Mercedes-Benz Partners with n8n for Company-Wide AI Automation

Mercedes-Benz has announced a strategic partnership with German low-code automation firm n8n to implement artificial intelligence-powered workflow automation across its global operations. This initiative aims to empower employees to build and deploy AI-driven workflows within daily processes, covering key business functions such as research and development, production, sales, human resources, and IT. The deployment utilizes a self-hosted, cloud-agnostic architecture to ensure data sovereignty and maintain control over sensitive information. To foster internal adoption, the automaker organized a hackathon involving over 1,500 employees, resulting in practical use cases now being integrated into the global rollout. Mercedes-Benz has structured its AI strategy into three tiers: Takers, Makers, and Builders, designed to transition staff from passive users to active creators of automated solutions. According to CIO Katrin Lehmann, this collaboration enables teams to convert ideas into measurable impacts efficiently. The move supports European digital sovereignty and enhances operational speed, transparency, and scalability. n8n serves as an orchestration layer connecting existing systems with emerging AI agent frameworks, addressing the challenge of scaling AI from pilot projects to full production while keeping data control in-house.