German Digital Hub Initiative: CODE_n and partners will accelerate Stuttgart Hub

Frankfurt, Hamburg, Berlin, Munich and now Stuttgart – to name just a few! The Federal Ministry of Economics Affairs and Energy recently announced the launch of twelve digital hubs in Germany as part of its Digital Hub Initiative. The aim of the program is to foster collaboration between companies and business entrepreneurs, thus allowing them to work side by side in close quarters, similar to Silicon Valley. The program will also help fuel collaboration between the German startup scene and industry hotspots. An alliance of regional players, GFT Technologies SEand CODE_n among them, formed a consortium that nominated and qualified Stuttgart as a leading digital hub in Germany. The focus: the industries of the future! The Initiative is a great opportunity to bundle the strengths of the lively local startup scenes, international world market leaders and the excellent science in Germany!

“We’re delighted that Stuttgart, along with other cities in Baden-Wuerttemberg and Germany, will be able to support the local ecosystem – not just by raising the profile of the region within Germany and on an international level, but also by playing to the traditional strengths and existing competences in the area, from transportation and future mobility solutions, to Industry 4.0 (connected factories), and smart products – all within the context of digital transformation.” Ulrich Dietz, CEO GFT Technologies SE

“The Stuttgart region has a powerful industrial base and a strong startup scene, so it’s in an ideal position to contribute to the nationwide hub initiative and help take Germany into the future as a country of ingenious inventors and thinkers. We’re looking forward to the collaboration and working alongside our partners at the Stuttgart Hub.” Moritz Gräter, CEO CODE_n

Christoph Röscher, board member of the local startup initiative in Stuttgart, Startup Stuttgart e. V., also confirms the significance of the ambitious project:

“This is an important step for Stuttgart. It makes it one of only twelve Digital Hubs in Germany. This once again highlights that everything is in place and the conditions are just right for Stuttgart to remain an international powerhouse of innovation. That said, winning the title is only the start. Now actions need to follow.” Christoph Röscher, Chairman of the Board, Startup Stuttgart.

All of the cities that were selected for the Digital Hub Initiative reflect a focus on a particular sector of industry, from chemistry to health care and artificial intelligence. The initiatives will help add impetus to Germany as a hotbed of the startup sector. Berlin, for example, will focus on FinTech companies and the IoT; Munich is on track when it comes to travel and transportation solutions (mobility); the twin hub of Dresden and Leipzig will revolve around smart systems, the IoT, and energy; the emphasis in Cologne will lie in insurance technology; Karlsruhe will focus on AI.

Logo: Digital Hub Initiative of Federal Ministry of Economics Affairs and Energy

We’re not only happy, but extremely excited that we’ll be part of this push to accelerate industry through the Stuttgart hub. We also look forward to promoting development in the wider region and forging powerful connections to the other cities and hubs. Only recently, we wrote about Stuttgart as an emerging hub for technology startups. To learn more about the strengths and amazing energy of the startup scene, the outstanding enterprises in the area, not to mention R&D excellence and universities in the region, see this article.

More great news for the region of Baden-Württemberg: CODE_n will host the launch party of StartupSpot BaWü at CODE_n SPACES – our innovation campus – on May 17, 2017. StartupSpot is a free database of the startup ecosystem in real time – an excellent networking resource for anyone with an interest in startups across the entire region. Sina Gritzuhn, Founder & Managing Director of StartupSpot, on the potential of the region when it comes to innovation and the emerging startup scene:

“Baden-Württemberg is one of the most exciting and dynamic areas of the German startup scene with high potential tech startups and many hidden champions. The proximity to industry and valuable investors make the location very attractive for young entrepreneurs. With the StartupSpot Baden-Württemberg database, we want to offer the ecosystem and its founders a platform for attention and support the attention and transparency it deserves to support the access to the lively startup scene’’, says Sina Gritzuhn

See you at the party at CODE_n SPACES soon! Furthermore we will get back to you about the next steps for the German Digital Hub Initiative. Stay tuned for more information to come.

For more information about the Digital Hub Initiative, see the official website here.