By Trine Reinholt Andersen, AAU Technology Transfer Office

In today’s fast-paced industrial landscape, many businesses face unprecedented challenges: overwhelming data volumes, delays in critical decision-making, shortages of skilled professionals, and the persistent problem of knowledge loss when employees leave.

At the same time, many businesses have tried to address these problems by implementing chatbots, and yet many have failed to bridge this gap. Traditional chatbots are often generic and cloud-based, lacking both domain expertise, integration capability, and security as demanded by modern industrial operations.

Ownlytic is built to change that. Developed through several years of research at Aalborg University, Ownlytic represents the next generation of AI for industrial decision-making. Unlike conventional chatbots, it is designed as a multimodal reasoning platform capable of analyzing time-series data, images, video, text, and other unstructured sources in real time. It runs entirely off-cloud, on optimized hardware tailored to each client’s needs, ensuring GDPR compliance and eliminating the geopolitical risks associated with cloud dependency.

A DISTINCTIVE APPROACH TO AI

What sets Ownlytic apart from traditional chatbots is the focus on being more than just a chatbot. The solution acts as an intelligent assistant and condition monitoring system that integrates seamlessly with existing infrastructure such as SCADA systems, proprietary databases, and ERP solutions. This makes it particularly suited for industries where high-stakes decisions must be made quickly and accurately. By fine-tuning its models for each specific domain, Ownlytic supports tasks ranging from internal research and document creation to real-time operational oversight, significantly reducing costly delays. 

However, the core of Ownlytic that sets it apart from most chatbots is data privacy. For many industries, especially utilities and critical infrastructure operators, reliance on cloud-based AI tools raises serious concerns around compliance and confidentiality. Ownlytic’s on-premises architecture ensures sensitive information remains securely within the organization, while still delivering the full capabilities of a state-of-the-art AI system.

UNLOCKING VALUE ACROSS INDUSTRIES

The potential applications of Ownlytic extend across both production and service sectors. In utilities, it can provide real-time condition monitoring for water and energy systems, enabling faster responses and minimizing downtime. In manufacturing, its ability to analyze production line data and detect early warning signs translates into more efficient maintenance and reduced operational losses. 

Service-oriented companies, particularly those with extensive customer support functions, can use Ownlytic to provide 24/7 knowledge assistance to employees, alleviating the burden on support teams while preserving valuable know-how within the organization. Its ability to rapidly create internal documents and analyze large datasets further enhances operational efficiency.

Ownlytic is designed to bring value across several sectors while addressing the shortcomings of current solutions. Its multimodal reasoning engine is designed specifically for complex, data-heavy tasks. Its architecture is scalable and secure, built to grow with the customer’s needs while maintaining compliance with European data regulations.

To sum up, Ownlytic is:

• An affordable and scalable solution for companies in need of data heavy technical support
• Able to specialize in any domain
• Operating 24/7 and providing detailed answer within minutes
• Running locally on consumer-grade hardware, ensuring a high level of data privacy

FROM DEMO TO DEPLOYMENT

Ownlytic is developed by Associate Professor and CEO, Petar Durdevic, and Associate Professor and CTO, Daniel Ortiz Arroyo – both from AAU Energy at Aalborg University in Esbjerg. In 2024, Ownlytic received a DKK 1,5 mio Innoexplorer grant from Innovation Fund Denmark to further develop the technology, under the innovation project name AITEKS.

Currently in a demo phase (Q4 2025) with two industrial partners - Liftra Aps and Billund Vand og Energi A&S – Ownlytic is preparing for full-scale deployment and commercialization. The next step involves scaling the licensing model from pilot projects to enterprise solutions, with the ambition to create long-term partnerships that deliver both cost savings and operational advantages. To achieve this, the team is seeking new industrial partners in the near future to explore opportunities in additional domains.

To strengthen the research team towards the company establishment of Ownlytic, the AAU Technology Transfer Office has supported the team throughout the commercialization process including the development of a business model, applying for the Innoexplorer grant, and matching the team with external investors.