Logistics & Supply Chain Matchmaking by Gründerallianz Ruhr & startport

Further promote strong clusters & themes and also make them known beyond the borders of the Ruhr region - this was a finding from the Gründergipfel Ruhr, to which Gründerallianz Ruhr & Initiativkreis Ruhr invited the players of the startup ecosystem Ruhr at the end of May. Logistics & Supply Chain are two of the core topics of the Ruhr area - therefore Gründerallianz Ruhr and startport & Partner invited to the first Logistics & Supply Chain Matchmaking with companies from the region to promote startups dealing with these areas.

A total of twelve startups from the Ruhr region, Hamburg, Berlin, Stuttgart, the Netherlands, Spain & Italy as well as company representatives from Evonik, Fiege Logistik and BASF participated in the matchmaking. The event was organized by Gründerallianz Ruhr, startport, the Digital Hub Logistics in Hamburg as well as EIT Digital and EIT Manufacturing.

Due to Corona: Startups urgently need orders

At the Gründergipfel Ruhr in May, players in the startup ecosystem had discussed how best to support startups that have hit the skids as a result of the crisis. The result was clear: startups urgently need orders, so networking with companies is a priority in startup support. This is where the Gründerallianz Ruhr comes in, which aims to bundle startup activities and make them transparent: "The goal of the Gründerallianz Ruhr is, on the one hand, to network the players in the startup ecosystem Ruhr more closely and, on the other hand, to put the region with its exciting companies on the radar, especially for founders in the B2B sector. With matchmaking and the participating logistics partners, we have a strong lever for this," says Stefan Weber, Startup Ecosystem Manager of Initiativkreis Ruhr.

    Logistics startups cavort in Duisburg and Hamburg

Due to the high density of logistics companies in Duisburg and Hamburg, more and more startups are being drawn to these cities. To ensure the best possible networking locally, startport in Duisburg and the Digital Hub Logistics in Hamburg support startups in their foundation and in contact with local companies. "By working with startups, we want to make companies in the region fit for the future. Duisburg, like Hamburg, is very strong in logistics. We want to build on this strength with the startport innovation platform in Duisburg in order to stay ahead of the international competition in the future," explains Peter Trapp, Managing Director of startport. According to the World Bank's Logistics Performance Index, Germany ranks first among 160 countries. But if you want to remain "logistics world champion", you have to work hard for it. "For us, cooperation is an important, if not the most important success factor when it comes to new innovation for the logistics value chain! We not only demand the spirit of cooperation from our corporate partners and startups, but also live it ourselves. Hosting a joint event with startport should only be the starting signal for deeper cooperation and exchange in the future," says Johannes Berg, Managing Director of Digital Hub Logistics in Hamburg.

Ruhr region also attracts international startups

The participation of EIT Digital & EIT Manufacturing shows that the interest in companies from the Ruhr region also extends beyond Germany's borders. Both partners drive the topics of digitization and innovation worldwide and have an international network of startups, some of which are also participating in the matchmaking, for example from Spain or Italy. Wolfgang Kniejski, Senior Business Creation Manager at EIT Manufacturing, knows that precisely such collaborations are of enormous importance in establishing a region as a startup hotspot internationally as well: "Especially for the B2B sector, a strong network is of enormous importance in supporting companies in accessing suitable startup solutions. With formats like matchmaking, we address precisely these needs of both sides - and also put the Ruhr region on the startup radar internationally."

Supply Chain Matchmaking was a complete success

Even during the online event, the startups were able to win final interview slots with the companies by giving a convincing short presentation. Even before the event, companies and startups were already assigned joint dates according to interest. "Since no physical events can currently take place, I am all the more grateful for the opportunity to pitch at the matchmaking today. The online event brought everything it needed: a good organization, interesting contact persons and an entertaining networking part through the beer tasting", Marian Pufahl, Co-Founder of synfioo, is pleased to say.For the company representatives, the matchmaking revealed new interesting perspectives for their own logistics and supply chain. Victor Kaupe, project manager at BASF is satisfied with the event:

"The concept of a digital matchmaking event is good, innovative and perfectly fitting for the current time. It allows us to continue working on digital projects during Corona and to prepare appropriate follow-up steps. The matchmaking was very successful due to the individual, targeted pre-selection of the startups and offered real added value for us."