"Shaping the Future through Innovation" - Lusatian Networking Meeting of the MinGenTec Initiative was well attended
Lusatia, April 12, 2024
About 60 participants from South Brandenburg and Saxony attended yesterday's networking meeting "Shaping the Future in Lusatia - through Innovative Thinking and Action" organized by the Mining & Generation Technology Initiative - Made in Germany (MinGenTec). Experts and companies presented ideas and proven examples that promote innovations and internationalization processes.
Particular attention was given to the presentation by Christoph Scholze, the founder and managing director of tragwerk - The Transformation Architects. In his contribution on the topic "Living Innovation: From Waiting for the Spark of Inspiration to Active Shaping," he highlighted the broad significance of innovation and emphasized that readiness for innovation is crucial for success.
Georg Nagel, a scientist and head of International Cooperation at AiF Projekt GmbH, presented three successful examples as motivation for innovations and explained how the Central Innovation Program for SMEs (ZIM) supports the implementation of good ideas with suitable funding opportunities.
Additionally, three other experts - Diego Noack, managing director of ISIMKO GmbH, Gerhard Kast, CEO of UP Umweltanalytische Produkte GmbH, and Dr.-Ing. Constanze Tschöpe, group leader for Machine Learning and Data Analysis at the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems (IKTS) - showcased best practice examples for innovations in small and medium-sized enterprises. They illuminated the path from necessity through creative solutions to successful implementation and provided valuable impulses for their own innovation processes.
Dr. Ute Kedzierski, managing director of the Center for Technology Structure Development in the Meißen District GmbH (ZTS GmbH), presented how the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) can support Saxon companies in the areas of innovation and internationalization.
In addition to the market entry checks, which have already successfully supported companies in taking their first steps towards entering foreign markets, Sabine Heider, project manager for innovation at the Brandenburg Economic Development (WFBB), introduced another service offering from the MinGenTec Initiative: the Innovation Check. Small and medium-sized entrepreneurs in the MinGenTec network are encouraged to utilize this new service to improve their innovation processes. The goal is to identify innovation perspectives, tap into innovation potentials, and receive recommendations for optimizing their innovation processes.
"Many Lusatian companies have already benefited from the MinGenTec project. It significantly contributes to strengthening the competitiveness of companies in structural change by successfully and actively supporting them in exploring new business areas and markets," says Sebastian Saule, managing director of Brandenburg Economic Development (WFBB).
The MinGenTec Initiative promotes innovations and internationalization against the backdrop of the transformation of the lignite phase-out. "It is important that the South Brandenburg economy increasingly taps into international markets. MinGenTec bundles the diverse Lusatian competencies in a strong network and provides orientation, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises, regarding exciting new markets. With events, market entry checks, and business trips abroad, we offer concrete support and open doors," says André Fritsche, managing director of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) Cottbus.
In conclusion, the MinGenTec networking meeting not only provided a wealth of new information and impulses for innovations and internationalizations but also created a special platform for practical exchange and joint project development. The Scheunencafé in Erlichthof offered the ideal setting with its historic ambiance. Here, tradition and innovation harmoniously connect: The over 300-year-old timber-framed houses, authentically rebuilt after their displacement by lignite mining, reflect the vibrant history of Lusatia and demonstrate that tradition and innovation can go hand in hand.