Young enterprises have a knack for spotting the specific needs of industry and developing smart solutions to meet them. But to be successful, they need much more than just a bright idea, a computer and programming skills. They also need to have a clear strategy, detailed market knowledge and a reliable supply chain. Fostering these critical success factors is one of the key objectives of the "Young Tech Enterprises" showcase, which will premiere at this year’s HANNOVER MESSE from 25 to 29 April in Hannover, Germany.

"There is huge demand for more innovation, agility and speed among industrial enterprises," remarked Dr. Jochen Köckler, the member of the Deutsche Messe Managing Board in charge of HANNOVER MESSE. "And these are qualities that startups tend to have in abundance. At the same time, we recognize that most young companies also need support when it comes to the management, financing and strategic development of their business. Which is why we established the Young Tech Enterprises platform. And the 115 startups from 12 countries who have registered so far certainly indicate that our timing is right."

"For us, HANNOVER MESSE is a major opportunity to showcase our expertise to established industrials," explained Kent Bridgewater, the managing partner of BRIGE GmbH, Hamburg. "Our machine is a cost-effective solution that cleans production system conveyor chains without the need for plant shutdowns. Our design philosophy is to maximize customer benefit through innovation and by leveraging the very latest technologies. We are participating in Young Tech Enterprises to demonstrate that there is a very ready market for entrepreneurship and innovation in the industrial sector."

The "Startup Pitch @ Young Tech Enterprises" Award is all about innovative spirit. Some 32 entrepreneurs will be vying for the top prize, which is worth 5,000 euros in cash, and the considerable publicity the award is likely to bring. The event is organized by the German Startups Association, and the winner will be selected by an independent expert jury.

On each day of HANNOVER MESSE, the Young Tech Enterprises Forum will feature a captivating program of lectures on a wide range of topics, including "Entrepreneurship in companies," "University spin-offs," "Crowd funding for tech start-ups," "Access to risk capital via Germany’s High-Tech Gründerfonds," and "What can startups learn from SMEs and vice versa?" The forum will be complemented by a lineup of exhibits by startups and supporting organizations, such as Fraunhofer Venture and Gründungsbüro Rheinland-Pfalz, and workshops on topical subjects, such as "B2B market entry strategies for product-focused startups" and "Industry 4.0 startups".

The two Gold Sponsors of the Young Tech Enterprises platform are Rittal GmbH & Co. KG and Siemens AG. Official platform partners are Constantia Industries AG, Ernst & Young Global Limited, Google Inc., HPE Growth Capital, Lenze SE, the German Engineering Federation (VDMA) and the German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association (ZVEI). Young Tech Enterprises is also supported by its two Executive Partners, the German Startups Association and the German PR agency factum Presse und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit GmbH.