Jul 13, 2018
The Interactive Zone at this year's Transport Research Arena in Vienna has shown that tangible examples of research and promising approaches to new business models stimulate a research conference in many ways.
Numerous Austrian start-ups, which were part of the Interactive Zone exhibition, have made clear how theoretical approaches in research are developing in practice. "It was particularly important for AustriaTech to establish a tangible contrast to the research-based conference programme," says Managing Director Martin Russ. "Because in communicating new technologies and the changes that this progress brings, we still need to improve." Start-ups often play the role of accelerators in the implementation process from research idea to fields of application. The company was therefore proud to make Austrian start-ups visible internationally at the TRA.
Young technology and research-intense companies have a constantly increasing degree of internationalisation and therefore benefited in particular from an international event such as the TRA. Not only an internationalisation of the supply chains can be observed, newly founded companies are also increasingly characterised by a large customer base abroad, which is why the opportunity to present themselves to a broadly diversified professional audience and to establish cross-border contacts represented a special added value for the domestic scene of the company founders. The stage experience gained by start-ups during the "Spotlight on Start-Ups" and "Pitch & Connect" events in the Interactive Zone also proved to be a valuable experience for many of the young entrepreneurs. The challenge to present their ideas within the framework of "Pitch & Connect" within a short presentation of only 2 minutes and 30 seconds was mastered by all participants brilliantly and inspired the audience present, which showed great interest in the presented future solutions of the start-ups.
The subsequent discussion with the jury members also offered the young companies the opportunity to come into direct contact with potential investors and thus laid the foundation for future cooperation between newcomers and experienced experts. This interaction between start-ups and potential business partners, who have extensive experience in the industry, is essential for the success of such young companies and could be optimally set in motion by a platform like the TRA2018 with more than 3,600 international visitors. "We were therefore very pleased that we were able to offer selected start-ups these contact opportunities and this international stage - together with BMVIT and AustriaTech," says aws Managing Director Edeltraud Stiftinger. aws is the federal development bank and acts as a companion and supporter on the road to entrepreneurship. In order to optimally fulfil this task and to promote the development of Austria as a business location in the best possible way, aws has a broad and targeted offer for start-ups in the various growth and internationalisation phases.
