smart businessIT

smart businessIT, the initiative for business software in Baden-Württemberg, can look back on a successful start to its two Cluster Accelerator funding programs. Following a jury meeting in September 2013, six regional IT networks are currently being supported. This brings smart businessIT a big step closer to its goal of establishing a state-wide IT network: A total of eleven regional IT networks, including the project partners Karlsruhe, Freiburg and Stuttgart, are now active in the state-wide initiative.

With the "Cluster Accelerator 1" and "Cluster Accelerator 2" funding programs launched in October 2013, the state-wide smart businessIT initiative is pursuing the long-term goal of establishing an IT network in Baden-Württemberg as an interest group. Regionally anchored and independently operating IT networks are to work together on an equal footing and develop joint projects.

Committed clusters and networks benefit from the intensive and uncomplicated exchange and transfer of knowledge between university and research institutions, IT companies and the public.

Gennadi Schermann, project manager of the smart businessIT initiative, is convinced of the success of the project: "Numerous international examples show that companies are successful where they cultivate co-opetition, i.e. where they seek cooperation over and above competition."

The numerous submissions that were submitted following the call for proposals for the funding programs show that the networking concept is well received beyond regional borders. From these, a five-member jury selected a total of six regional networks for funding in September 2013.

The Heilbronn-Franken and Lörrach/Waldshut regions as well as the Pforzheim region received approval for the establishment of regional IT networks (Cluster Accelerator funding program 1). In Cluster Accelerator Funding Program 2, which is dedicated to the further development of regional IT networks, cyberLAGO e. V. (Lake Constance region), IT-Forum Rhein-Neckar e. V. (Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region) and Virtual Dimension Center Fellbach e. V. (Fellbach region) received approval.

With the six funded networks, the three project partners from Karlsruhe, Freiburg and Stuttgart as well as two regional IT networks (in formation) from Ulm/Neu-Ulm and East Württemberg/Aalen, smart businessIT is thus creating a solid foundation for the state-wide IT network. The first meeting of the eleven network partners recently took place. The exchange will continue and will soon take place at various locations in Baden-Württemberg.

"With smart businessIT, we are bundling the high potential of the regions in order to jointly make Baden-Württemberg the leading international location in IT and especially in business software," says David Hermanns, Managing Director of CyberForum Service GmbH, which is responsible for the overall coordination of the initiative.