Julian Kakarott: “The Digital Hub is the innovation ecosystem for logistics and trade”
The Digital Hub Logistics & Commerce in Speicherstadt is one of the most important hotspots in Hamburg's startup ecosystem. Julian Kakarott took over as managing director there at the end of 2024. In this interview, he explains what sets the hub apart, the role startups play in the industry, and how they can overcome current challenges.
How would you describe the Digital Hub Logistics & Commerce?
The Digital Hub sees itself as an innovation ecosystem for the logistics and trade sectors. The Digital Hub is the only industry-focused innovation ecosystem in the DACH region that systematically supports corporations, scale-ups, and startups in logistics and commerce from problem identification through to scaled pilots—within a curated network based on trust, personal collaboration, industry expertise, and proven methodology. Our mission is to work together with startups, scale-ups, and corporations to ensure that these industries—and the city of Hamburg as a business location—remain competitive and future-proof in the long term. We are therefore not a traditional coworking space or startup accelerator.
What unique advantages does Hamburg offer as a business location?
Hamburg has a long tradition as an international port. Trade and logistics have been the foundation of the city’s economic strength for centuries. In this respect, a kind of ecosystem with many companies in these sectors has existed for a long time. Our mission is to do our part to strengthen it and secure its future.
What distinguishes your contribution to the innovation ecosystem?
In our innovation ecosystem, we create fertile ground for cooperation and collaboration among companies and institutions of all sizes. We connect startups with startups, startups with corporations, and corporations with corporations—and everyone knows each other personally. We contribute our insights and create a safe space where everyone can openly and confidently discuss challenges and develop solutions together.
How do you bring the various stakeholders together?
As a neutral innovation ecosystem, we connect startups, scale-ups, and corporations. This is based on trust, in-depth industry expertise, and best practices—from the initial concept idea all the way to a successfully tested pilot project. Examples include targeted matchmaking and regular events. Event highlights include the annual HubDay and our MatchDays, along with a series of events exclusively for our members, such as the Digital Industry Breakfast and the Bi-Weekly Lunch. Also worth highlighting is the Boostcamp, where companies approach us with specific challenges and are matched with suitable companies to develop an MVP in a moderated innovation sprint. The Boostcamp lasts four days, but it also includes an intensive preparatory phase and ongoing support afterward, which has already led to the creation of several successful projects.
How exactly are these innovations then implemented?
To address this, we’ve created the Inno-Funnel, which our members go through. First comes analysis, evaluation, and possibly refinement. This is followed by a pilot and testing phase, and finally implementation within the companies and scaling. The end result is new processes, products, and business models. Of course, this can’t be predicted exactly, but we can at least run through it based on past experience. This makes us a co-creation powerhouse; we help startups adapt their products to market needs.
Why can’t many innovation challenges in logistics and retail be solved by individual companies alone anymore?
Today, there are two types of challenges in companies: “normal” problems and complex or chaotic problems. Ideally, normal problems can be solved in-house or by purchasing innovations through the simple engagement of an external service provider. Complex problems, which can primarily be solved through new technologies and the exchange and analysis of data, require more intensive collaboration. At the Digital Hub, we call this process “open innovation,” in which we act as facilitators and mediators. One example is the handling of returns, which is a key issue for retailers and involves many different considerations, such as the logistical processing of returns, customer service, and the processing of billing and shipping data.
How do startups contribute to a thriving ecosystem, and what has changed for them recently?
Startups are essential to a thriving ecosystem, and we must lay the groundwork for them to establish themselves and grow here. The partnerships mentioned earlier contribute to this, though the rules of the game have changed recently. Corporate innovation budgets have shrunk, and the willingness to experiment has declined accordingly. This creates a sort of chicken-and-egg problem; companies are looking for solutions that have already proven themselves in practice, but this can only be achieved through pilot projects. Startups must therefore be able to explain how they can save companies money, that’s the best way to open doors. Tapping into new business areas, on the other hand, currently plays only a minor role.
The Digital Hub is located in the Speicherstadt. How are the premises divided there?
The Digital Hub manages a five-story warehouse in the Speicherstadt. We have a number of offices and workspaces there for our own use and for members, as well as two workshop rooms and a large event space for our own events and those organized by others. In total, this amounts to over 3,000 square meters. The Digital Hub’s co-working space also includes Impossible Founders and the Artificial Intelligence Center Hamburg (ARIC), which focus on deep tech and AI. Our offerings complement each other well, and there are opportunities for collaboration that we will certainly expand upon in the future.
What contacts does the Digital Hub have beyond its network of Hamburg-based members?
We have contacts with around 30 corporate partners from across the DACH region, and nearly all major logistics companies in Germany have at least one branch in Hamburg, so the lines of communication with many potential partners are short. The City of Hamburg and the Logistics Initiative are, of course, key points of contact as shareholders. We also have close ties to Singapore, another major port city.
The Digital Hub in Hamburg is part of the nationwide de:hub initiative with 25 locations. How does the collaboration work there?
Very well; we network regularly, for example through the joint development of the “Hub-Club” community app with the Leipzig Hub. We extend mutual invitations to MatchDays when the topic is relevant, such as with Karlsruhe on the topic of AI. The next MatchDay will take place on May 20 at our location and is also open to people who are not members of the Hub. There is another Digital Hub Logistics in Dortmund, which, with its connection to the local Fraunhofer Institute, has a research focus and thus complements us well.
What types of memberships are available, and what requirements do I need to meet?
We have three categories: Startup, Scale-Up, and Corporate. Startup and Scale-Up differ in terms of market readiness and the business success already achieved, and the services we can offer companies in these categories vary accordingly. Overall, membership in the Hub is somewhat comparable to a gym membership. We provide the best conditions for success, but you have to take the initiative yourself, nothing comes from nothing.
How is the current economic and geopolitical situation affecting the logistics and tradel sectors?
There is, of course, a great deal of uncertainty at the moment. The economic downturn, the wars, the resulting supply bottlenecks, and rising energy prices—all of this is having a negative impact on logistics and retail first and foremost. This applies to corporations and even more so to startups. Those who built up a financial cushion in time and adopted a cost-cutting strategy have the advantage. Those who focus on e-mobility certainly have the best long-term prospects. Right now, the key is to maintain resilience and leverage the opportunities offered by your network. We’re happy to contribute to that.
