Digital Hub Logistics as a guest in Košice
This exciting trip to Slovakia is based on the “BOWI” funding project. The “BOWI” project aims to build a network for Digital Innovation Hubs (DIH) based on the exchange of experiences and practices. Thus, a team from the Digital Hub Logistics set off on 01.16.23 to visit the DIH TECHNICOM in Košice. During this trip, networking was at the top of the agenda, especially to give the Slovakian hub the opportunity to benefit from the many years of digitalization experience of the team from Dortmund.
The Digital Hub Logistics was already awarded first place in the Champions Challenge of the European Digital Innovation Hubs (DIH) in 2019 and this expertise can be passed on in the course of the BOWI project. The Logistics Hub from Dortmund is one of the more “developing” hubs here and shares the experience from the last five years with the TECHNICOM Hub from Slovakia in this mentoring program.
The meeting in Košice provided an excellent opportunity to strengthen the connections between the hubs. The goal was to define similarities and differences as well as to identify common services in the long term. For our entire ecosystem, this trip is an exciting opportunity to grow and share experiences. This includes the European Digital Innovation Hub Dortmund, which was launched last year, because our hosts from Slovakia are also part of an EDIH. Thus, it was possible to discuss on site which corridors can be opened up between the two hubs and how a cooperation can look like.
During the trip, the spotlight was on four small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as they were selected for upcoming implementation projects – so-called experiments. The aim is to further develop the SME’s products and services with the support of both hubs. These companies have been visited by the representatives of the German partner hub in recent days in order to identify the individual needs of the companies.
The first company visit took place at ESTEN. A software development company that, among other things, has developed a product that can use artificial intelligence to determine and monitor the progress of neurological diseases. ESTEN is interested in entering the German market and would therefore like to conduct initial clinical trials for the technology with/in German hospitals. Here we cooperate with the Institute for Digital Transformation in Healthcare, from our network, which is expected to conduct the market research.
Next on the schedule was a visit at the company RE-CA. RE-CA deals with increasing the energy efficiency of companies and is interested in a matchmaking with potential partners from Germany as well as in a technical exchange with the Fraunhofer IML from Dortmund. In addition, the travel group from Dortmund visited the SME CEELABS. This is a spin-off from the University of Košice. In cooperation with the Center for Entrepreneurship & Transfer we support the definition of the business model and the target group. Last but not least, we were able to connect the company I.E.S. with Fraunhofer IML in order to provide the SME expertise in the field of robotics and safety. The trip has shown that together with our strong ecosystem we can find answers to the challenges of the digital age and that through international connections the network continues to grow successfully.
During the experiments, the SMEs are supported by both hubs in the in the implementation. In this context, The Digital Hubs Logistics can contribute its many years of experience in working with SMEs. Since its foundation in 2017, the Hub has accompanied many companies in their digital transformation and has always focused on the individual needs of the companies. By working together with TECHNICOM, the two hubs will be able to pool their expertise and leverage synergy effects: The Slovak hub contributes knowledge about the current challenges in Slovakia and the Digital Hub from Dortmund provides many years of experience of digital transformation for the companies.
