When Germany comes to mind for many, fast cars, beers and unfortunately lederhosen comes to mind. But the german.innovation team is out to change that and in doing so, add fire to the startup communities existing on both sides of the pond. Around 20 percent of the German delegates at SXSW are nascent entrepreneurs and other stakeholders from the startup scene, ranging from investors and industry networks to startup initiatives.
german.innovation marks the launch of numerous German digital and creative companies jointly presenting themselves at this year’s South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas. The German delegation tends to be one of the largest international delegations to be present in Texas, with almost 1,300 professionals in 2019. Representatives of cities, federal states and businesses from across Germany have been featured at this one-of-a-kind event for over 15 years, and the all-German presentation Germany at SXSW will even be celebrating its tenth anniversary this year.
Claudia Schwarz, Project Coordinator with german.innovation and co-founder of WickedWork and MusicTech Germany, explains: “german.innovation sees itself as a catalyst that connects creative minds and entrepreneurs through cross-industry collaborations with a view to innovate. In light of the challenges we are facing as a society at large, we believe that the future lies in transdisciplinary collaborations between stakeholders from hugely different backgrounds. Therefore, we are particularly pleased to see the wide range of partners we have been able to bring on board for the network’s SXSW presentation in addition to the participating cities and federal states. These partners include e.g. Lufthansa FlyingLab, NEXT Conference, as well as international partners such as the Impact Hub Network, the Austin Technology Incubator, and the Global Innovator Network.”
The network will also host the event series “german.innovation at German Haus” at the HandleBar in Austin, TX. “german.innovation at German Haus” is part of the joint German presentation “Germany at SXSW” and seeks to provide insights into Germany as an innovative business and creative location.
And, paying tribute to this year’s focal themes of diversity and sustainability, the Innovation Accelerator at the World Food Programme (WFP) from Munich, Germany, will be taking part in an international panel on “Tech Activism: The Next Frontier Social Movement” on Wednesday, March 18.
So, leave the lederhosen at home, but drop by for a beer at the HandleBar March 13 to 17 and get to know the innovation side of Germany.
More information available on www.german-innovation.org
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