Start-ups in the limelight at the EMO Hannover 2017

For the first time, there will be a special stand themed around “Start-ups for intelligent production” at the EMO Hannover 2017, the world’s premier trade fair for the metalworking sector, to be held from 18 to 23 September. “We aim to offer young companies venturing something new in terms of production technology a platform for marketing their innovations,” says Dr. Wilfried Schäfer, Executive Director of the EMO’s organiser VDW (German Machine Tool Builders’ Association).

The rapid pace of technical change in the field of production technology, he continues, means that new firms are set up to write software for networking machines and processes, for example, for developing new metrological procedures, implementing virtual-reality applications, or offering new close-to-industry services. They are founded as a follow-up to research projects in the universities, or a company is inaugurated on a greenfield site.

“The special stand themed around “Start-ups for intelligent production” offers a conspicuous showcase for new firms wishing to raise their profiles in an innovative business environment and break into the international market,” explains Dr. Schäfer of the VDW. It picks up on the EMO’s motto of “Connecting systems for intelligent production”, while at the same time providing a live demonstration of the opportunities opened up by new developments in the field of production technology and how they generate fresh ideas and business models. It is aimed at young firms from the field of global production technology. In offering it to them, the VDW works together with international trade associations and research partners.

BMWi supports the marketing and export of products from Germany
Inside the special stand, an area is reserved for the “Innovations made in Germany” project, which is aimed at German companies and is sponsored by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi). Sponsorship here is conditional upon the company’s being registered in Germany itself, the development or improvement of a product, process or a service, an annual balance sheet total of not more than 10 million euros, a payroll of at most 50 employees, and a market presence of less than ten years. If these preconditions are satisfied, 60 per cent of the fair participation costs will be met, up to a maximum of 7,500 euros per exhibitor.

“Synergies are created by this activity for the established machinery manufacturers as well, who for their part are always on the lookout for new partners with fresh ideas, in order to progress their own research and development work,” adds Dr. Schäfer. There, of course, he continues, the EMO Hannover is a superlative platform for making contacts and gain new international accounts. In addition, this goal is also supported by the EMO’s matchmaking platform for B2B meetings. In the run-up to the fair, the online platform is already brokering suitable contacts on defined subjects. webpage: www.emo-hannover.de