The focus group "Region Aachen" of the digitalHUB Aachen e.V. has awarded the digitalPIONEER award for the first time this year. Various digital solutions and approaches were awarded, ranging from internal process improvements to completely new business models. The digital pioneers are to be made known as best practices in order to sensitize other companies to the topic of digitization through concrete examples and to develop motivation for their own digital approaches.  

The companies presented their digitisation approaches to a jury in the form of a pitch. This jury consisted of a spokesperson from each of the focus groups Digital Culture, Smart City, Digital Marketing, Health, Energy, CSR, Cyber Security, Consumer Goods and the Aachen Region of digitalHUB Aachen e.V..

"The multitude and quality of the applications once again demonstrated the great entrepreneurial potential of the Aachen region. The region has digital competence and innovative strength, which, in combination with product- and technology-oriented companies as well as excellent scientific institutions, makes our location so special! Accordingly, it was a real challenge for the jury to select individual companies from an extraordinarily strong field of applicants and award them digitalPIONEER 2019," said Sven Pennings (AGIT mbH), spokesman for the Focus Group Aachen Region.

The winning companies are: Goldschmiede Albath, Interactive Pioneers GmbH, oculavis GmbH, SOPTIM AG, With love and data GmbH und Zasso GmbH.     

Goldschmiede Albath deals intensively with the topic "digitization in the trade" and retail trade. The use of CAD and 3D printing in the design process supports the imagination of the customer and makes it possible to develop completely new forms in the design process. This has improved and accelerated customer communication in consulting and the manufacturing process. In this way, traditional craftsmanship is merged with the latest processes.  

Interactive Pioneers GmbH has been a driving force in the digital industry for more than 20 years. The newest digital innovation of the enterprise, which realizes interactive solutions for Web, mobile, Desktop and POS since 1997, is a singular video Chatbot. The Chatbot offers as innovative Recruting Tool for specialists a new form of interaction and navigation on enterprise Websiten. Traditional text-based chatbots are complemented by the visual and emotional components of the moving image and by the integration of an interactive video dialogue.

oculavis GmbHrevolutionizes the service business of the German machine and plant construction industry. The oculavis solution SHARE enables the digital and virtual representation of the entire life cycle of machines from commissioning and planned maintenance to repairs and spare parts orders. Classic service activities can be carried out remotely and simultaneously documented in higher quality. This saves direct travel costs, reduces machine and plant downtimes and enables new digital service business models.

With #Localpioneer in 2019, Soptim AG has launched a platform with the goal of making the energy world more sustainable, digital and decentralized. The platform will bring together all the players who are helping to shape the energy revolution: Electricity customers, pro(ducer+con)sumers, electromobilists, cities, energy suppliers and service providers. The platform is intended to serve as a playground, digital service store and exchange platform, while at the same time providing transparency in energy supply. Further information can be found at: www.localpioneer.de

With love and data GmbH develops algorithms that use artificial intelligence and market research to predict how people react emotionally to music, voices and commercials. These findings can be used to optimize the marketing communication of customers via audio. In a short time, the company has grown from a 3-person sound studio to a creative company with almost 40 employees, in which sound designers and sound engineers solve interdisciplinary problems together with data scientists.   

Zasso GmbH specializes in systemic, current-based technologies for weed control. The company has not only created a new and innovative way to effectively and environmentally eliminate weeds, but has also created a whole new business model. All devices from Zasso GmbH are designed as connected devices with a cloud connection and all information is collected via an IOT-HUB in order to bill customers. Machine learning algorithms and predictive maintenance ensure continuous improvement of the machines. 

Photo (AGIT mbH) - For press purposes free of charge:
Members of the jury for the digitalPIONEER 2019 Award