(from right to left) Prof. Dr.-Ing. Peter Gutzmer, Chief Technology Officer and Deputy CEO at Schaeffler AG, and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Tim Hosenfeldt, Senior Vice President Technology Strategy & Innovation at Schaeffler AG, in discussion with Felix Ballendat, co-founder of UrmO. Mr. Ballendat is presenting his newly developed electric board.
Schaeffler invited young companies to company headquarters in Herzogenaurach for the second time. 14 start-ups from four countries presented their business ideas there to Schaeffler specialists and representatives from top management. They have the opportunity of collaborating with the company as a partner or customer.
Fresh ideas and unconventional solutions
Schaeffler knows the great potential offered by young companies with convincing business ideas. The company began as a start-up itself more than 70 years ago. ¡°Schaeffler does not just stand for quality and technology, but also for innovation¡±, says Prof. Dr.-Ing. Peter Gutzmer, Chief Technology Officer and Deputy CEO at Schaeffler AG. ¡°We are trying to find fresh ideas, new approaches, and unconventional solutions in conjunction with start-ups. Together, we are faster, more flexible, and bolder.¡±
Joint projects with the technology leader
In return, the young entrepreneurs receive the support of an established company and technology leader for implementing their business ideas. ¡°We review which start-up is attractive for Schaeffler regarding technology, business model, and entrepreneurship¡±, explains Prof. Dr.-Ing. Tim Hosenfeldt, Senior Vice President Technology Strategy & Innovation at Schaeffler AG. ¡°If everything is a good fit, we continue to develop the business idea together.¡±
The business ideas presented come from fields relevant for Schaeffler: Smart Factory/digitalization of production, mobility concepts, sensor solutions, data value creation, and new material solutions. The winners were selected in a preselection round from 113 applicants ¨C from 24 countries from Asia, North America, Europe and Australia.
Participation as a passport to success
Participation in the Venture Forum and a focus on joint projects and developments can be a passport to success. It was a similar story with the IT company Autinity Systems from Chemnitz, which is now part of the global Schaeffler Group due to the successful collaboration. ¡°The integration of Autinity has proved that this concept is effective¡±, says Prof. Dr.-Ing. Peter Gutzmer. ¡°We also want to find start-ups that we can integrate into Schaeffler at this event.¡±
