Competence Center Agentic Enterprise -
Prof. Dr. Oliver Gassmann
Prof. Dr. Joakim Wincent

The Competence Center for Agentic Enterprise researches and develops the organizations, systems, and governance needed to harness Agentic AI, autonomous systems that independently plan and execute work, to augment and automate tasks, functions,

• State of the Agentic Enterprise Report: a vendor-neutral, evidence-based view of real agentic AI adoption across enterprises in the DACH region, built around a curated, anonymized library of documented, observed use cases (what was automated versus augmented, the workflow, and the measured outcome).
• Executive Education: The AI Agent Workforce: a programme for C-level executives and board members on orchestrating autonomous AI agents across organizational workflows, focused on governance, architecture, and ROI rather than code.
• Agentic Workflow Redesign Sprints: a focused two-day intensive that redesigns one concrete, time-intensive business process (for example B2B sales outreach or HR applicant screening) end-to-end onto a multi-agent architecture, and identifies the fitting, vendor-neutral providers and tools.
• Ventures: co-building ventures around the agentification of workflows and new business models, including entrepreneurial master's theses with the center.

The flagship public output of the center: an annual, evidence-based report on the real state of agentic AI adoption in enterprises, with a particular focus on the DACH region and on small and mid-sized companies that are underrepresented in existing reports. The report is the visible surface of the State of the Agentic Enterprise Index described below.

Because validated, real-world agentic use cases are still rare today, the Index puts documented use cases at its center: a curated, anonymized library of observed deployments, what was automated versus augmented, the workflow involved, and the measured outcome, so participating companies can learn from concrete cases. For more information see here.

This is based on our research where we study how autonomous AI agents reshape organizations, business models, and work and translate those findings into practice-relevant frameworks for executives. Selected publications:

• Haefner, N., Wincent, J., Parida, V., & Gassmann, O. (2021). Artificial intelligence and innovation management: A review, framework, and research agenda. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 162, 120392
• Haefner, N., Parida, V., Gassmann, O., & Wincent, J. (2023). Implementing and scaling artificial intelligence: A review, framework, and research agenda. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 197, 122878
• The Non-Human Enterprise: How AI Agents Reshape Organizations. California Management Review (CMR Insights), 2025.

The AI Agent Workforce: How to Automatize Organizational Workflows

Move beyond the hype of generative AI and prepare for the next frontier: systems that act. The AI Agent Workforce equips executives to orchestrate autonomous AI agents that independently plan and execute complex organizational workflows. Focusing on governance, architecture, and ROI rather than code, the course provides the framework to integrate digital agents into your organization, fostering seamless human-AI collaboration that drives tangible business value.

For C-Level executives and board members · St. Gallen. For more information see here.

What participants say

•     “Insightful days making Agentic AI and its potential tangible.” — Alonso Quilez
•     “Understanding the AI impact from a macro perspective, while learning the basics of the technology.” — Matthias Dietschweiler
•     “Solid base-layer in which you can build the future!” — Michel Steger
•     “After two days of deep learning and rich exchange on Agentic AI, I'm heading home with my understanding expanded and my confusion elevated to a far more sophisticated level.” — Philippe Funda
•     “A timely and highly practical investment in the next wave of digital transformation. The program cut through AI hype and focused on what really matters for leaders: where AI agents create measurable value, how to assess ROI, and how to integrate them safely into real organizational workflows.” — Soha Zogg
   

Custom Agentic AI Courses 

We offer tailored, custom-made courses on Agentic AI for your company focusing on the specific problems of your industry. Please contact julius.schulte@unisg.ch for further information.

A focused two-day intensive that takes one concrete, time-intensive business process (for example B2B sales outreach or HR applicant screening) and redesigns it end-to-end around a multi-agent architecture, then identifies the fitting, vendor-neutral providers and tools to run it. The sprint is run with the process owner and a small cross-functional team (operations, IT, and a decision-maker), so the redesign is both technically sound and ready to act on.

Building on the idea of the Agentic Enterprise, we are open to co-building ventures centered on the agentification of workflows and the development of new business models around these concepts. Students with a strong entrepreneurial background and solid computer science knowledge are welcome to pursue a master's thesis with us.

•     Prof. Dr. Oliver Gassmann — Full Professor of Technology Management, ITEM-HSG. Co-lead.
•     Prof. Dr. Joakim Wincent — Full Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, GCEI-HSG. Co-lead.
•     Julius Schulte — Academic Lead Agentic AI; Executive Education contact.