After introductory words by the Rector of Ulm University of Technology, Prof. Dr. Volker Reuter, Lord Mayor Gunter Czisch welcomed the guests and pointed out that groundbreaking innovations are often born in unplanned moments.
Marco Bühler, CEO of Beurer GmbH, reported on the groundbreaking innovations his company has invested in over the past few years and how profitable cooperation between startups and medium-sized businesses can be in his key note afterwards.
In the further course of the event, Matthias Wallisch from the RKW Competence Center, highlighted the potentials of the cooperation between startups and SMEs. He pointed out that around 69% of startups are in the B2B sector and can therefore be an important source of innovation for SMEs.
In the subsequent panel discussion, both speakers discussed with the co-founders of the Uni-Ulm startup Day4Solution, Anna Literova and Reiner Taglang. They talked about the added value of cooperation between startups and SMEs from both perspectives and how profitable startups can be for SMEs due to their speed and flexibility.
The dynamic, regional startup scene could also be experienced by getting to know each other. The foyer of the Ulm University of Technology provided the appropriate platform for this. 40 startup teams presented their startup ideas and business models there. In the format "Startup meets SME #5", organized by the Ulm Chamber of Industry and Commerce and the Swabian Chamber of Industry and Commerce, companies, startups and experts were able to talk to each other and exchange ideas in a relaxed atmosphere, for example on cooperation opportunities.
In the afternoon, there were two parallel discussion tracks. Track 1 discussed how universities can contribute to business model innovations. Representatives of the four StartupSÜD universities presented the research and transfer priorities of the universities as well as current example projects for innovation cooperation with companies in the region. The subsequent discussion with the audience focused on the advantages for companies and startups in their cooperation with universities for the joint generation of marketable innovations.
Track 2 dealt with the question of how companies find the right startup. Here, the founder of Holidaycheck, Jens Freiter, discussed with Christian Caro from Beurer GmbH. Above all, the team composition and the founder*s personalities were seen by both as the most important success factor for working with a startup.
At the end of the event, eight selected regional startups had the opportunity to present their business model in a pitch competition. The audience then chose the startup karriereheld with its innovative recruiting platform as "Fox of the Year" via live voting.
