This was Discover Vienna: Manufacturing Edition 2024
17 June 2024
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Discover Vienna: Manufacturing Edition 2024
The “Discover Vienna: Manufacturing Edition 2024” programme, organised by EIT Manufacturing East in partnership with the Vienna Business Agency, brought together 15 promising industrial startups from across Europe for a week of networking, mentoring, and competition in the heart of Vienna.
“Discover Vienna: Manufacturing Edition” is an initiative that supports thriving scaleups that provide European technologies and solutions for the manufacturing sector. This year’s programme focused on data-driven manufacturing solutions and highlighted the vibrant innovation landscape in the manufacturing sector, showcasing cutting-edge solutions and fostering collaborations between startups, corporates, and investors.
The 2024 edition featured 15 European startups: 3d60.works (Austria), anet360 (Hungary), Balun Energy (Austria), CarbonCompete (France), DAITABLE (Slovakia), Delphi Data Labs (Austria), IQuMa (Austria), Mestric (Slovenia), Optimuse (Austria), Partory (Czechia), Process Space (Slovenia), Soley (Germany), Spotsie (Croatia), Vsight (Lithuania), and Wisersense (Türkiye).
Getting to know the Austrian industrial ecosystem
The event began with a kick-off dinner on Monday, 3 June, setting a collaborative and engaging tone for the week. It provided a relaxed environment for participants to network, share their aspirations, and build connections that would be crucial in the days to come.
Tuesday, 4 June, saw the participants diving into Austria’s largest networking event, the aws Connect Day. This platform connected over 1 300 startups, corporates, and investors, offering invaluable opportunities for collaboration and knowledge exchange.
Connect Day 2024; Photo Credit: Elisabeth Pollak
On Wednesday, 5 June, EIT Manufacturing offered three corporate reverse pitches by Samsung Austria, Infineon, and INNIO Jenbacher in the beautiful showroom at Samsung Austria. In these exclusive sessions, corporates shared insights on how they support startups and what innovations they are currently seeking. Additionally, the startups benefited from a mentoring session with Dr Peter Steinrück, former Head of Innovation at HOERBIGER. This session provided critical guidance and industry insights, helping startups refine their strategies and navigate the complex manufacturing landscape.
The highlight of the week was the Manufacturing Day on Thursday, 6 June 2024, EIT Manufacturing East’s signature event. Gathering over 400 participants, the day was filled with pitches, networking, and exhibitions.
Awards and winners
During the Manufacturing Day, which was part of ViennaUP’24, ten startups had the chance to pitch their innovative solutions, competing for two awards, two cash prizes and dedicated support and growth packages.
The “Green Innovation in Manufacturing”-Award, sponsored by the Vienna Business Agency, recognised startups making significant strides in sustainable manufacturing practices.
Photo Credit: Matthias Heschl
In this category, Balun Energy from Austria took home the € 5 000 cash prize. Balun addresses the challenge of inaccurate renewable energy forecasts for wind and solar energy producers. The 2nd and 3rd places were occupied by Mestric (Slovenia) and IQuMa (Austria), respectively.
Sponsored by EuProGigant, the “Data Sharing Capabilities”-Award is dedicated to supporting solutions contributing to build up federated data sharing services in a manufacturing data ecosystem.
Here, the winner was Mestric (Slovenia), a smart factory MES (Manufacturing Execution System) solution for small and medium-sized companies. They also received a € 5 000 cash prize. Balun Energy (Austria) got the runner-up spot, before Process Space (Slovenia) on 3rd place. The entire podium also received a one-year Gaia-X membership.
Photo Credit: Matthias Heschl
Acknowledgements
A heartfelt thank you to our sponsors, partners, and jury members who made Discover Vienna: Manufacturing Edition 2024 a resounding success. Your support and dedication are instrumental in fostering innovation and growth within the manufacturing sector.
This event not only highlighted the ingenuity of European startups but also strengthened the ecosystem that supports these ventures. We look forward to continuing this journey of innovation and collaboration in future editions.
Photo Credit: Matthias Heschl
Stay tuned for Discover Vienna: Manufacturing Edition 2025, and more updates and join us in celebrating the spirit of innovation at the heart of Europe’s manufacturing industry.