Efficient Information Retrieval – Part I

AI Workshop: Introduction to Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG).

On July 8, 2026, the AI Service Center Berlin-Brandenburg @ HPI will host the workshop "Efficient Information Retrieval – Part I" in Potsdam. This session addresses a common organizational pain point: the excessive time spent searching for information within internal PDFs and documentations. As standard AI chatbots often pose data security risks, this workshop demonstrates how to set up a local, secure retrieval system.

The workshop focuses on Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). Participants will explore the essential components, including local Large Language Models (LLMs), embeddings, and vector databases. During the practical segment, attendees will install a minimal RAG setup using vLLM and Qdrant. The goal is to generate context-aware, traceable answers from private documents without sharing sensitive data with third-party providers.

This session serves as the foundation for a four-part series, enabling participants to apply the architecture to their own datasets. It is designed for individuals with prior experience in Python, GitHub, and Docker.

Date: July 8, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Location: Hasso Plattner Institute, Prof.-Dr.-Helmert-Str. 2-3, 14482 Potsdam (Building K, Room K-1.04)
Organizer: AI Service Center Berlin-Brandenburg @ HPI
Admission: Free (Binding registration required)
Focus: RAG Systems, Local LLMs, Data Security, Vector Databases
Audience: IT professionals and developers with Python & Docker experience