forum, Atzio Orexa presented a diagnosis based on a questionnaire answered by NER Group organizations. This analysis underlined the importance of:
- Have a clear strategy before adopting technology.
- Designate persons responsible for ordering, prioritizing and identifying real problems.
- Start the journey with quick wins that allow you to demonstrate value in a short time.
Afterwards, José Luis Femia and Yunior Lobo presented the path that Lancor is following within its Digital Transformation Plan, developed together with the Information Systems (IT) team. They explained that the adoption of AI goes through several phases: train → identify → test → adopt,
all in a context where technology is advancing at a very fast pace.
Lancor also highlighted the importance of collaborating with entities such as BAIC (Basque Artificial Intelligence Center) and INDESIA, as well as the training carried out at the University of Deusto within the European digital transformation program. In addition, mention was made of the work carried out together with Decidata, whose diagnostics and “data clinics” have made it possible to detect quick wins and transformational projects based on proprietary data.
The forum also highlighted the work of Eider Iturrate, who presented the conclusions of her master’s project on how AI can improve internal communication and collaborative work, essential elements in self-managed organizations such as NERGroup.
Five key highlights of the forum
Five key insights emerged from the meeting that are fundamental to understanding why many AI initiatives fail to thrive:
- Training is step zero.
- The most common mistake is to look for technology instead of real problems.
- Organizational culture and leadership can be the biggest brake.
- It is necessary to design a clear and realistic roadmap.
- The support of specialized profiles accelerates the impact.
A space to learn, share and move forward together
The AI Forum at NER Group left a clear message: AI adoption is not a destination, but a continuous learning process, and sharing real experiences accelerates collective progress.
At Lancor we will continue to work along these lines, promoting an AI that adds value, improves processes and accompanies our evolution towards a more intelligent, efficient and human industry, in order to improve our participative work and self-management philosophy.
