Innovative Companies in City West
Kindly supported by 1 Publication of this magazine began in November 2011 as part of the exhibition conducted in Amerika Haus called “Clever Minds: Innova- tive Companies in City West”.
Contact People: Hedwig Dylong | Regionalmanagement City West hedwig.dylong@berlin-city-west.de | Tel. +49 (30) 31 01 52 00 | www.berlin-city-west.de
Berlin Partner GmbH | Project Manager - Business Promotion [email protected] | Tel. +49 (30) 39980-0 | www.berlin-partner.de
2 Clever Minds Innovative Companies in City West
3 4 Foreword
City West in Berlin is an extremely Why here in City West? important neighborhood for science and economics, for well-established and new Innovation is an indicator of an economic businesses and for living and tourism. capacity to survive in the future. Syner- The particular diversity of City West is gies, which can fertilize innovative deve- simultaneously a special challenge. lopment processes, are created through The duty of all of the partners in this proximity to institutes for research, neighborhood is to recognize all of the development and production. opportunities available, to increase the The fact that so many clever people have visibility of every potential opportunity settled in Charlottenburg and Wilmers- and to strengthen the neighborhood in dorf is not by accident. The paths leading general. to Berlin’s City West neighborhood are For that reason, the Senate Committee short, regardless of whether they lead to for Economics, Technology and Women a research institute, university, shop- has promoted Regionalmanagement ping or a theater. The excellent public City West as contracted by the Boroughs transportation connections also play their of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf with part. financial support from the Community This magazine, “Kluge Köpfe in City Sponsorship Fund for the Improvement West”, will introduce people and com- of the regional economic infrastructure panies, both new and established. They since 2010. often do their research, development The primary duties of Regionalmanage- and production in seclusion. Highlighting ment include the creation of transparency their efforts is the objective of Regional- and cooperation for the development management CITY WEST. Their stories of the City West neighborhood, the are often representative of many other integration of relevant activities and entrepreneurs in City West. The quality the announcement of projects and their of the neighborhood speaks for itself. Fin- promoters. ding appropriate places for their work has Regionalmanagement should contribute been a challenge at times. Theoretically, to strengthening the interrelationships space is available, but in reality it often between science and economics, to does not correspond to modern require- increasing the neighborhood’s attractive- ments for offices and commercial space. ness for retail sales and tourism and to Much still remains to be accomplished. designing City West as a residential area The development of new, and re-purpo- of the future. sing of existing, places are challenges, Cooperation between technical universi- which Regionalmanagement has taken up ties and research institutes and an easy together with many partners. environment for founding businesses and City West has long been displaying the for an innovative milieu are more impor- tendencies of an innovative, internati- tant than ever as the formative points for onally oriented economic location. See especially creative achievements. for yourself. The companies selected as The Kluge Köpfe Exhibition showed what examples will convince you as well. a richly faceted business environment for supporting achievement and innovation has already been created in this neigh- borhood in an exemplary and particularly impressive manner. I am quite certain that City West will attract and motivate more clever minds (Kluge Köpfe) through the commitment on the part of promoters and business in the community.
Dr. Jens-Peter Heuer Dirk Spender State Secretary to the Senate Committee Regionalmanagement CITY WEST for Economics, Technology and Women
5 At A Glance
1 LMT Lichtmesstechnik Berlin GmbH ...... 8
2 ~sedna GmbH ...... 10
3 KAN Tech GmbH ...... 12
4 Brightside Games UG...... 14
5 Invitrosoft Software Solutions oHG ...... 16
6 Virtenio GmbH...... 18
7 imcube labs GmbH ...... 20
8 IDENCOM Germany GmbH ...... 22
9 EANTC AG ...... 24
10 MWA Nova GmbH ...... 26
11 Bella Ciao ...... 28
12 W.O.M. World of Medicine AG ...... 30
13 mobile melting gmbh ...... 32
14 Klopotek AG ...... 34
15 Telekom Innovation Laboratories ...... 36
6 1 5 9 2
12 7
6 10 4 15 Amerika Haus Forum CITY WEST 8
Bhf. Zoologischer 13 Garten 11
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Locations in City West
7 »Top Customers come to LMT.« Raymund Hammer, Managing Director of Lichtmesstechnik Berlin GmbH
Illumination Measurement Laboraties from the global leader
There is a significant need to measure of these filters is unique and can only be it is the top customers who come to illumination. manufactured with exacting precision, LMT”, says Managing Director Raymund Around the world, vehicle illumination knowledge and experience. It operates Hammer. is subject to a variety of standards, like a standardized human eye. A He was with the company from the start. compliance with which is continuously variety of illumination properties can be His job first consisted of finding highly checked as part of the development and measured, including intensity, dispersion specialized engineers from industrial production cycle. At the same time, these and color temperature. The pioneering sources and from the Technische standards are continuing to be developed act of LMT’s employees lies in having Universität of Berlin, and coordinating and modified. Cars alone have more than developed this product until it was ready them as a powerful team. fifty lighted components. for the market. His certifications as both mechanical There is where LMT takes the stage. The climb to becoming the global leader and economics engineer as well as his These laboratories for measuring the began in 1974 with a major contract in experience in working with people helped illumination and color manufactured by connection with the construction of flood in this. As a younger man, he earned his this medium-sized company in Berlin’s light systems for soccer stadiums for the money as a musician in a band for several City West are requested around the 1978 World Cup. years, whose engagements and contracts world. Entire laboratories are developed Reliable illumination planning for this were managed by him. Today, Hammer and constructed for their respective type of major event first became possible views his primary task as finding clever purposes and sites. From one shop, with the data from LMT’s equipment, so people and permanently earning their customers (including Mercedes, Audi that during the game no one would be loyalty for the company. The company’s and Volkswagen) get hardware and blinded by the lights and both players proximity to the Technische Universität software, personnel training and service. and audiences could see equally well. and its potential specialist helps him with The secret of LMT’s success lies in the Shortly after its baptism by fire, the this task. sensors and their mosaic filters, which Charlottenburg team constructed their are millimeter thin and between three first laboratory for a major German and twelve centimeters in diameter. Each vehicle manufacturer. “Then as now,
8 LMT Lichtmesstechnik Berlin GmbH Established: 1974 Forty employees
Helmholtzstraße 2-9 10587 Berlin Germany [email protected] www.lmt.de
9 ~sedna GmbH Established: 2008 Seventy-five employees
Salzufer 13 F 10587 Berlin Germany
[email protected] www.sedna.de 10 »Children are the Best Testers!«
Guido Matzer, Managing Director of ~sedna GmbH
Multimedia at Its Best
The largest LED screen in New York’s and comfortably. Earning companies like are the best testers”, says Guido Matzer. Times Square, a telephone conversation Disney and the telecommunications giant, “If they understand how to operate the to Australia and the publication of the Bild AT&T, as customers was quickly followed device and enjoy it then we’ve done newspaper have one thing in common: by numerous other partners in Germany everything right. Because they relentless- ~sedna in the Charlottenburg district of and other countries around the world. The ly test everything, they are merciless in Berlin makes them all possible. Guido editors of Bild relied on ~sedna. Thanks to finding errors, which helps to optimize Matzer, Managing Director of ~sedna, the multi-touch table, they can work al- our products.” Matzer was the driving remains unaffected by Chancellor Helmut most entirely without paper and save time force behind the establishment of ~sedna. Schmidt’s adage, “If you are having visions, and money through the optimization in the He values the same ideas in himself and go see a doctor”. His greatest satisfaction communication and working processes. his employees: thinking outside the box, lies in the realization of projects, which German Telekom is the most important enthusiasm, goal-oriented work ethics and other believe are not feasible in terms of domestic customer. a desire to learn continuously. He studied time or financing. As a subsidiary of q-bus ~sedna and q-bus not only develop and physics and media design. GmbH, ~sedna develops and markets pro- construct visionary presentations at confe- In addition to his career, music is his ducts and solutions in the field of digital si- rences for the German industry leader, but greatest passion. For a time, he earned his gnage and systems for multi-touch, control also the network management system for living from it. rooms and room control and automation. all foreign connections by means of futu- Whenever he can, Mr. Matzer still retreats The products from ~sedna oriented on ristic appearing control rooms with display to play one of his guitars. Then, he also the future are based on two fundamental walls filling entire walls. has the leisure of enjoying the Red Herring principles: state-of-the-art technology and ~sedna products are also in demand in Award he was recently given, which exceptional design. Success on the US mar- other markets. Above all, schools, uni- designates the company as one of the one ket followed quickly after the company’s versity and museums use hardware and hundred most innovative companies in establishment. software from Berlin’s City West neigh- Europe. Display walls and multi-touch tables were borhood for their continuously changing convincing in their speed and high reliabi- content and presentations.~ sedna relies lity. Based on Apple’s operating system, on a very special group of people for test content can be provided both simply runs of their new developments. “Children
11 »Technological Revolutions need Time.«
Dr. Leonid Sverdlov, Managing Director of KAN Tech GmbH
Sharp, Sharper, KAN Tech
Sharper, more precise and more durable application. Scalpels sharpened with ult- successful. The tests made by a major in use, more energy efficient and eco- rasound forge technology accelerate the manufacturer are quite promising. KAN nomic in manufacturing; this is how Dr. healing process by up to fifty percent. KAN Tech has the global patents for this new Leonid Sverdlov, Managing Director and Tech makes truly clean cuts. When asked technology. founder of KAN Tech, characterizes his why the technology is only now starting to “In a few years, we will have created a products. be used sporadically in the industry given breakthrough. We are standing at the His surgical scalpels, razor blades, industri- such obvious advantages, engineering edge of a great leap.” Through his enjoy- al and other knives are produced using an sciences graduate simply laughs mischie- ment of innovation and his enthusiasm, ultrasound forge sharpening technology vously. “Technological revolutions need Dr. Sverdlov has earned a number of and meet the highest demands for quality. time. For hundreds of years, people have partners. First, the edges are measured usign laser been sharpening knives and other cutting Norbert Geyer, owner of Geyer-Gruppe technology and then, in contrast to con- instruments by grinding the blade. These Industrieholding GmbH, is one of them. ventional sharpening procedures, forged procedures are technically mature and Dr. Sverdlov works on the prototype of his instead of ground. Two opposing smithy function satisfactorily.” It will take a lot machine in space provided by Geyer. The hammers shape the metal along the cut- of persuasive work and one long breath proximity to TU Berlin and to the Fraun- ting edge with 20,000 blows per second. until machine makers decide to invest hofer Institut for Production Facilities and Doing this has many important advan- in completely new production facilities. Construction Technology has been extre- tages, including: significantly improved However, the conditions are favorable. mely important to Dr. Sverdlov. He needs cutting, creation of a new type of cutting The machines from KAN Tech are more this creative environment and wants to profile, saving energy and costs in produc- economical for manufacturing and in remain here, once ultrasound-sharpening tion and no dust from grinding. Medicine operation than conventional facilities. technology has been proven. is one particularly important area of Initial industrial applications have been
12 KAN Tech GmbH Established: 1999 Two employees
Uhlandstr. 179/180 10623 Berlin Germany [email protected] www.kan-tech.com
13 »The game industry‘s turnover by now is higher than what the film industry makes.«
Thomas Bedenk, Partner Brightside Games UG (left) Johannes Giering, Partner Brightside Games UG
Time Travel Squared, Sheep for Young and Old
Thomas Bedenk and Johannes Giering met The conditions for successful develop- Brightside Games resides in the Charlot- in 2008 in a seminar at the Technische ment of the business are good. The tenburg Innovations Centrum (CHIC). As a Universität of Berlin (TU). computer gaming market is growing conti- CHIC renter, the company enjoys a broad The coursework included programming nuously. “The game industry‘s turnover by spectrum of support services for spin-off computer games. Together, they deve- now is higher than what the film industry companies from the TU and UdK. Startup loped Zeit², a shoot‘em up game, which makes.”, Thomas Bedenk explained. He companies, like Brightside Games, receive allows traveling back in time. and Giering are betting on long-term economic support in the form of consul- In an intelligent manner, Zeit² combines growth. They want to remain independent tation, moderate rent prices and central elements from proven games with a new and develop technically demanding games services in the former Gerling Building on idea and new strategic capabilities. With with niveau. Sheep Shack, a game that can the Charlottenburg campus. Zeit², Bedenk and Giering managed to be played on any device with a touch- In April 2010, CHIC was able to transfer reach the final rounds of important inter- screen and entertain young and old alike, the 1,500 square meters and has been national gaming competitions. Brightside will appear on the market next. From the completely reserved in the meantime by Games, the company they established earliest product development stages on thirteen companies. The renovation of the in 2009, should get the game ready for the games are tested to meet the right second part of the building, consisting of market. Support was provided in terms of balance between difficulty and managea- 4,500 square meters, should be comple- both ideas and financing by the business bility. Bedenk possesses the background ted by 2013. startup services of TU, the Exist stipends knowledge needed for this. After earning The proximity to the TU and its students from the Federal Minstry of Economics his diploma in media design, he took a is important for the game makers and the and the collaboration with the established course in human factors at the TU of Ber- further development of their networks. company from Munich, Remote Control lin, which was an interdisciplinary study However, they also value the short ways Productions. At the beginning of 2011, of engineering, design and psychology. As for other reasons. As of this year, they are Zeit² was published on the XBox 360 game an information technologist and program- leading the Game Programming seminar console, which is an enormous success for mer, Giering takes care of the technical at the TU. a debut game. perfection.
14 Brightside Games UG Established: 2009 Eight employees
Marie-Elisabeth-Lüders-Straße 1 10625 Berlin Germany [email protected] www.brightside-games.com
15 Invitrosoft Software Solutions oHG Established: 1997 Six employees
Helmholtzstraße 2-9 10587 Berlin Germany
[email protected] www.invitrosoft.com
16 »Our Software for Plant Production in the Laboratory does not have Any Competition Worldwide.«
Bettina Schlegel, Partner, Invitrosoft Software Solutions Andreas Schlegel, Partner for Research and Development, Invitrosoft Software Solutions
A Family Company with a Green Thumb
“Intelligent and efficient plant production functional software for a strawberry plant supported financially by the provincial is beginning today in the laboratory. breeder, which has been continuously government. With some luck, it will Otherwise the increasing need for modified and refined in the subsequent serve as the entry point into the growing groceries and ornamental plants will years. Chinese market. When asked about not be able to be met”, say Bettina Today, the software has been successfully their reasons for relocating the company and Andreas Schlegel in explaining the deployed in numerous large companies. from Baden-Württemberg to Berlin starting point for their business idea. In the meantime, 300 million plants have last year, the Schlegels rave about the Mass production under laboratory been produced annually with the help of high quality of life in the capital city, conditions requires continuous the continuously improving Invitrosoft its international character, the people assessment and document of the plants, Systems. Invitrosoft’s knowledge and searching for like-minded people in the fertilizers and protective measures skills are especially highly requested in Germany and the opportunity to employ used and the processing steps taken Brazil, where a branch office was opened employees from around the world. With by the employees. Without interupting in 2010, and in China, who is currently the help of Berlin Partner, they found the procedures like transplantation, packing intensifying and industrializing their bright, comfortable rooftop office in the or shipment, all relevant data is collected agricultural efforts. commercial park on Helmholtzstraße in with the help of bar codes and the In the mean time, the Schlegels are not Charlottenburg and are quite happy with appropriate scanning devices. “Our only in demand as software engineers, it. Employees can relax at the nearby software for plant production in the but also as consultants to large Spreebogen or in the Tiergarten during laboratory does not have any competition companies, that are establishing plant their lunch breaks. There is a tasty and worldwide”, stated Bettina Schlegel, productions and creating structures inexpensive restaurant directly in the Managing Director, as she explained for them. Currently, they often fly to park. Not least of all the Schlegels are the company’s success. After the China, where they are consulting on the particularly taken with the hinterland of establishment of the company in 1997, installation of 125 huge greenhouses in Berlin, which invites people to cycle and it took less than two years to develop Ningxia Province. The project is being swim.
17 »The Internet of Things will be a Me- gatrend over the Next Few Years. A Huge World will bloom.«
Henri Kretschmer, Managing Director of Virtenio GmbH
When Objects talk to us: Intelligent Networks of the Future
Bananas are sensitive fruits. During their rend over the next decades. A huge world researching the field of sensor nodes transportation from South America to will bloom. This means that everything and the software appropriate to them. Germany, they need cool temperatures will communicate with everything else. Together with Torsten Hüter and Stefan and an ideal environment. Otherwise, Refridgerators that write shopping lists, Ziegler, Kretschmer developed the inno- they will be mushy when they arrive. cars that find parking spaces on their own vative miniature computer and, with it, Virtenio is offering one solution for this or intelligent flower pots that tell us, when laid the foundation for the establishment problem using wireless miniature compu- we should water them are conceivable”, of the company. “The startup services of ters, which analyze the temperature and says Henri Kretschmer, founder. the TU Berlin and the Exist stipend from the air in the existing environment. The Since 2005, this engineer for technical the Federal Ministry of Science were shipping agency is continuously notified information technology has been studying very important in helping to make our by satellite. They can take corrective this new-to-Germany issue of wireless company independent”, reports Thomas action in case of doubt. This is only one information distribution and transfer, Henn, who supplements the engineering example for general area of use for the which he has discovered for himself as team as a salesperson. Virtenio is located basic technology from Virtenio. a scientific employee of the Technische in Charlottenburg’s Innovation Centrum, These small, powerful and energy- Universität of Berlin (TU). CHIC. “We were looking for offices close efficient computers are no larger than a At that time, he was working with net- to the TU, because working in a creative matchbox. They communicate and net- works for automating buildings. and innovative environment was impor- work with each other using radio signals. Specifically, this includes devices that tant for us. Custom programmed software make their determine and control heat consumption, In addition, it is centrally located and a application easier. without anyone having to actually enter lot happens in CHIC, new things are being In the future, not only machine will be the residences. “An extremely large mar- created.“ and is the right place for Virtenio able to exchange information in this ket”, indicates Kretschmer. to re-design the future. manner, but all the things of everyday life. By chance, Kretschmer provided guidance “The Internet of things will be a megat- to two diploma candidates, who were
18 Virtenio GmbH Established: 2010 Five employees
Marie-Elisabeth-Lüders-Straße 1 10625 Berlin Germany [email protected] www.virtenio.de
19 imcube labs GmbH c/o Technische Universität Berlin Established: 2009 Ten employees
Einsteinufer 17 D-10587 Berlin Germany
[email protected] www.imcube.com 20 »We have a Mission, because Content is often not yet available for New Tech- nologies. We want to fill This Gap.«
Dr. Matthias Kunter, Partner, imcube labs GmbH (left), Dr. Sebastian Knorr, Partner, imcube labs GmbH
Expanding the Third Dimension
Cars that race at us, actors who reach approach. Until recently, the conversion dy and cooperative efforts with conversi- out and touch us and action scenes that process was largely a manual process. on plants in China. happen around us have all become reality At 24 frames per second, a second image For Knorr, quality is an important factor, thanks to three-dimensional films. must be created frame-by-frame. because there are plenty of poor conver- Over the last couple of years, the industry To accomplish this, every object in the sions, with consequence for the audience. has been undergoing an enormous boom frame must be assigned depth informa- “One could imagine it, as if watching caused by digitalization. 3D theaters are tion, so that they can be assigned spatial from a ship. The inner ear tells you that springing up like mushrooms from the coordinates. the ship is moving up and down, but your ground and almost every major film is Even with several hundred employees, eyes say everything is normal. being offered in 3D format. The basic this process can often take a year. The Our brains have problems processing idea is simple: with the help of a second innovative software from imcube is now this and we become nauseous”, Dr. Knorr image, a plastic three-dimensional feeling taking over this work in large part and explains. of spaciousness is created. The natural thereby executing this process faster In 2009, the electrical engineering gradu- sense of sight is the prototype for this, and less expensively. Dr. Sebastian Knorr, ate founded imcube with his partner as whereby the brain composites the images CMO, says, “We have a mission, because a spin-off from Technische Universität of from the left and right eyes into a three- content is often not yet available for new Berlin (TU). They feel comfortable on Ein- dimensional image. technologies. Currently, there are not steinufer Street. “At the moment, being There are two options for creating a that many 3D films, initially two percent here is very important to us, because we 3D film. Either it will be filmed using 3D according to a study by Pricewaterhouse- are working together with student trai- cameras or it must be converted into Coopers. nees a lot and the exchange of informati- a three-dimensional image from two- We want to fill this gap by increasing the on with other scientist and the Heinrich- dimensional images. percentage of 3D films on the market.” Hertz Institut enriches our work.” Imcube is working with conversion There is a licensing partner in India alrea-
21 »What We are doing may sound like James Bond, but It has become Reality.«
Qui-Ping Zeng, Managing Director of IDENCOM Germany GmbH
The Fingers as Gateway to the World
“What we are doing may sound like James huge computers. Then I got the idea of “I was in beautiful Switzerland on Lake Bond, but it has become reality”, says making the whole thing smaller, minia- Zurich, but it was very difficult to find Qui-Ping Zeng, Managing Director, rogu- turizing it and making its usage simpler.” good engineers. Berlin, Charlottenburg ishly about his business idea. It is about The Chinese man found his first employ- in particular, is ideal by comparison. The fingerprint recognition systems, thus ment position in Switzerland, where he proximity to the Fraunhofer Institut and using fingers as replacements for keys, continued working on the issue. After one the Technische Universität are responsible cards and passwords, in principle. The de- year, he established IDENCOM. “I just had for this. Good people can be found here vices from IDENCOM can be installed in all the prototype in my head and wanted and nothing is missing.” In the meantime, types of doors, lockers and vaults, which to do something with it. Naturally, one the sympathetic company founder has can then be opened by scanning finger- needs courage, but the capital market was spent half of his life in Germany, which he prints. The time of searching for hours relatively open for innovative ideas and regards as his second home. for the key or forgetting the password for it was simply the right time. Put simply, it With certainty, the success of IDENCOM the alarm system have become a thing of was very exciting time.” He summarized is also responsible for this. His fingerprint the past. One access system costs roughly his idea on a couple of pages of paper and recognition systems have received multi- 400 euros, meaning that James Bond is no faxed them to companies throughout the ple awards, not just because of their secu- longer the only one who can afford this world. Successfully. He received several rity and functionality, but also because of innovative technology. offers and discovered his first customer, the successfully aesthetic designs. Zeng already had this idea for his compa- including the camera company, Polaroid, Currently, Mr. Zeng is negotiating the use ny, when he was a student of informati- and the household technology company, of his devices with the automobile indus- on technology at the Berlin Fraunhofer Honeywell, who are still loyal to Zeng try and with a manufacturer, who would Institut. “At that time, we developed even today. like to offer a secure suitcase for use at fingerprint recognition systems for In 2002, Zeng moved himself and his com- the next Olympic Games. The Era of the criminals for the police. Those were truly pany to Berlin. Key seems to be ending.
22 IDENCOM Germany GmbH Established: 1999 Twenty employees
Schillerstraße 56-58 10627 Berlin Germany [email protected] www.idencom.com 23 EANTC AG Established: 1991 Twenty employees
Salzufer 14 10587 Berlin Germany
[email protected] www.eantc.com
24 »We have always been on the Leading Edge when It comes to introducing New Technologies.«
Gabriele Schrenk, Managing Director of EANTC AG
the Inspection Agency for the computer network
Watching TV over the Internet, banking snowy playback or dropped picture are edge when it comes to introducing new online and telephoning with the unwanted. The customer also wants to be technologies. That is one of the major computer, all of this has become part of able to change channels quickly. With our challenges.” Around the world, there are our everyday lives. tests, we check the network technology only a few professional service providers, However, almost no one thinks about and software and ensure the quality who are capable of operating at the levels the technology that stands behind that the operator needs in order to be occupied by EANTC. these capabilities. Giant cable networks successful”, says company head Gabriele For that reason, the company’s customers are connected to each other, or Schrenk. Even as a student, the then can be found everywhere in the world. disconnected, through connection prospective information technologist The company feels quite at home in devices such as routers and switches. This worked at EANTC, a company that was Charlottenburg. Located for many years complicated technology must continue established in 1991 at the Technische at the TU, EANTC moved their offices to to operate even when thousands or Universität. Salzufer Street only a few months ago. millions of users are connected with Network technologies were already the “The new offices are centrally located, the network at the same time. This focus of her interest. Her enthusiasm for have good connections, especially with is where EANTC does their work. The technology was already apparent as a the airport, which is very important German market leader tests networks for child. “In school, I knew that the Natural for our customers”, says Gabriele major customers like Vodafone, Alcatel Sciences were more important to me and Schrenk. In the future, the company that and Telekom, so that they will operate that I wanted to work with them.” Since has successfully survived two global smoothly even under peak loads. 1999, Gabriele Schrenk has been the economic crises wants to continue They are a type of inspection agency for Managing Director of EANTC. She enjoys to grow and ensure that we can use the network. this work above all because the new technologies in the network free from “We always consider the network as a technologies do not allow a routine to be worry. whole. When a customer wants to watch established. television over the Internet, for example, “We have always been on the leading
25 »Always developing Something inno- vative for the Century-plus Old Film Industry is Our Job.«
Frank Ortwein, Managing Director of MWA Nova GmbH
The Fascination of Celluloid
For more than a century, films have been thirty-five-millimeter celluloid for filming. In 1926, the company had already been stored on celluloid. In order to process Digital theater cameras are replacing the established as MWA Albrecht. It produced them digitally, the film reels will have to reels of film. magnetic players and cameras in large be scanned. Mr. Ortwein has responded to the new part. In 2002, the company had to declare The film scanners at MWA Nova do this orientation of the industry and is now bankruptcy. work. “The film negatives are placed in focusing on archives. Many kilometers of As technician majoring in electronics, Mr. the scanner and the film can then be cut film have been stored there, which will Ortwein has been self-employed in the in- on the computer. The red, green and blue have to be digitalized for posterity. Using dustry. He knew the managing director of colors can be modified or the night can be Mr. Ortwein’s devices does the job faster MWA Albrecht through his work. In 2002, made into day, scratches can be filtered than real time. The company even has a Mr. Ortwein purchased the company as out, images enlarged and much more”, patent for the process. part of the involvency process and moved says Frank Ortwein, Managing Director. Mr. Ortwein’s machines even add sound from Wiesbaden to Berlin. “I settled in The devices that are manufactured by to the films. “We have the only film sound Charlottenburg because of the proximity hand in the company’s own workshop are recorder in the world, which can record to the university. There are many more available for all popular sizes from eight- Dolby Digital Sound on film”, says Mr. Ort- innovative companies here (often hidden to thrityfive-millimeter film. wein. With Dolby Digital Sound, the au- in rear courtyards) than one would think. The fascination with the theater conti- dience gets the feeling of being surroun- Plus, it is beautifully green and centrally nues uninterrupted. Of course, the time ded by sound. Around the world, MWA located.” Mr. Ortwein has new ideas for when the huge reels of film ran through Nova is considered a specialized machine the future. These ideas tend towards the projectors has become the past. manufacturer for the film and television direction of digital, and perhaps even Digitalization is making progress in the industry, which focuses on development, 3D, cameras, since “always developing film production area. Only major Holly- manufacturing, marketing and service for something new for the century-plus old wood directors, like Steven Spielberg, film scanners and film recorders. film industry is our job”, as Frank Ortwein and ambitious art film makers still use MWA Nova has a long history. summarizes it.
26 MWA Nova GmbH Established: 2004 Thirty employees
Zillestraße 7-11 10585 Berlin Germany [email protected] www.mwa-nova.com 27 Bella Ciao | Einzelunternehmen Established: 2009 Three employees
Pfalzburger Straße 41-42 10717 Berlin Germany
[email protected] www.bellaciao.de 28 »On these Bicycles, People glide upright and in Athletic Form through the City.«
Matthias Maier, Managing Director of BELLA CIAO
The Poetry of Perfection: Bicycles by BELLA CIAO
At the beginning of the new century, ny. He built his company using a type of efforts using pedal-driven two-wheelers. Matthias Maier discovered a bicycle in satellite structure, because only a few Thereby, the bicycle became a symbol of a small bike shop in Milan, which time family operations were sufficiently specia- freedom in Italy. “We consciously decided seemed to have forgotten. “This bike lized to manufacture the individual com- to use this poetic relationship in develo- was something quite special”, Mr. Maier ponents. The unusually trim and elegant ping the brand. The thought of freedom remembers. “The geometry of the frame steel frames were manufactured in Italy; that our brand embodies is also a symbol fascinated me with its special facility and the rim polished to a high gloss in Germa- of our corporate culture. Exceptional the elegance of the contour in connection ny. The technology came from Germany skills combined to target a clear aim.“ with the wonderful tradition of crafts- and Japan. It was assembled in Saxony- Because he had been born in West Berlin, manship. On these bicycles, people glided Anhalt. “Today, I spend eighty percent Matthias Maier chose Charlottenburg- upright and in athletic form through the of my time in coordinating well-defined Wilmersdorf for his operations. city”, raves Mr. Maier. individualists from various countries” “The atmosphere and the quality of life At that time, he developed international which Mr. Maier quite enjoys. The mutual please me. This is not a monoculture, management strategies for a company in development of the products with an but rather a united world environment.” Milan. American cult blogger is another road less Two years after establishing his business, When this bachelor of business and traveled for the company and places it in annual sales already amount to roughly photographer returned to Berlin several contact with the heartbeat of the times. 1,000 bikes. years later, he had a vision in his luggage Like the Italian partisan song, BELLA CIAO Fifty percent of them are exported. along with a collection of classic bikes: is the name of Mr. Maier’s brand. In the perplexing bicycle market, BELLA handmade steel wheels, Italian elegence In fact, bicycles played an important CIAO has established itself in a very brief combined with a German understanding role in the Italian Resistance during the time. of technology. Second World War. Cars and motorcycles Mr. Maier knew that he wanted to take a had been confiscated by the Fascists and road less traveled in realizing his compa- the Resistance essentially organized their
29 »Our Device Technology stands for the Highest Quality in Minimally Invasive Surgery.«
Peter P. Wiest, Founder and CEO of W.O.M. AG
Thoroughly Considered in Every Detail: Medical Technology Made in City West
For a long time, the motto was “great With the victory of minimally invasive City West in 1997 was not just the result surgeons make great cuts”. It took several surgery in the second half of the Eighties, of the increasing need for technical decades before the idea that people treatments became possible without specialists. There are a number of should be treated as uninvasively as making large cuts into the patients. hospitals and university clinics in the possible began to assert itself. At the W.O.M. developed as one of the first capital metropolis, which collaborate insistence of Professor Hans-Joachim devices, which allowed treatment of the closely to develop ideas into new Lindemann (gynecologist) from Hamburg, abdominal area as well as of the joints. products directly in the operating theater. Peter P. Wiest (prospective engineer) The company was barely able to keep up However, the technological edge is dared to present a solution for the human with the demand. “Our device technology not the only factor responsible for the womb in 1972. stands for the highest quality in minimally success of W.O.M. The company has also The challenge consisted of transforming invasive surgery”, says Founder Peter P. taken over the various, highly complex this sensitive organ into a stable hollow Wiest and not without pride. The high- permit procedures in various countries with the help of carbon dioxide in order technology devices are being developed for their customers. They guarantee the to be able to insert lights, cameras and in Berlin, built in the company’s own quality of “Made in Germany” down to surgical instruments. production facility in Ludwigstadt, but the small screw with the clever inspection Peter P. Wiest not only found solutions re-branded by major medical device and documentation procedures. for the numerous problems that arose, he manufacturers under their names. The also succeeded in getting the technology USA is the most important sales market ready for the market. This was the origin with Europe in second place. of the success of this company, which is Relocating the W.O.M. company still managed by its founder. headquarters from Lankwith to Berlin’s
30 W.O.M. WORLD OF MEDICINE AG Established: 1974 Ninety employees at the Berlin headquar- ters, Two hundred fifty worldwide
Salzufer 8 10587 Berlin Germany [email protected] www.world-of-medicine.com 31 mobile melting gmbh Established: 2009 Six employees
Uhlandstraße 15 10623 Berlin Germany
[email protected] www.mobile-melting.de www.storytude.com 32 »Innoviation is the Combination of Technology and Content.«
Lydia Horn, Managing Director of mobile melting GmbH
Learning about Cities by Listening to Their Stories
Ghost stories from Prenzlauer Berg, city the idea, the three applied for and got are becoming superfluous. “Innoviation tours through the Mitte borough of Berlin an EXIST stipend for business startups. is the combination of technology and or a detective story from Frankfurt; with Successfully. content”, explains Ms. Horn. “In this, our the Storytude app, people have these Mobile melting was established in 2009 biggest advantage is that people always experiences while they are visiting such to offer various technical solutions for on- have their cell phones with them and can cities. site entertainment and information. Ms. download the apps at any time. It is all quite simple. Just download the Horn quit her marketing job at an airline We simply need to make people more desired tour to a smart phone. The histo- company. “I had to consider it because I aware of our existence. That is the major rical characters will then guide people to hadn’t been with the company too long challenge that we need to work on.” the sites. and everything was moving quickly. Mobile melting has already convinced the The cell phone’s GPS system and a digital However, I had always been interested in jury for the Degewo Founder’s Award, map of the city help with orientation. the new things, because I really like that.” which paid for a year’s rental of office At the appropriate sites, the phone will With their Storytude.com as their primary spaces on Uhlandstraße Street. vibrate and the next chapter will start. product, mobile melting has been offering “We were quite happy about that, espe- This always keeps the users in the middle city tours and guided listening tours for cially because of the central location and of the story. the growing market of smart phones because good partners and customers “My two co-founders had the idea”, says since May. can be invited to this impressive address”, Lydia Horn, Managing Director. “I didn’t Speaking statistically, roughly one quarter says Lydia Horn. In the future, mobile quite understand the whole thing until of all cell phone owners use smart phone, melting really wants to offer more tours. they programmed a prototype. It was a which supplement the features of the cell Developing into the gaming and interacti- story about the Rotes Rathaus [Red City phone with addtional computer pro- ve markets might also be a consideration. Hall] and I thought it was totally cool. If grams: so-called applications (or apps), Thereby, people could determine the something like this can please a techno- and this tendency is increasing. story sequence as they tour the various phob like me then it’s a great idea.” With Classic travel guides and audio guides locations.
33 »If you look at the best-sellers lists in Ger- many, you will notice that the predominant share of the publishers listed use software from Klopotek«
Gregor Wolf, CTO of Klopotek AG | left, Uli Klopotek von Glowczewski, CEO of Klopotek AG, right
Intelligent Software: Solutions for Publishers
The success of this company established products and adjusted our software for growth at the Berlin offices. in 1992 is based on its concentration on this consideration”, says Mr. Wolf. “Over The research and development depart- large- and medium-sized publishers as the last few years, E-books came into their ment located there will be expanded well as on the development of standard own and many IT systems weren’t prepa- along with the international growth. software for all publishing processes. red for it. Digital products have been long Neither the business owners nor the em- Starting with the initial project idea, to the established in the scientific and technical ployees want to leave central location and payment and legal agreements and the information industries, and the German the attractive environment of City West. delivery of books, magazines, both printed fiction industry was quite hesitant.” Like Making the software useable across and digital, the integrated programs from most of the founders, Uli Klopotek von boundaries is the next challenge. this Charlottenburg software foundry Glowczewski studied at the Institut for Even today, internationally active compa- tracks the development of a product. Software Technik [Institute of Software nies can work with the Klopotek software It makes smooth, efficient processes Technology] at the Technische Universität in several languages and currencies, but possible. of Berlin. Klopotek expects more. The software Publishers use the modules from the They used the scientific knowledge, skills, should enable international customers comprehensive offerings from Klopotek and experience in the publishing industry with global installations to create uniform AG that are relevant for them, such as the to assume a dominant position on the processes and data across country and production planning module for catalog German market in just a few years. Since corporate boundaries. and advertising methods or for delivery the turn of the century, Klopotek AG has Solutions for the implementation phase to wholesalers. The modules are con- set up shop internationally, first in Bene- also include training for the publishers’ tinuously being developed and can be lux and Scandanavia and later in the Uni- employees, in order to ensure a smooth modified. They take both the various legal ted Kingdom and the United States. Since transition from the previous software to regulations in various countries as well 2011, there is a subsidiary in France and a the new applications. as the digitization of publishers, which is joint venture with a partner in Poland. The currently underway, into consideration. next strategic steps will involve entering “We predicted that the publisher would the Latin American and Spanish markets. be overrun by the demand for digitial International growth will also mean
34 Klopotek AG Established: 1992 One hundred six employees in Berlin, One hundred seventy-two worldwide
Schlüterstraße 39 10629 Berlin [email protected] www.klopotek.de 35 Telekom Innovation Laboratories Established: 2004 Roughly three hundred and sixty employees
Ernst-Reuter-Platz 7 10587 Berlin Germany
[email protected] www.laboratories.telekom.com
36 »The idea is to bring together the best elements of in- dustry, science, and the global start-up scene with the goal of speeding up the process of turning new ideas into market-ready products«
Dr. Heinrich Arnold, Department Manager of Telekom Innovation Laboratories
Designing the World of Tomorrow Today
Telekom Innovation Laboratories (T-Labs) has instituted professorships as part of its transmission speed of 512 GB/second, and is the central research and innovation unit partnership with TU Berlin and the Berlin the second was the first implementation of Deutsche Telekom. T-Labs works closely University of the Arts. The cooperation worldwide of type 1 security software for with Deutsche Telekom‘s operating units with universities in Berlin, as well as seve- smartphones. by developing and rolling out innovative ral other universities, institutes, industry T-Labs deliberately chose to work from products, services and infrastructures for partners, start-ups, and entrepreneurs the Charlottenburg district of Berlin, Telekom‘s growth areas. It also focuses around the world, ensures close links explained Dr. Arnold, physicist, engineer on establishing new businesses on the between the research community and the and doctor of technology management: market as a direct offspring of innovative private sector in an open innovation ap- „Berlin‘s universities and extremely active work. In 2012 alone, T-Labs produced four proach. „The idea is to bring together the start-up scene make it an ideal creative new business units, and another six are in best elements of industry, science, and environment for propagating new ideas the pipeline. the global start-up scene with the goal of and talent. The idea of having a symbi- Since its formation in 2005, Telekom speeding up the process of turning new otic relationship between research and Innovation Laboratories has established ideas into market-ready products,“ said product development, between academic itself as the first port of call for innovation Dr. Heinrich Arnold, Senior Vice President institutions and telecommunications pro- topics. Some 360 experts and researchers and Head of T-Labs, about the basic con- viders, is best turned into reality on the from more than 25 countries, as well as cept. In 2012, T-Labs supported the Group campus of TU Berlin.“ young entrepreneurs, work side by side with 20 innovative, market-oriented T-Labs therefore works from Berlin to in various disciplines at the T-Labs sites upstream products including TV apps for develop visions of tomorrow for the whole in Berlin, Darmstadt, Bonn, Beer Sheva Entertain and the Cloud Business Market- world. and Tel Aviv (Israel), and Mountain View place, and also presented two world- (USA). The open innovation model is the firsts. The first was in the infrastructure guiding principle for their work. Telekom area, with a world record fiber-optic
37 Imprint
Publisher: Regionalmanagement CITY WEST Amerika Haus Hardenbergstraße 22-24 10623 Berlin
Joint Partner: Berlin Partner GmbH Investor Services Charlottenburg- Wilmersdorf c/o Borough Administration at Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf Business Promotion Otto-Suhr-Allee 100 10585 Berlin Germany www.berlin-partner.de
Editing Staff: Hedwig Dylong | Katrin Mates
Photography and Layout: BILDART | Volker Döring · Nora Döring www.doering-bildart.de Pages 34 & 35, Deutsche Telekom AG
Text: Exhibeo – Dr. Michael Schäbitz www.exhibeo-berlin.de | Bettina Tacke [email protected]
Translation: ZIS - Zentrum für Internationale Sprach- dienstleistungen
Volume 1: 1,000
Copyright The contents and design of this publication are protected by copyright and protected by other protective laws. The duplication of text, portions thereof and pictorial materials requires the prior approval in writing of Regionalmanagement City West and Berlin Partner GmbH.
Berlin, November 2011
38 39 Regionalmanagement is a measure on the part of the Boroughs of Charlottenburg & Wilmersdorf in the City of Berlin in collaboration with the Senate Committee for City Development, the AG City e.V. and the Chamber of Commerce of Berlin. This measure is being promoted by the Senate Committee for Economics, Technology and Women as part of the “Verbesserung der regionalen Wirtschaftsstruktur” joint task [Improvement of the Regional Economic Structure] and as part of the “Aktive Zentren” [Active Neighborhoods] city development program by the German Federal Ministry for Traffic, Construction and City Development. This publication is being published as part of the public relation efforts of Regionalmanagements City West in cooperation with Berlin Partner GmbH.
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