Just one day after its official opening ceremony, the new MTH Potsdam location became the meeting point for Germany’s most important digitalisation initiative. On 13 May, representatives from almost all Digital Hubs of the de:hub Initiative, together with stakeholders from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE), the Federal Ministry for Digital and State Modernisation (BMDS), and Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI), gathered in Potsdam-Babelsberg for the nationwide network meeting.
What makes the initiative special is that almost each of the 25 Digital Hubs has its own thematic focus, ranging from GreenTech and cybersecurity to MediaTech, while also bringing together specific regional strengths. As a result, the hubs have a wide range of experiences to share, making regular exchange all the more important.
The network meeting began with welcomes and current assessments from the BMWE, the BMDS, and the Hub Agency. This was followed by compact hub updates from across the network. In short pitches, the participating hubs shared current highlights and lowlights, as well as specific needs relating to their ongoing work. After all, the starting points in the different regions vary, as do the challenges faced by startups and hubs.
The programme was complemented by short impulses from partners representing SMEs, municipalities, and innovation funding. The focus included potential links to existing funding instruments as well as perspectives on collaboration between hubs, companies, and regional stakeholders.
In the afternoon, the discussions became more concrete. Across two workshop tracks, participants worked on questions that are currently particularly relevant for many hubs. The first workshop focused on SME collaborations and venture clienting, exploring how startups and established companies can connect more effectively, how collaborations can be successfully initiated, and what specific added value hub management teams can create in these processes.
The fact that our hub hosted a nationwide innovation network within the first 24 hours of its official inauguration could hardly have shown more clearly what this place is designed for: exchange, networking, and joint work on Germany’s digital transformation.
