Focus groups:
Helping to shape
digitalisation
Through the focus groups as central components of the association’s work, every member can help shape the content of the digitalHUB’s work. The Executive Committee uses the recommendations for action developed here to shape the content of the association’s offerings. The elected spokesperson represents the focus group on the Executive Committee. The following focus groups are already active:
Digital strategy
The members design strategies and tools for working in the digitalHUB. It aims to create optimal conditions for the development of successful digital business models.
Initiator/Speaker: Stefan Fritz, CANCOM synaix GmbH
Representative: Carlo Matic, interactive pioneers GmbH
Start-up
The participants are concerned with better networking the start-up scene and establishing a mentoring network. In this way, they continuously advance the start-up ecosystem in the Aachen Area.
Initiator/Speaker: Sven Pietsch, Innoloft GmbH
Representative:
Digital Culture
The members deal with questions concerning the topic of cultural change, for example: “What does agility actually mean?” or “How can the cultural change from a classic organisation to an agile creative forge succeed?”
Initiator/Speaker: Daniela Wallraf-Pflug, kompetenz:p – Personal- & Managementberatung GmbH
Representative: Paul Moldmann, Business Consultant digitale Transformation
eGovernment/OpenData
The focus group OpenData / eGovernment deals with the potential of Open Data through a regional Open Data strategy and concrete applications, as well as the digital transformation of administrations (eGovernment). Networking of the region’s municipalities, public and private companies, universities, and cooperation with start-ups is planned.
Initiator/Speaker: Dieter Rehfeld, regioIT GmbH
Representative: Norbert Dödtmann, City of Aachen
Region Aachen
It is about bringing the topic of digitalisation to the economic region of Aachen and addressing companies in rural areas in particular. Furthermore, the participants develop digital offers for regional business development. The work forms a bridge to the offers of the digitalHUB Aachen.
Initiator/Speaker: Sven Pennings, AGITmbH
Representative: Michael Franssen, Euskirchen District
Smart City
The members want to make an active contribution to a smarter city and are working on topics such as “contribution of cities to the smart city” or “real laboratory”. It is also about the implementation of business models, their prerequisites and possible applications.
Initiator/Speaker: Dieter Begaß, City of Aachen
Representative: Dr. Frank Hees, RWTH Aachen
Health
The team is developing a regional master plan for digitalisation in health. This shows how the implementation of telemedical applications in the region can be promoted and the added value of digitalisation for medical care can be made visible, as well as how the region can be positioned as a region of innovation in the digital health industry.
Initiator/Speaker: Prof. Dr. Christiane Vaeßen, Region Aachen – Zweckverband [special purpose association]
Representative: Prof. Dr. Dr. Michael Czaplik, Docs in Clouds TeleCare GmbH
Internet of Things (IoT)
The group wants to establish a setup for the exchange of IoT users, developers and solution providers and cause the digitalHUB to be perceived beyond the region as a central contact point for IoT solutions. Such are needed to connect machines, devices and sensors of the so-called “real world” with the “digital world”.
Initiator/Speaker: Karl Singendonk, GiK Gesellschaft fuer innovative Kommunikationssysteme mbH [Society for Innovative Communication Systems]
Representative:
CSR & Social Entrepreneurship
The group develops projects and collaborations within the Aachen Area and the digitalHUB that solve social and ecological problems while strengthening competitiveness. Members who deal with concrete questions on the strategic use of economic, ecological and social aspects are in the right place here.
Initiator/Speaker: Caroline Kogel, LANCOM Systems, CSR Ambassador of the CSR-Kompetenzzentrum Rheinland [CSR Competence Centre Rhineland]
Representative: Stephan Multhaupt, deep white analytics
Cybersecurity
The group wants to bring transparency to the topic of cybersecurity and create a corresponding awareness in companies. In doing so, corresponding event formats for the Aachen Area are to be realised. At the same time, the group offers a platform for informal exchange.
Initiator/Speaker: Dr. Walter Plesnik, Ingenieurbüro Dr. Plesnik GmbH
Representative: Hartmut Blumberg, Institute for IT Security GmbH
Construction and Real Estate Industry
The focus group Construction and Real Estate is a group of the AACHEN BUILDING EXPERTS e.V. (ABE) under the umbrella of digitalHUB Aachen e.V.. (ABE) under the umbrella of digitalHUB Aachen e.V. The members deal with digitalisation in the field of construction, architecture and building technology. The focus is on the modernisation of construction processes, optimisation of building materials or the planning and development of digital buildings. Above all, however, it is also about networking start-ups with innovative ideas with established companies in the construction and real estate industry and promoting their cooperation.
Initiator/Speaker: Roksaneh Krooß, HoloBuilder
Representative: Goar T. Werner, AACHEN BUILDING EXPERTS e.V.
Ethics
The focus group Ethics is a network of people with expertise in ethical risks. They are on hand with matching persons on a topic-related basis to close the open flanks, for example in the following aspects:
Linking meaning narratives, value dimensions and product development (ethics by design), identifying and advising on ethical risks in a business idea, advising on value conflicts and decisions, accompanying requirements for personnel responsibility and in recruiting, etc.
Initiator/Speaker: Dr. Angela Reinders, BISCHÖFLICHES GENERALVIKARIAT AACHEN
Representative: Artur Janiszek, Eldertech GmbH
