The CSG AI sub-division is being established within the CSG Aerospace division of the industrial and technology group CSG. It brings together existing teams from software companies in the CSG Aerospace division. The new sub-division will further develop these teams and support their existing products. However, it also foresees acquisitions of companies and startups that are dedicated to the field of artificial intelligence. The aim of creating CSG AI is to capture the current trend of AI development and thus remain competitive.
So far, CS Soft is the furthest along in the development of AI-based solutions. It has its own AI team, which has already created several AI-based solutions. Last year, CS Soft introduced a tool that can predict the price of copper on commodity markets. In autumn, it launched JATIS, a product that optimises the progress of aircraft repairs based on historical data. More recently, a product called Tendera has been developed, the benefit of which is that artificial intelligence can significantly reduce the time taken to assess and complete tender documents in procurement tender processes.
“We have been working with AI for some time now, which is to our advantage. Besides CS Soft, other companies in CSG Aerospace’s division are also using it, namely Atrak, UpVision and Pocket Virtuality with its Lumnio product. Therefore, when the owner of our group decided that we would start to deal with artificial intelligence within CSG in a much bigger way, it was logical that a new entity would be created in the Aerospace division,” says Tomáš Vlček, Managing Director of the division, who covers CSG’s activities in the field of artificial intelligence.
The advantage is that, thanks to the broadness of the CSG group, developed products can be tested within the group’s companies before being sold to third parties. The JATIS system was therefore deployed in Job Air Technic’s aircraft repair facilities and CS Soft specialists fine-tuned it with professionals from the aircraft repair facilities. Now the company is starting to offer the system successfully on the market, as it has proven that it can indeed generate significant savings through prediction and workflow management. Tendera is now being tested at Eldis Pardubice.
“We received a request from the owner to present him the best solutions in the field of artificial intelligence. If we can convince him that our ideas and plans are of high quality and have potential, there will be no problem with financing them. This is a big advantage in our group. The projects are not subjected to complex approval processes, but decision-making is flexible and fast. On the other hand, it should be added that we are personally responsible for the success of the project,” says Tomáš Vlček.
In addition to developing and strengthening its own teams and solutions in the field of artificial intelligence, CSG is already looking at ways to expand the sub-division. This doesn’t necessarily have to be just acquisitions of startups and technology companies. Collaborations, for example with universities and scientific institutions, are also on the table. CSG, and in particular its Aerospace division, has been working with virtually every technical university in the country for several years. Still, acquisitions are the most natural way to expand the sub-division. Thus, CSG has already acquired Smartoo last year, which subsequently introduced the Lumnio product in partnership with Pocket Virtuality. This solution enables remote service using augmented reality, but also, for example, the digitisation of workflows.
“Of course, we already have some companies and solutions in our sights and would like to acquire a few by the end of the year. In parallel, we will develop our existing solutions and invent new ones. We want to move in two main directions. The first is to optimise in-house processes in various areas, from HR and finance to market analysis in different areas. The second area is industrial applications. We see opportunities, for example, in predictive maintenance, optimization of logistics tasks and so on. We want to take profit from our undeniable advantage that we can validate the developed solutions within the Group and then use them commercially,” adds Tomáš Vlček.
About CSG
The global industrial-technology group CSG is owned by Czech entrepreneur Michal Strnad. It supplies technologies to the entire world that help ensure a safer and more stable future. It focuses on the development and production of strategically important products, systems, and technologies in defense, aerospace, automotive, and other areas. With key manufacturing plants in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Spain, Italy, India, Great Britain, and the USA, CSG exports its products worldwide. The Group continuously invests in the development of its companies and at the same time expands in its core businesses. Among its key companies are the Czech car manufacturer Tatra Trucks, the Slovak producer of artillery ammunition MSM Group, the US manufacturer of small-caliber ammunition The Kinetic Group, and the Czech radar manufacturer Eldis. The group focuses on the development and manufacturing of strategically important products, systems, and technologies essential for the defense of fundamental civilizational values. CSG employs over 14,000 employees across its integrated and affiliated companies. CSG’s revenues, including The Kinetic Group for the full year 2024, reached EUR 5.2 billion. The group’s consolidated revenues amounted to EUR 4 billion.
