First British-German high-tech partnership starts in Stuttgart

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Six innovative British companies working in areas such as AI, robotics and quantum computing will be guests at the Stuttgart-based technology incubator CODE_n over the coming months to expand their network.

Today, September 12, marks the launch of the first British-German high-tech partnership, the UK Tech Accelerator program, in Stuttgart. Six innovative British companies working in areas such as AI, robotics and quantum computing, selected from a pool of almost 50 applicants, will be showcased to the German public at the Stuttgart-based technology incubator CODE_n

Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut, Minister for Economic Affairs, Labor and Tourism, says: “It is no coincidence that Baden-Württemberg was chosen by the British. Our federal state is highly innovative, we have a high proportion of industry, the highest rate of research and development in Europe and can therefore offer excellent general conditions for start-ups and young companies. And last but not least, the United Kingdom and Baden-Württemberg are linked by a close partnership that goes beyond economic relations. I am proud that we are highlighting and further strengthening this connection in a special way with this project.”

The High-Tech Accelerator Program was initiated by the British government and supported by the Baden-Württemberg state government. “This is a valuable collaboration for the participating scale-ups and our innovative companies. This new form of collaboration should make the close economic ties between Baden-Württemberg and the UK even more sustainable,” said Minister of State and Head of the State Chancellery Florian Stegmann. “I am particularly pleased that our foreign representative office in the UK - the BW-UK Office which is part of Baden-Württemberg International - has been involved since the start of the program. The BW-UK Office has been promoting our many bilateral economic, innovation and scientific relations since 2021,” said Florian Stegmann.

Andrew Mitchell CMG, British Ambassador in Germany, emphasizes: “In today's rapidly evolving tech landscape, international collaboration is the key to success. With our UK Tech Accelerator in Baden-Württemberg, we want to expand the already strong and long-standing UK-BW partnership, enable long-term synergies and provide technological impetus for companies on both sides. We want to work even more closely with the best international players, particularly in future technologies such as AI, GreenTech and quantum computing - and Baden-Württemberg is the perfect location for this. I couldn't think of a better occasion for my first official event as ambassador in Germany.”

“The Tech Accelerator program shows: The United Kingdom and Baden-Württemberg - it's a match. In THE LÄND, British tech scale-ups find the perfect conditions for their next growth step. At the same time, Baden-Württemberg companies benefit from the collaboration in the field of future technologies and the associated knowledge transfer. We at BW_i are delighted to be able to support the partners in this exchange,” says Dr. Christian Herzog, Managing Director of Baden-Württemberg International.

“The British-German partnership is providing fresh impetus for innovation on both sides. With the launch of the high-tech alliance, we are creating a cross-border innovation space in which young, dynamic companies will find ideal conditions for growth and networking. On behalf of CODE_n, I am delighted to open the official launch event today in Stuttgart together with the British Ambassador Andrew Mitchell, Minister of Economic Affairs Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut and Cornelia Frank, Head of the Internationalization and Investment Department at Baden-Württemberg International,” said Ulrich Dietz, partner of CODE_n and founder of the technology company GFT.

 

About the British-German high-tech partnership / UK Tech Accelerator

Six British companies offering marketable innovations in the fields of artificial intelligence, virtual reality, quantum computing and robotics have been selected for the program. During the five-month project phase, these British companies will bring their services to market alongside leading Baden-Württemberg companies and deepen economic ties in these future technologies. In addition to a workplace in the Stuttgart technology incubator CODE_n, they will receive tailored support from experts, company presentations, mentoring and participation in selected trade fairs. The program creates a meeting space and connects British and Baden-Württemberg companies even more closely, facilitating technology exchange and enabling more collaboration and mutual inspiration.

The “UK Tech-Accelerator” is a pilot project of the British Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and is supported by the Baden-Württemberg state government. The Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labor and Tourism, the BW-UK Office and CODE_n will support the program in its implementation on site.

The program has its roots in the UK-BW partnership initiative initiated by Economics Minister Hoffmeister-Kraut. The Minister of Economic Affairs emphasizes the importance of the partnership initiative: “When future technologies are transferred to us in Baden-Württemberg via our British partners, this shows that the partnership initiative is working perfectly - partnership at its best!”

 

UK-BW partnership initiative

Since 2020, the partnership initiative has formed the basis of a long-standing cooperation between the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the British Embassy (or the British Ministry of Trade), which promotes the exchange of companies between Baden-Württemberg and the United Kingdom through information campaigns, various discussions, including with VIP stakeholders from Baden-Württemberg, specific networking events for companies and business days.

In the years from 2020 to 2023, the partnership initiative has focused on three priority areas: Mobility, Healthcare and Creative Industries. These focus areas were identified as particularly promising in the study “Gemeinsam Stärker - Stronger Together”, which was carried out at the start of the partnership initiative. The study also identified important overlapping cross-cutting topics such as digitalization (AI, quantum computing, cyber security) and automation, which offer great potential for SMEs to create value. At the same time, the partnership initiative accompanied the transition to the new trade and cooperation agreement between the UK and the EU, without customs tariffs and import quotas.

Information formats were used to communicate changes and developments in trade and economic relations between the United Kingdom and the European Union to companies in Baden-Württemberg, while at the same time establishing a lively feedback culture on existing challenges and necessary decisions.

In recent years, various congresses, roundtables, web seminars and delegation trips have been organized in this context. They enabled the needs of the various stakeholders to be addressed in a sustainable manner:

  • over 50 partners and networks were involved
  • over 100 experts and speakers were involved in the activities
  • over 1,000 participants from Baden-Württemberg and the UK were reached by the events.

Particularly noteworthy are the two “BW meets UK” business congresses in 2020 and 2021, which enabled an exchange on economic policy through the involvement of companies and showcased success stories.

 

More information

 

Information on the six selected scale-ups:

Oxford Quantum Circuits
Sector: Quantum
Region: South East (Reading)
Link: https://oxfordquantumcircuits.com/

Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC) is a global leader in Quantum Compute-as-a-Service (QCaaS). The company developed the first commercially available quantum computer in the UK, became Europe's first QCaaS company and integrated the world's first quantum computer into a commercial data center. Through the Accelerator, OQC aims to conduct proof-of-concept studies with companies in the South of Germany and to establish a new partnership, investor and industry network.

 

Holdson Ltd
Sector: AI
Region: Yorkshire and the Humber (Huddersfield)
Link: https://holdson.co.uk/

Holdson develops innovative hardware and software solutions for a range of customers in the manufacturing industry and improves the precision and efficiency of machines through integrated, customized machine learning tools. Through the Accelerator, Holdson aims to tap into the robust industrial ecosystem and academia in Germany and drive sustainable manufacturing practices through the commercialization of its AI and digital tools.

 

BOW Ltd 
Sektor: Robotics
Region: Yorkshire and the Humber (Sheffield)
Link: https://usebow.com/

BOW is revolutionizing the development of robotics software. It offers a universal platform that simplifies the creation of applications for any type of robot. Its SDK (Software Development Kit) enables developers to innovate for different types of hardware. It also ensures fast deployment and high flexibility. BOW's mission is to democratize robotics and make it accessible to a wider range of developers and industries.

 

GEMBA
Sector: VR/AR
Region: London
Link: https://thegemba.com/

Gemba is the leading virtual reality platform in the corporate metaverse. As a pioneering company in the field of global workforce learning, Gemba supports ambitious companies undergoing digital transformation. The goal is for these organizations to introduce powerful, scalable training in an efficient and sustainable way. Through the Accelerator, Gemba will showcase its VR capabilities to the European manufacturing market. This will foster long-term partnerships that drive business success through high standards in operations and leadership.

 

Octaipipe
Sector: AI
Region: London
Link: https://octaipipe.ai/

OctaiPipe is a platform that enables the management and scaling of artificial intelligence at the edge of the network, using federated learning to outperform traditional, centralized cloud-based approaches in a variety of industrial and critical system applications. OctaiPipe is already collaborating with German companies and is aiming to expand its existing partnerships and collaborations with German companies as well as to explore new business and funding opportunities.

 

digiLab Solutions Ltd 
Sector: AI 
Region: South West (Exeter)
Link: www.digilab.co.uk

digiLab is a company with a focus on machine learning. It specializes in probabilistic machine learning and uncertainty quantification in a range of sectors, including nuclear fission, nuclear fusion, materials and general engineering. With the help of the Accelerator, digilab aims to bring its proprietary machine learning platform, twinLab, and related services to the market. twinLab provides domain engineers with advanced machine learning tools and optimizes their simulations and workflows.

 

Source: Press release Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labor and Tourism

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