Once again this year, the Hinterland of Things Conference with 2,500 participants brought together the leading minds of the German tech scene with entrepreneurs and decision-makers from German SMEs. Bielefeld, June 14, 2024 – The 6th Hinterland of Things Conference on June 13 in Bielefeld focused on current topics and challenges facing both start-ups and established companies, as well as technologies and possible solutions.
The Hinterland of Things Conference reflects the German start-up ecosystem: this year, participants again ranged from newly founded companies to so-called unicorns, such as Appinio, Staffbase and AUTO1 GROUP.
Verena Pausder has valued the Hinterland conference forum for several years: “We now have to tackle the big issues, and the coming together of medium-sized companies and start-ups is ideal for that.” Wilhelm Böllhoff, managing director of the family-owned company of the same name, was also enthusiastic: “I’ve never been to Silicon Valley, but I’ve discovered the East Westphalian hinterland for myself.”
The Hinterland of Things Conference 2024 shows: the future belongs to those who have the courage to break new ground and take on the challenges of today. In the words of Verena Pausder: “We have all the ingredients we need to make this country successful, so let’s go!”
In his opening keynote, Dominik Gross, CEO of the Founders Foundation, emphasized the importance of technologies from German SMEs for the global economy. “Germany has a decentralized economy. 75 percent of the gross domestic product is generated outside the ten largest cities. The world market leaders are located throughout the country.” These companies provide industries worldwide with technical solutions that are essential for factories to function. “Germany is an industry powerhouse,” said Gross.
The aim is to connect these companies with up-and-coming startups in order to make them future-proof and to leverage potential. This idea is also supported by building contractor Jan-Hendrik Goldbeck: ”If someone else comes up with a cool idea that you didn’t have yourself, there’s no harm in accepting it and becoming a customer there.”
Florian Nöll from PwC emphasized that family businesses are a better target group for startups than large corporations because they can make decisions more quickly. “Family businesses offer startups a real environment in which to further develop their innovations,” added Goldbeck.
Family businesses also drive innovation internally. At WAGO in Minden, employees can test and develop their ideas within the company. Sennheiser has founded an innovation division in which completely new technologies and business models are developed. “Audio is what we do best. We think big when it comes to this topic,” says managing director Andreas Sennheiser.
Artificial intelligence (AI) was THE topic: the rise of AI and its many applications were the focus of attention across topics and industries. Miriam Meckel, CEO of the training platform ada, emphasized: “AI will change everything at once, but now we can shape the future.”
In addition to investor Philip Klöckner, author Sascha Lobo gave a keynote speech in which he put the fear of AI into perspective: “What is normal today was frightening or even unimaginable back then. The same will happen with artificial intelligence.” Judith Perterka, an AI expert in the federal administration, takes a similar view: “AI will not replace us, but rather expand our abilities. Ultimately, it’s about power, wealth, prosperity and inequality. Actually, more jobs will be created than replaced. Only activities will be replaced.” Meckel adds: “People who know how to use AI sensibly are the much greater competition.”
Artificial intelligence can already replace everyday products with intelligent alternatives. Daniel Khachab, founder of Choco, sees particularly great potential for AI in the digitalization of old industries. Lobo added: “Technology alone does not change the world. It needs a change in people’s behavior in order to be effective.”
In addition to technological highlights, the conference also addressed a very similar problem: the shortage of skilled workers. Brigitte Mohn, board member of the Bertelsmann Foundation, appealed with a view to immigration: “Many companies have taken democracy for granted. Now we have to actively support it again and develop a genuine culture of welcome.” Companies have a particular responsibility here, because “entrepreneurship reflects society.”
Gülsah Wilke from DN Capital agreed: “We now need the positive energy to get active and move this country forward.” It is important to stick together and “support people who want to make a positive contribution to our country”.
Verena Pausder, president of the German Startups Association, agreed: “We need a Choose Germany program. The planned digital visa process is a start.” And she went even further: “We not only have to make Germany attractive, but also the EU.” According to Zarah Bruhn from Socialbee, entrepreneurs can learn something from clear attitudes like these. She emphasized the importance of showing attitude as an employer in order to inspire employees.
The larger the company becomes, the more important it is to set an example and put attitude on the agenda, explained Martin Böhringer, CEO of Staffbase. According to Carsten Coesfeld, managing director of Bertelsmann Investments, it is also important to communicate to employees how their work contributes to the big picture. This is the strongest motivator.
Frauke von Polier, HR manager at Viessmann, emphasized the importance of good leadership: “If the leadership in the company is good, we have a chance of keeping the young people. You have to look at the person as a whole and take into account the phases of their life.”
It is well known that companies have a major and, above all, active role to play in reducing CO2 emissions. Jan Pannenbäcker, founder of Metaloop, explained: “Sustainability is no longer a choice, but a necessity for companies.” Using the metal industry as an example, he explained that it is responsible for a considerable amount of carbon emissions, but could also be part of the solution. David Oudsandji, founder of the Aachen-based start-up Voltfang, stated: “The topic of energy system transformation is extremely hot. And we have to move faster in that regard.”
Investors in attendance, such as Jan Lozek, managing director of Future Energy Ventures, also showed interest: “Our entire energy system is currently in transition. We are looking at various concepts.”
When developing business models that combat climate change, the involvement of customers is particularly important. ‘We have to be sure that we are implementing the right measures,’ said Nina Mannheimer, co-founder of Klim. To do this, she and her company are in close contact with farmers, for example.
A special highlight of this year’s conference was the presentation of the OUT OF THE BOX.NRW Award by the NRW Ministry of Economic Affairs, which honors the best digital startups from North Rhine-Westphalia. Sponsored by NRW.Bank, the competition, which is endowed with a total of €50,000, was organized by Founders Foundation gGmbH for the first time this year.
First place went to Bielefeld-based startup Synctive for its holistic approach to industrial plant maintenance. “Setting up in North Rhine-Westphalia, and particularly in Bielefeld, is special. Our target group is mechanical engineering. If we do it right, the first 100 customers are right on our doorstep,” says founder Albert Gorlick. Voltfang from Aachen came in second, and arttrade from Düsseldorf came in third.
Dominik Gross, Managing Director of the Founders Foundation, is also pleased: “Without startups, Germany’s economy does not have a bright future. Only through technology transfer from domestic startups do our companies remain world leaders. NRW is the fastest developing startup ecosystem in Germany. Even the Top 24 of 2024 list shows how diverse the potential is. The fact that the best NRW startup comes from our region of East Westphalia-Lippe makes us particularly proud.”
© 2024 Hinterland of Things
