Internet of Things
Berlin has developed a highly active IoT ecosystem.
The Internet of Things (IoT) drives innovation and is evolving rapidly. IoT, or the digital networking of physical products and devices, can now be found in all industries, as well as in our everyday lives. Smart building control, smart wearables in the sports sector, networked factories, bedside sensors in care, mobility solutions in a city: These are just a few of the countless fields of application for the technology.
The range of applications for IoT is very broad and creates new, innovative business models. Coupled with other innovative technologies such as AI or Blockchain, IoT can force disruptive solutions and have a strong impact on the deep-tech solutions of tomorrow.
Berlin has established itself throughout Germany as a strong IoT hub
This development is related to the capital's large and very active IoT ecosystem. 240 Berlin companies with an IoT focus represent a central pillar of the digital economy. Their turnover of 3.1 billion euros represents around 15 percent of the total turnover of Berlin's digital economy. According to the latest study “IoT in Berlin”, the ecosystem is characterized by strong stakeholders and a large research landscape: 6 universities with a focus on computer science, 10 IoT-related research centers and over 20 incubators and accelerators for IoT offer one of the most comprehensive IoT ecosystems in Germany.
IoT Hub Berlin
Further confirmation came when Berlin was named an IoT Hub within the framework of the Digital Hub Initiative of the Federal Ministry of Economics.
About the Digital Hub Initiative (de:hub)
With the Digital Hub Initiative, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) is supporting the creation of digital hubs in Germany. The hub model is based on the idea that collaboration of companies and startups in close proximity promotes innovation, especially in the digital age.
This is where the initiative comes in:
The BMWK wants to highlight Germany's strengths as a leading industrial nation with existing, high-quality know-how and thus make Germany an alternative for founders, investors and specialists from all over the world.
The network of the 12 nationwide hubs forms the basis. Each of these locations works with an industry-specific focus.
The BMWK supports the HUB initiative with an agency that is responsible for the networking and public relations work of all hubs (the RCKT). The internationalisation measures are supported by the GTAI. The BMWK also provides a separate funding pot for the projects that arise in the hubs.
Berlin participates in the BMWi initiative as the hub for the Internet of Things (IoT) & FinTech. The focus covers all of the sectors in Berlin with important applications and their networking to create a Smart City, including:
- healthcare,
- energy,
- transport/mobility,
- communication infrastructure,
- IT,
- smart wearables,
- design,
- FinTech,
- logistics.
The de: hub IoT is led by a heterogeneous consortium of companies, startups, higher education institutions and company builders. In 2020, the hub has evolved rapidly. In August, the IoT Hub Berlin took on the legal form of an association, the IoT+ Network.
The IoT Hub is managed by a heterogeneous consortium of companies, start-ups, university institutions, and company builders with the goal of improving and strengthening the offer, accessibility, benefits, and presence of IoT in Berlin. This includes the promotion of innovative projects, the exchange between business and science, as well as the networking of IoT stakeholders.