CODE_n15 CONTEST: the countdown has begun
- Written by Tom Snee
The international startup competition CODE_n CONTEST is going into its fourth round in 2015. Young companies still have until the end of November to submit their digital business models relating to the areas of DIGITAL LIFE, INDUSTRY 4.0, FUTURE MOBILITY and SMART CITY. Those making the top 50 will have the opportunity to present their companies in the CODE_n Hall 16 at CeBIT free of charge. In addition, they get the chance to win the main prize of € 30,000.
“Startups and pioneers need exposure for their business models. CODE_n gives them this,” says Ulrich Dietz, CEO of the GFT Group and initiator of CODE_n. Investors, clients and the media – this is the audience mix that the finalists can look forward to at CeBIT from March 16 to 20, 2015. In 2014, the CODE_n Hall 16 was visited by over 17,000 industry experts. “The five trade show days are a real opportunity for our startups. They’ll hold many, many discussions, receive feedback on their business models, gain new clients and speak with potential investors. Many of our previous finalists have used this experience to take their idea and young company to the next level.”
Following on from Big Data in 2014, CODE_n will be focusing on all aspects of digitization in the coming year. The motto of the CODE_n15 Contest is “Into the Internet of Things”. “The Internet of Things is a megatrend for the years ahead,” says Dietz. “For us, however, it’s just the starting point for an even bigger development: the digitization of the economy and, yes, even society. If we Europeans want to play in the same league as the major economic powers of the future, we have to ‘step on the gas now’. Tomorrow is too late. With their innovations, startups show us the way forward. CODE_n gives both them and established companies a platform to develop more quickly together and launch new ideas.”
The CODE_n15 CONTEST is divided into four areas: DIGITAL LIFE, INDUSTRY 4.0, FUTURE MOBILITY and SMART CITY. “It’s an attempt to structure a development which now affects our entire lives. But we’re clearly targeting all young companies who want to make our existing situation better and faster with their digital solutions,” says Dietz. “Industry, services and banks, mobility and homes, life and health and much more – digital ideas for all these areas have a place in the CODE_n15 CONTEST.”
The topic areas DIGITAL LIFE, INDUSTRY 4.0, FUTURE MOBILITY and SMART CITY
The CODE_n exhibition space is divided into four main areas:
The area of DIGITAL LIFE includes things like wearable items (clothing or accessories) that measure the wearer’s movements or biometric data and intelligently processes this information – be it for lifestyle purposes or medical applications. Smart home solutions give users remote control of household items. These types of innovations allow people who need special care or attention to live at home for longer. Solutions of this kind generally use sensors to assess situations, for example, detecting if someone has fallen and triggering an emergency response. This area also includes novel ideas for retailers. Thanks to state-of-the-art technologies, they can enhance shopper experience with tailored solutions that make shopping more comfortable for customers – for example, through mobile purchases.
INDUSTRY 4.0 relates to all applications along the value chain in industrial manufacturing. This includes smart logistics solutions that can be used to monitor the location and condition of various items at any time, as well as optimized resource planning with early detection of potential warehousing problems or the prevention of delivery bottlenecks due to low stock levels. In factories, the Internet of Things ensures optimal production processes at peak plant times thanks to machine-to-machine communications. Add to this intelligent services that enhance the work quality in factories – things like air quality control and temperature monitoring or the detection of hazardous gases or radiation.
FUTURE MOBILITY is an area for autonomous driving solutions based on groundbreaking car-to-car communications technologies, including automatic direct emergency calls in case of traffic accidents. The Internet of Things is particularly interesting for businesses when it comes to fleet management. Real-time route management – which not only includes cars but all available modes of transportation – serves to actively prevent traffic jams and make traveling more enjoyable.
The SMART CITY area includes solutions related to urban infrastructure, which improve quality of life in our cities and foster the resourceful use of energy. The intelligent control of street lamps or automated systems to check air and water quality are just some of the potential application areas. Thanks to the Internet of Things, the construction progress for streets and buildings can be continually monitored. Yet the SMART CITY area also extends to include security concepts for large-scale events or buildings like public shopping centers.
“Startups and pioneers need exposure for their business models. CODE_n gives them this,” says Ulrich Dietz, CEO of the GFT Group and initiator of CODE_n. Investors, clients and the media – this is the audience mix that the finalists can look forward to at CeBIT from March 16 to 20, 2015. In 2014, the CODE_n Hall 16 was visited by over 17,000 industry experts. “The five trade show days are a real opportunity for our startups. They’ll hold many, many discussions, receive feedback on their business models, gain new clients and speak with potential investors. Many of our previous finalists have used this experience to take their idea and young company to the next level.”
Following on from Big Data in 2014, CODE_n will be focusing on all aspects of digitization in the coming year. The motto of the CODE_n15 Contest is “Into the Internet of Things”. “The Internet of Things is a megatrend for the years ahead,” says Dietz. “For us, however, it’s just the starting point for an even bigger development: the digitization of the economy and, yes, even society. If we Europeans want to play in the same league as the major economic powers of the future, we have to ‘step on the gas now’. Tomorrow is too late. With their innovations, startups show us the way forward. CODE_n gives both them and established companies a platform to develop more quickly together and launch new ideas.”
The CODE_n15 CONTEST is divided into four areas: DIGITAL LIFE, INDUSTRY 4.0, FUTURE MOBILITY and SMART CITY. “It’s an attempt to structure a development which now affects our entire lives. But we’re clearly targeting all young companies who want to make our existing situation better and faster with their digital solutions,” says Dietz. “Industry, services and banks, mobility and homes, life and health and much more – digital ideas for all these areas have a place in the CODE_n15 CONTEST.”
The topic areas DIGITAL LIFE, INDUSTRY 4.0, FUTURE MOBILITY and SMART CITY
The CODE_n exhibition space is divided into four main areas:
The area of DIGITAL LIFE includes things like wearable items (clothing or accessories) that measure the wearer’s movements or biometric data and intelligently processes this information – be it for lifestyle purposes or medical applications. Smart home solutions give users remote control of household items. These types of innovations allow people who need special care or attention to live at home for longer. Solutions of this kind generally use sensors to assess situations, for example, detecting if someone has fallen and triggering an emergency response. This area also includes novel ideas for retailers. Thanks to state-of-the-art technologies, they can enhance shopper experience with tailored solutions that make shopping more comfortable for customers – for example, through mobile purchases.
INDUSTRY 4.0 relates to all applications along the value chain in industrial manufacturing. This includes smart logistics solutions that can be used to monitor the location and condition of various items at any time, as well as optimized resource planning with early detection of potential warehousing problems or the prevention of delivery bottlenecks due to low stock levels. In factories, the Internet of Things ensures optimal production processes at peak plant times thanks to machine-to-machine communications. Add to this intelligent services that enhance the work quality in factories – things like air quality control and temperature monitoring or the detection of hazardous gases or radiation.
FUTURE MOBILITY is an area for autonomous driving solutions based on groundbreaking car-to-car communications technologies, including automatic direct emergency calls in case of traffic accidents. The Internet of Things is particularly interesting for businesses when it comes to fleet management. Real-time route management – which not only includes cars but all available modes of transportation – serves to actively prevent traffic jams and make traveling more enjoyable.
The SMART CITY area includes solutions related to urban infrastructure, which improve quality of life in our cities and foster the resourceful use of energy. The intelligent control of street lamps or automated systems to check air and water quality are just some of the potential application areas. Thanks to the Internet of Things, the construction progress for streets and buildings can be continually monitored. Yet the SMART CITY area also extends to include security concepts for large-scale events or buildings like public shopping centers.