The future can be found in the hinterland
Ostwestfalen-Lippe is sometimes derisively referred to as "Hinterland." This is why there is a "Hinterland of Things" conference held once a year in Bielefeld. Founder Dominik Gross explains in the conversation why it is exactly the right place to connect startups and SMEs.
Once a year, it's not Berlin, but the 350,000-inhabitant city of Bielefeld in Ostwestfalen-Lippe that is the place to be for founders and entrepreneurs. The region is sometimes disparagingly called "Hinterland." However, there is a lot of economic power here: Established family businesses and Hidden Champions are based here and have what many founders and entrepreneurs lack: Money. Startups, on the other hand, have what traditional businesses lack: Ideas for digital transformation. These two worlds meet at the "Hinterland of Things" conference. There were 2,500 attendees this year.
The German economy, be it SMEs or startups, is currently facing numerous challenges: high production costs, growing skilled labor shortages, or digitalization. Dominik Gross is the host of the "Hinterland of Things" conference and aims to prove that solutions are better found together.
Gross is the CEO and co-founder of the so-called Founders Foundation, a non-profit organization that trains, supports, and networks founders and entrepreneurs. They build a B2B startup ecosystem and organize "Hinterland of Things."
In the podcast "Startup - Now being completely honest," Gross reveals why collaboration between SMEs and startups is more important than ever, what role Artificial Intelligence plays, and what the current political environment and also the aftermath of the European elections mean for the German economy.
With Dominik Gross spoke Janna Linke. The conversation was shortened and smoothed out for better understanding. The full conversation can be heard in the ntv podcast "Startup - now being completely honest.
In the annual "Hinterland of Things" conference held in the city of Bielefeld, a hub of both established family businesses and innovative start-ups, Dominik Gross emphasizes the importance of collaboration between SMEs and start-ups, particularly within the Middle Class sector. This regional gathering serves as a bridge for families running traditional business empires to leverage groundbreaking Ideas and digital transformations from the start-up world. The conference, supported by the Founders Foundation, a non-profit organization, aims to foster this union and tackle the challenges facing the German economy.
