This was Manufacturing Day 2024 in Vienna

For the fourth time in a row, EIT Manufacturing East organised its Manufacturing Day during the startup festival ViennaUP. This year, more than 400 attendees joined the event in the Austrian capital to network and exchange. 

On 6 June 2024, the vibrant city of Vienna played host to the highly anticipated Manufacturing Day, an integral part of ViennaUP, the largest decentralised startup festival in Europe. Held at the iconic Hall of Sciences, this signature event by EIT Manufacturing East brought together over 400 attendees, including industry leaders, high-tech startups, investors, researchers, and policymakers. The theme for this year’s event, “The Speed of Innovation,” highlighted the rapid advancements and dynamic changes within the global manufacturing sector.

Engaging Keynote and Expert Insights

The highlight of the day was the insightful keynote address by Dr Steven J. Spear, Senior Lecturer at MIT Sloan School of Management. Dr Spear, renowned for his expertise in organisational operations and competitive strategy, focused on the crucial role of agility and adaptability in manufacturing. His discussion centered on how enterprises could accelerate innovation to maintain a competitive edge, emphasising the importance of “slowification,” “simplification,” and “amplification” in business processes.

The event also featured a distinguished lineup of speakers including Katherine Bennett CBE, CEO of High Value Manufacturing Catapult; Roman Biller, Vice President at Oracle; and Dr Steven J. Spear, Author and Senior Lecturer, MIT Sloan School of Management. These leaders explored the critical role of innovation in driving the sector forward, focusing on enhancing speed and efficiency in industrial practices.

BoostUp! East 2024 Startup Competition

A highlight of Manufacturing Day was the BoostUp! East 2024 startup competition. High-tech startups from across Europe showcased their cutting-edge solutions in industrial technology, pitching their innovations to a global audience and an expert jury. This competition not only provided visibility to emerging startups but also facilitated valuable connections with potential investors and industry partners.

All startups showcased remarkable solutions in data-driven manufacturing across various domains such as Industrial VR/AR, Predictive Maintenance, Advanced Sensors, and Industrial Cybersecurity. Each pitch reflected a deep commitment to driving innovation and sustainability within the industry.

Supporting green innovation in manufacturing 

The Vienna Business Agency awarded the best startup in fostering green innovation in manufacturing. The winner received a € 5 000 cash prize, and the top 3 startups were all awarded with a tailored growth & services support package by our experts at EIT Manufacturing East. 

🥇 Balun Energy 

🥈 Mestric Smart Factory 

🥉 IQuMa GmbH 

The best startup in data-sharing in manufacturing 

The EuProGigant award sponsored by the EuProGigant ecosystem was awarded to the best startup that is contributing to build up federated data-sharing services in a manufacturing data ecosystem. The successful winner received a monetary prize of € 5 000, a 1-year Gaia-X membership provided by Gaia-X Association for Data and Cloud (AISBL) and a tailored growth & service support package by our expert team in EIT Manufacturing East. 

The best two runner-ups also received the acclaimed 1-year Gaia-X membership provided by Gaia-X Association for Data and Cloud (AISBL) and a tailored growth & service support package by our team at EIT Manufacturing East. 

🥇 Mestric Smart Factory 

🥈 Balun Energy 

🥉PROCESS SPACE® 

Two panel discussions took center stage, addressing the implementation of innovation-friendly policies across Europe. The second panel included insights from Doris Schroecker, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation at the European Commission, Markus Schweiger, Executive Director at the Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation, and Dr Monika Bachofner, Head of Open Innovation at Volkswagen Group, who discussed strategies for creating supportive environments for innovation.

Thank you to our sponsors!

The success of Manufacturing Day at ViennaUP’24 would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors: Habegger Austria, MOORE SKZ, EuProGigant, Vienna Business Agency, Fachhochschule Technikum Wien, Purple-Tec IT Services GmbH, Technische Universität Wien, TU Wien – Academy for Continuing Education, Czech Technical University in Prague, Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics, Avio Aero, ISCLEANAIR, American Chamber of Commerce in Austria – AmCham Austria, invest.austria, SIDENOR steel industry, d4pro GmbH, RESONIKS and Sulzenbacher.