connect.IT annual review 2016
Association work
An eventful 2016 is coming to an end for connect.IT Heilbronn-Franken. There were numerous highlights in the association's work and the end of the year offers the opportunity to review these once again. The focus in 2016 was on exchanging ideas, networking, cooperating and strengthening the region. Exciting events, intensive collaborations, innovative platforms and new projects - connect.IT can look back on an eventful year.
connect.IT board meeting in October 2016
The association's work was further expanded in 2016. There are now various departments for structuring activities, which bundle the expertise of the members. A full Board meeting was held in February and the Annual General Meeting with Board elections took place in July. After two years, it was time to take stock, but also to continue the further development of connect.IT. In addition to familiar board members, new board members were also elected. Here you can find the current overview of the members of the Board of Directors and Board of Trustees. connect.IT would once again like to thank the departing board members and members of the board of trustees for their extremely valuable work. The number of members has developed very positively over the last twelve months: The association now has well over 100 members.
Hightlight events
Discussions in the foyer at the 2016 Barcamp at Fujitsu TDS
Numerous events and functions were organized by connect.IT in 2016. One highlight of the year was the third Heilbronn Barcamp in April 2016 at Fujitsu TDS GmbH in Neckarsulm, which also supported the event as a platinum sponsor. Other sponsors included Lidl, Bechtle, Lingner, Indeca and Heilbronn University. As a strong IT network in the region, connect.IT was once again able to connect the key players in the digital transformation sector. The event was aimed at anyone who wanted to expand their knowledge, share experiences, discuss ideas and meet new people. There was something for everyone in terms of topics: from the internet and IT to social media and design to people and society. More than 150 IT enthusiasts came to exchange ideas. The event was fully booked weeks in advance. The participants simply decided on the program for the day of the event themselves in the morning. There were no pre-defined speakers. Instead, all participants were invited to contribute their own experiences, knowledge and ideas - and this worked extremely well. This resulted in exciting discussions at eye level, from which all participants benefited significantly more than from traditional event formats.
experimenta exclusiv in summer 2016
In July, we offered a special look behind the scenes of the Science Center and an exclusive visit to the exhibition among IT enthusiasts with our "experimenta exclusive" summer event. At the reception that followed, people were able to network and exchange ideas in a pleasant atmosphere in the Kubus foyer and on the roof terrace with an impressive view over Heilbronn. The experimenta in Heilbronn impressed the participants with its extraordinary world of learning and experience with around 150 interactive exhibits in four themed worlds. There was plenty to try out, tinker with, get to know, join in and marvel at.
The first IT Job Shuttle Heilbronn was a complete success
The premiere of our new IT job shuttle in November was a complete success: over 30 IT students were able to get to know five companies from the Heilbronn area up close. The participants had the opportunity to find out about specific IT job vacancies, internships and the working atmosphere at the companies. The idea of using the IT job shuttle to bring students with an IT background and companies into direct contact with each other, thereby breaking down a major barrier in the recruitment process, was a complete success. The first stop on the shuttle bus was the Schwarz Group in Neckarsulm, which showed the students the wide range of career opportunities at Lidl, Kaufland Informationssysteme and Schwarz IT. The tour then continued to Fujitsu TDS in the immediate vicinity, followed by a visit to the FÖRCH Group in Neuenstadt am Kocher. The next stop was the digital agency INDECA in Heilbronn, whose practical demonstration of the HoloLens augmented reality glasses provided plenty to talk about. The final stop was the medium-sized company Karl Marbach in Heilbronn. The day ended at the Club Kaiser Skybar in Heilbronn. Stand-up presentations and stands gave the students another opportunity to get to know other interesting companies such as econsor, Hochwarth IT, GEMÜ Gebr. Müller Apparatebau, Siller Portal Integrators and FERCHAU Engineering. They were also able to find out about current jobs and internships on information boards. The event was supported by IT Bündnis BW.
Three events took place in 2016 under the motto "Meet the Expert". In March: "Innovations in the IT sector - how to protect patents". Matthias Zahn, Dipl.-Ing. Information Technology and European Patent Attorney, explained the special features of patent protection in the IT sector. In April. "On the hunt for "talent" for your company? The seven key tips for managers". Regina Bergdolt, advice author, gave a practical explanation of how to find and retain talent effectively. In June, the topic was "Business etiquette - other countries - other customs". Birgit Brenner, board member of the German Etiquette Society, offered a different kind of etiquette course - funny, lively and informative. In addition to an update on German table manners, Brenner presented special features of etiquette in Asia.
In collaboration with the Business Informatics course at Heilbronn University, the "connect.IT Campus" series focused more on aspects of further education and science. In March, Philipp Küller presented "Literature analysis with Mendeley" and together with Jörg Zaumseil he presented "LaTeX - Getting started with academic writing". The participants were then able to take their first steps with LaTeX and create their own documents - such as a seminar paper - themselves. In February and July, "ITIL Foundation Certification" was also offered in cooperation with Bechtle.
Forums & events - the engine of our association
The association forums IT-Stammtisch, Scrumtisch Heilbronn, Developer and Linux User Group Heilbronn were once again very active in 2016. Many interested people from the Heilbronn-Franken region, as well as from Karlsruhe, Stuttgart, Würzburg, Nuremberg and Munich, regularly attended the various meetings. The InnoSpace (#InnoSpaceHN) and the HNUX - UX Stammtisch Heilbronn were added as new forums in 2016. In September, more than 20 participants met at the first InnoSpace at the GGS in Heilbronn. The formats varied from keynote speeches and workshops to the application of innovation methods.
Selfie from a UI UX regulars' table
connect.IT Forum Siker - everything important about forums is regularly discussed here
A snapshot of the connect.IT Scrum table
Great interest also at the Innovations Usergroup at the GGS
connect2know - the internet platform of connect.IT
connect2know - the platform for skills and jobs in Heilbronn-Franken
But not only events were organized in 2016. In April, the new internet platform connect2know.de was launched to further promote networking in the field of information technology in the region. The website for IT skills, IT jobs and company events is aimed at IT providers and users, employers and employees as well as anyone interested in IT in the Heilbronn-Franken region. Essentially, the aim is to enable companies from the Heilbronn-Franken region to create a detailed profile of themselves so that they can then be found by potential customers, IT trainees and IT specialists. The free IT skills database for Heilbronn-Franken connect2know.de combines the three building blocks of skills, jobs & training and events. At the heart of the database are the IT skills that IT provider companies can enter in their profile. The Job & Training and Events sections round off the offering with job vacancies and IT-related events. The website's target group, i.e. IT user companies and potential employees, are supported by functions such as a clever search function and a newsletter. Members of connect.IT enjoy a number of benefits; registration and further information can be found at www.connect2know.de.
Jobstarter plus project
May saw the launch of our JOBSTARTER plus project "Berufsausbildung.IT Heilbronn-Franken". The IT training initiative runs until April 2019 and is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the European Social Fund. The central aim is to alleviate the need for IT specialists and to establish a new contact and advice center for training in IT professions at connect.IT. In close coordination with numerous cooperation partners, including employment agencies, job centers, chambers, educational institutions and business development agencies from the Heilbronn-Franken region, existing support services will be made known and specifically developed for small and medium-sized companies. Whether entry qualification, career entry support, training support, VerA training support or coaching, the contact and advice center provides comprehensive information on possible support services in the region and answers specific questions on the topic of IT training.
Outlook for 2017
We are continuing to expand our activities in 2017 and planning is already in full swing. The fourth Heilbronn Barcamp is already on the horizon and we will inform you of all the details shortly. The tried and tested formats of forums and events will be continued, and a new series of events on current IT topics is also planned. Due to high demand, another "ITIL Foundation Certification" will be offered in February. There are also plans to hold a second IT job shuttle in 2017. From January, you can also take advantage of the free advice offered by our contact point for IT vocational training. Look forward to 2017 and find out about the latest offers and developments at www.connect-it.hn.
Happy holidays and a good start to 2017
As the year draws to a close, we would like to thank everyone who has worked hard for the region, exchanged ideas, collaborated and taken part in our events. Whether you are a member of the association, board of directors or board of trustees, forum leader, partner, sponsor or supporter: together we were able to achieve a lot as an IT network in 2016. We look forward to continuing our joint commitment to the Heilbronn-Franconia region in 2017!
