Digital Hub Day sets a signal for Hamburg as a logistics location
The Digital Hub Logistics is one of the most important hot spots in Hamburg's startup scene. This was demonstrated once again at the Digital Hub Day, for which over 400 guests had registered. They were offered a programme, that was about much more than just the latest trends in logistics.
The Digital Hub Logistics is a flagship project
The Digital Hub Initiative of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection has a total of 12 locations. Among them, the Digital Hub Logistics in Hamburg occupies an outstanding position, explained Lutz Birke, Head of Port and Innovation, in his welcoming speech. He also emphasised the significance of the Hanseatic city as a trade and logistics metropolis in Northern Europe. The hub makes an important contribution to this with its 25 business partners and over 100 associated startups.
More than 20 of them presented themselves at an in-house trade fair, while eight took the big stage for a pitch. Only half of them have their headquarters in Hamburg, an indication of the appeal of the Digital Hub Logistics far beyond the city limits. It also serves as a springboard for international growth. The best example of this is the startup Nautiluslog, which was one of the first members of the hub and now also has offices in Rotterdam and Singapore. It has achieved this with software, that digitises administrative tasks in the shipping industry, that previously involved a lot of paperwork.
Verena Pausder called for action
The startup pitches naturally focused on logistics content, but the programme also offered many other topics to encourage people in times of crisis. The keynote speech by the successful founder and expected future chairwoman of the German Startup Association Verena Pausder was particularly noteworthy. She called for action instead of talk and wished for more "action tanks". Entrepreneurial spirit is in demand, especially in difficult times, and she also encouraged people to get involved instead of complaining about politics.
For Erik Petruschke, who took over the management of the Digital Hub Logistics in September 2023, the Digital Hub Day was the first major event of his term of office. He could be proud of what he and his team have achieved.
