Innovative partnerships and promising projects: garage DU
garage DU has established itself as a new format for matchmaking between established companies and up-and-coming start-ups on the Rhine and Ruhr region. At Demo Night on January 29th 2023, an event organised by Duisburg Business & Innovation (DBI) at Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord, new business models were honoured and promising new partnerships in the areas of climate protection and the circular economy were established.
"The garage DU is an important project for our city because it brings together established companies with start-ups. This exchange is a very good basis for new growth of young companies and economic change in our industry in Duisburg," says Sören Link, Lord Mayor of the City of Duisburg. "I would like to thank the entire Duisburg team for the organisation and cooperation."
With over 500 guests, the Demo Night was the grand final of garage DU 2023 and provided further impetus for innovation with high-calibre keynotes, panel discussions and an extensive innovation fair with around 40 exhibitors. The Demo Night presented new key topics such as AI, digitalisation and climate protection. In the keynote speeches, Diana zum Löwen, known as a juror in the TV series "Die Höhle der Löwen" as well as an investor and influencer, and local hero Marco Peters ("Iss doch Wurscht") impressively described their inspiring start-up careers with all their ups and downs.
The absolute highlights of the evening were of course the jury and audience votes as well as the presentation of the coveted and prestigious garage DU-3D Awards, each endowed with 5,000 euros in prize money:
- 2Zero in the "Impact Local" category (greatest added value for Duisburg) saves CO2 emissions and creates new, green jobs through pioneering technologies and initiatives. The partner is GEBAG.
- Concular wins in the "Impact Global" category (greatest added value for Duisburg and the world) because they are positively changing the construction industry through efficient and resource-conserving construction methods. GEBAG is here a partner.
- Zolitron receives the award for the "Biggest Footprint" (greatest project progress during the last five months). Using state-of-the-art technologies, they enable companies to gain real-time insights from their analysed data regarding climate protection. The partner is Wirtschaftsbetriebe Duisburg.
A strong result, comments Rasmus C. Beck, Managing Director of Wirtschaftsentwicklung Duisburg Business & Innovation: "The focus of garage DU's project realisations is on impact and climate protection. New business models are used to tackle ecological and social challenges through new business models. The more than 500 guests from all over Germany show that Duisburg is recognised as a start-up location. That's why we are continuing on our path with the format of supporting start-ups with business models for sustainable growth."
The response from garage DU's partners was correspondingly positive: "The Demo Night brings start-ups together with us and other companies to work together on the challenges in the energy and transport transition," says Marcus Wittig, Chairman of the Management Board of Duisburger Versorgungs- und Verkehrsgesellschaft (DVV). Bernd Wortmeyer, Managing Director of the municipal housing association GEBAG, adds: "At GEBAG, the topic of sustainability is a top priority. With the start-ups of garage DU, we want to realise this topic further." There are also very concrete benefits for the future, says Thomas Patermann, Spokesman of the Executive Board of Wirtschaftsbetriebe Duisburg: "We are currently working with two AI start-ups on garage DU projects aimed at achieving innovations both within our company and for the city as a whole." Markus Bangen, chairman of the Executive Board of Duisburger Hafen AG, puts it in a nutshell: "Accepting challenges. Achieving goals. Shaping the future. The garage DU Demo Night, which we support together with our subsidiary startport, is the perfect starting point." And Sparkasse Duisburg shares the commitment to the location, as the CEO Joachim K. Bonn emphasises: "Sparkasse Duisburg supports projects that sustainably strengthen the location factors in Duisburg. That is why we advise founders. We not only provide start-ups with comprehensive support, but also accompany them through their initial development so that start-ups become companies that create jobs, pay taxes, and sustainably develop Duisburg as a business location. As a strong partner of garage DU, we are happy to support this.“
In 2024, garage DU will continue to focus on collaboration between established companies and start-ups in order to drive innovation and strengthen the regional economic landscape. In addition to the main sponsors DVV, duisport, WBD, GEBAG and Sparkasse Duisburg, garage DU 2023 is also supported by the City of Duisburg, Volksbank Rhein-Ruhr and the innovation hub startport.