The de:hub journey sought to bring mid-sized companies, startups and hubs together. It started on the 24th and 25th of September with visits to the hubs in Dortmund, Dresden and Hamburg. The participants of the tour were given insights into the operations of the Digital Hubs, as well as the latest technologies, startups and potential collaborative business partners, and learned about the possibilities of the Digital Hub Initiative.
The de:hub tour was designed for owners and executives of mid-sized companies to explore the potential of digital technologies, processes and business models in order to make them accessible for the use of their own businesses. Along the way, participants got to know startups, possible collaborative business partners and, most importantly, the opportunities offered by the Digital Hub Initiative of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi).
The first de:hub tour especially targeted companies that derive part of their added value from efficient intralogistics. Decision-makers from the logistics industry, but also from the fields of agricultural machinery, network technologies, commercial vehicles and the production of primary packaging were part of the tour as well. The representatives of the companies part of the tour represented verticals relating to innovation strategy, digitalisation and business development. This enabled them to engage in an open dialogue which was the real added advantage of the trip.
Furthermore, the participants spent two days gaining insights into the latest research of the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML, developed sketches of new process architectures and were exposed to two prospective cooperations of medium-sized companies with startups from the logistics industry to develop data potentials.
The de:hub tour format relied on the expertise of the Digital Hubs, with each of them focusing on one specific industry or technology, such as logistics or the Internet of Things. This makes them a central access point for digital innovation, beyond the boundaries of science, startups and established companies.
Based on the outcomes and valuable feedback from the first trip, the Digital Hub Initiative is now starting to plan and conceptualize the next de:hub tour, which is planned for the beginning of next year.
Click here to find a detailed summary of the outcome of the de:hub tour on intralogistics.