{"id":14833,"date":"2026-06-08T11:17:35","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T11:17:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hinterlandofthings.com\/?p=14833"},"modified":"2026-06-08T15:09:01","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T15:09:01","slug":"hinterland-of-things-2026-press","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hinterlandofthings.com\/en\/2026\/06\/08\/hinterland-of-things-2026-press\/","title":{"rendered":"Hinterland of Things 2026: Germany does not have a knowledge problem, it has an execution problem"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Hinterland of Things 2026: Germany does not have a knowledge problem, it has an execution problem<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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German version here<\/a>.<\/p>

Bielefeld, June 18, 2026. The economic situation in Germany is serious. The diagnosis has long been clear. What is missing is execution. This is exactly what the Hinterland of Things Conference on June 18, 2026 in Bielefeld is designed to address: around 2,500 family business owners and innovation leaders, founders and investors will come together, not to talk, but to act.<\/span><\/p>

Hinterland of Things is the only conference in Germany that systematically brings together innovative B2B startups and the Mittelstand. This bridge-building role is rooted in the region\u2019s economic DNA. Ostwestfalen-Lippe, home to family-owned companies, global market leaders and hidden champions such as Miele, Claas and Goldbeck, has also become one of the most dynamic startup ecosystems in Germany. It is supported by Founders Foundation, which has accompanied more than 185 startups since 2016. Together, these startups have raised over \u20ac130 million in investment capital.<\/span><\/p>

\u201cWe do not have a knowledge problem in Germany. We finally need to move into action, and that is exactly what we are providing a stage for at the Hinterland of Things Conference: as a bridge between the startups that develop solutions and the Mittelstand that urgently needs them,\u201d says Dominik Gross, Managing Director of Founders Foundation gGmbH.<\/span><\/p>


And Action: The motto is to build, to act, and not to wait<\/b><\/h3>

The conference is not about problems. The conference is about solutions, about the future, about deals and about a network of doers and shapers. The conference motto \u201cand ACTION\u201d is the common denominator when entrepreneurs rethink industry, capital turns into growth, knowledge turns into value creation, the next generation of founders is empowered and policy makers become capable of acting again.<\/span><\/p>


Speakers 2026: Four perspectives on an economy in transition<\/b><\/h3>

The full speaker line-up can be found here<\/a>. A selection:<\/span><\/p>

Transformation in established industries: leaders who have truly changed large organizations<\/b><\/h4>