14 Jul First German Israeli SME Day
The first German-Israeli SME Day took place in Chemnitz from June 7th to 9th. The aim was to link Israeli startups with German medium-sized companies, as well as to exchange knowledge and discuss content. The focus was on mechanical engineering, autonomous driving, AgeTech and hydrogen. As part of the German Israeli Networks of Startups & Mittelstand (GINSUM) innovation project, ELNET Germany organized the event together with the Free State of Saxony, the City of Chemnitz, the IHK Chemnitz and the German-Israeli Business Association e.V.
The Chemnitz region has a high density of production companies and innovative start-ups that rely primarily on Industry 4.0 and its digitization. Israel has a similar structure, where technology plays an important role in all aspects of society without the market being dominated by large corporations.
In Israel, as well as in the Chemnitz region, medium-sized companies have the role of a driving force. Whereby the “medium-sized business” in Israel results from grown and now established startups. Entrepreneurs from Israel and Germany therefore agreed during the dialogue conference in the Carlowitz Congress Center Chemnitz that personal exchange is the key to better cooperation.
The subject of hydrogen was particularly well received. With FastSense and Hydrolite, two young, promising Israeli startups came to Chemnitz to exchange ideas with local companies and projects in this area. The visit to the HZwo-Hub – one of the largest hydrogen centers in Germany – and the Institute Chemnitzer Maschinen- und Anlagenbau e.V. (ICM), both of which are dedicated to the topic of GreenHydrogen in mobility, initiated an intensive exchange.
But also on the topics of mechanical engineering, autonomous driving and AgeTech, lively discussions developed on the various podiums, which took place at the evening receptions and on a tour to Chemnitz companies and centers such as the Niles Simmons Hegenscheidt Group, Fraunhofer IWU, Technical University Chemnitz, Starrag Group or the MAIN Center for Nanomembranes.
The event was also very popular at the political level. Visitors to the German-Israeli SME Day included Michael Kretschmer, Prime Minister of the Free State of Saxony, Daniela Kluckert, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, and Jens Brandenburg, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
A continuation of the German-Israeli SME Day is already planned for next year. A close exchange between Chemnitz and Israel promises synergy effects for both sides. However, the potential for deeper German-Israeli cooperation in the field of innovation extends far beyond the Chemnitz region.