Mercedes-Benz is taking the next step in scaling AI (artificial intelligence) through a strategic partnership with German low-code automation and AI orchestration platform company n8n. The automaker is rolling out a platform that enables employees worldwide to design and deploy AI-powered workflows directly in operational processes. The aim is to move AI automation beyond individual pilots and into everyday business operations across all business areas, including R&D, production, sales, financial services, HR, and IT.

“Scaling AI takes more than technology; it’s about putting it to work in our core business,” said Katrin Lehmann, Chief Information Officer at Mercedes-Benz. “Together with n8n, we make it easy for our teams at Mercedes-Benz to turn ideas into measurable impact across our value chain and to actively shape how we operate.”

As software and AI become defining factors of industrial competitiveness, Mercedes-Benz is building a modular and flexible technology stack. By integrating a European platform, the company says it strengthens its ability to operate AI systems with greater control over data and processes.

With its self-hosted and cloud-agnostic deployment model, n8n supports Mercedes-Benz’s modular technology architecture and helps retain control over critical data and workflows. The partnership also strengthens the European AI ecosystem and provides a scalable foundation for responsible AI automation across the company.

It is driving AI adoption across different capability levels, with “Takers” using AI in their daily work, “Makers” designing and orchestrating workflows with platforms such as n8n, and “Builders” developing advanced solutions, for example, in software. The focus is on helping employees evolve from simple usage to actively shaping AI-driven processes. The company says this brings automation closer to business value and increases speed, transparency, and scalability along the value chain.

The platform rollout is supported by a company-wide hackathon in which more than 1500 employees across business units developed AI and automation use cases. Selected ideas will be further developed as part of the global n8n rollout, turning workforce-driven innovation into operational impact.

Mercedes-Benz positions n8n as part of its broader AI ecosystem, providing a structured path to scale successful use cases across the company. In a governed environment, the platform supports both established automation approaches and emerging AI agent architectures. As an automation layer, n8n connects systems, streamlines complex processes, and helps teams work more efficiently, resolve issues faster, and make data-driven decisions.

“Most companies are still facing the question of how to move AI from pilot to production,” said Jan Oberhauser, Founder & CEO of n8n. “What we are building together with Mercedes-Benz answers that question at a scale few can achieve—supported by an architecture that keeps data, control, and flexibility in the hands of the Mercedes-Benz team.”

N8n calls itself an AI orchestration platform that transforms how organizations harness AI and embed it in their daily operations. Built on a fair code license, the company serves thousands of organizations worldwide, from individual developers to global enterprises, enabling them to create intelligent, automated AI workflows that deliver measurable benefits to impact and productivity.

In other breaking n8n news today, it announced a strategic investment from SAP SE alongside a multi-year commercial partnership in conjunction with SAP’s Sapphire 2026 conference in Orlando, FL. The investment values n8n at $5.2 billion, more than double its previous valuation of less than a year ago. The two companies have also signed a multi-year commercial agreement under which n8n’s workflow automation platform will be embedded natively within Joule Studio, SAP’s agent-building environment in SAP Business AI Platform.

“For n8n, securing SAP as a strategic investor marks a pivotal moment,” said Oberhauser. “As one of the world’s largest enterprise software companies, its decision to back n8n and to embed us inside Joule Studio reflects genuine confidence in our platform and our vision.”

The partnership carries significance beyond the two companies. SAP and n8n are two of Germany’s most prominent technology companies, with one a fast-growing AI scale-up and the other a DAX 40-listed global software leader.

“To provide accurate and secure business outcomes at scale, agentic AI must be grounded in deep process knowledge, reliable data, and enterprise-grade governance,” said Christian Klein, CEO of SAP SE. “By integrating n8n into Joule Studio, we’re accelerating SAP’s ability to help customers design, connect, and scale agentic AI across their core business processes.”

At a time when Europe is searching for its own AI champions, the deal represents a homegrown partnership building the commercial backbone of enterprise AI on the continent.