René Peinl is a Professor of Business Informatics at the Institute for Information Systems (iisys) within the Faculty of Computer Science at Hof University of Applied Sciences. He serves as the Institute Director and leads the research group on Multimodal Artificial Intelligence. His academic career spans over 15 years of teaching in master's programs including 'Master Informatik' and 'Master Applied Research in Computer Science', with a focus on resource-efficient AI for text understanding since 2021. Dr. Peinl's research spans multiple cutting-edge domains in AI and information systems. His primary focus is on multimodal artificial intelligence systems that integrate various data modalities. He specializes in resource-efficient AI models that can operate without cloud resources, with particular emphasis on German language processing for speech recognition, text understanding, and speech synthesis. His work extends to practical applications in Industry 4.0 through customizable manufacturing execution systems (HiCuMES) and immersive learning applications using virtual reality technology for fields like electrical engineering and healthcare training. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong trend toward practical, efficient AI implementations with a focus on German language processing and multimodal systems. His work addresses critical challenges in model compression, bias mitigation in generative AI, and multimodal integration of text and image understanding. A significant portion of his research focuses on making AI more accessible and practical for small and medium enterprises through resource-efficient implementations that don't require cloud infrastructure. Professor Peinl actively participates in academic service and industry collaboration. He serves as a member of Hof University's senate and supervisory board. His research is supported through EFRE projects including 'Wirtschaft im Mittelstand 4.0' and 'Digitale Transformation des Mittelstands mit KI'. He frequently engages with industry through speaking engagements, consulting, and collaborative projects with companies across various sectors. At Hof University, Peinl leads the Institute for Information Systems and the Multimodal Artificial Intelligence research group. His team works on developing privacy-friendly speech assistance systems that function without cloud resources, highly customizable manufacturing execution systems for Industry 4.0, and immersive VR learning applications for domains that are expensive, dangerous, or difficult to replicate in physical reality.
