- Deutsche Telekom initiative with partners like Huawei, Microsoft, Samsung and SAP
- Celebrity speakers and a firework of topics for two days on four stages
- Digital Champions Awards and a special mayors‘ dialog
Together with partners such as Huawei, Microsoft, Samsung, SAP and the Federal Association for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) “BVMW”, Deutsche Telekom is launching a new digital summit. The new format is aimed at business and politics. On November 7th and 8th, major companies, SMEs, start-ups and municipalities will discuss the trends and topics of digitization. There will be four stages in Hall 8 at Cologne Fair: leadership, innovation, technology and practical examples. According to the number of registrations to date, several thousand participants can be expected.
“With the new digital summit, we are seeking to lead a dialog at eye level,” says Hagen Rickmann, Managing Director of Telekom Deutschland's business customer division and patron of DIGITAL2018. “We want to connect start-ups, entrepreneurs from SMEs and corporations, politicians, associations, the media and scientists.”
The program is peppered with prominent speakers. Just to name a few: Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, the expert for artificial intelligence Chris Boos, Telekom boss Tim Höttges, Neil Harbisson (the first person recognized by a government as a "cyborg" with a cybernetic implant in his head against color blindness), motivation coach Vladimir Klitschko and DFB (German Football Association) manager Oliver Bierhoff.
In addition, workshops, best-practice examples from start-ups, SMEs and corporations invite the public to exchange ideas. Further highlights: the presentation of the Digital Champions Awards, which Deutsche Telekom presents together with the German business weekly WirtschaftsWoche to pioneers of digital transformation. In addition, municipal representatives discuss the establishment of gigabit networks in Germany and the supply of cities and communities with broadband connections in the Mayors’ Dialog.
Inspiration, innovation and networking
“Digitization needs more than technology and infrastructure. The combination of digital competence, entrepreneurial expertise and the innovative power of technology pioneers is more important,” says Rickmann. “For all those who have the courage to reinvent themselves, DIGITAL2018 offers exciting impulses and inspiration, new contacts and productive networking.”
As the closing event of the nationwide regional network series "DIGITAL X", DIGITAL2018 sees itself as an incubator of ideas, a catalyst for digital processes, a platform for exchange and a source of ideas.
About Deutsche Telekom: Companyprofile