Whether at the North Frisian coast or in the county’s cities, where internet use is concerned, the people of Schleswig-Holstein are positioned right at the front. A good 70 per cent of the population in the time being makes use of the virtual net. Schleswig-Holstein occupies the third place in the countries ranking for areas of low population and the sixth place altogether. This statistic indicates what other numbers point towards: not only rapeseed is growing rapidly in Schleswig-Holstein, but also lively IT and media fields. From 1990 up until this day, the number of IT and media companies has tripled and risen to around 15,000. With a portion of 20 per cent in the service area, in the time being, they count towards the most important lines of business in the state.
Yet not only the quantity, but also the quality is convincing: the Schleswig-Holstein IT company c.a.r.u.s HMS GmbH is currently developing a new software programme to the name of “ViSoR – Virtual Screening optimizing the Reality” and in this venture is supported by the state’s Zukunftsprogramm Wirtschaft. Through computer-supported calculation operations, “ViSoR” shall significantly simplify and speed up the development of new medication in the future.
b+m Informatik AG from Melsdorf attracted a lot of interest towards the end of the year 2008 at the “Medica” – the world-largest exhibition in the medical field – with its product “b+m op manager”. The software supports out-patient operation room centres, optimizes calendar and resources management and breaks down overcapacity, which is unavoidable in times of increasing financial pressure within the health sector.
The IT company b+m Informatik AG develops innovative software for the medical field.
In comparison, another IT company in Schleswig-Holstein is successful in the banking and insurance sectors: over 600 German banks have already integrated the VISOR computer check by the company Coronic in Kiel into their online-banking services. This check allows clients to be able to make sure that their internet connection is secure, before carrying out financial business on the internet. Knowing about the flaws and potentials of the medium internet also aided the Schleswig-Holstein company Cliplister in its path to success. The 2007 founded company meanwhile is at the top of the European market in the distribution of video clips for online shops.
Whether in the health sector, financial field or trade, modern information and communication technologies are implemented everywhere. As cross-section technologies, they have the potential to be innovation drivers and to support the region’s competitiveness in a sustainable way.
The IT and media landscape of Schleswig-Holstein is marked by many innovative, yet smaller and medium-sized companies. Networking is therefore one of the most important building blocks for the road to success. Already by the end of the 1990s, companies from the IT and media fields got together and founded the two organizations “SH://MIT – Schleswig-Holsteinischer Verband für Multimedia und Informationstechnologie e.V.” and “Community Treff – Förderkreis Digitale Wirtschaft e.V.” With numerous networking events, seminars and workshops, the new lobby of the field formed a lively knowledge transfer and mutual exchange of information. The number of the members grew consistently. Also the state government of Schleswig-Holstein soon recognized the potential of the field and its organizational structures. It has supported the IT and media fields since 2006 through the establishment of the cluster management Digitale Wirtschaft Schleswig-Holstein.
The main aim of the cluster management is the support of the competitiveness of the contributing companies and associations as well as the creation of future-directed work places. In particular, this points towards improved cooperation between economy and science, the intensification of knowledge and technology transfer as well as the support of innovations through cooperation. The cluster management carrier is WTSH, Wirtschaftsförderung und Technologietransfer Schleswig-Holstein GmbH. Through integration into the WTSH, the cluster management offers the best possible access to other fields and technological fields of interest as well as also to the state’s possibilities for grants. The cluster management is partially subsidized by the state within the context of the “Zukunftsprogramm Wirtschaft”. The remaining financial support is based on the contributions of the cluster companies as members of the organization Digitale Wirtschaft. It is not least of all for this reason that cooperation between the organization Digitale Wirtschaft Schleswig-Holstein e.V. and the cluster management is very close. Together, they are programming the digital economy of Schleswig-Holstein to carry out its best performance!
The author was born in 1971 and studied in Hamburg and Ireland. Following her state examination, she worked at DoubleClick International Techsolutions in Dublin. In 2005 she transferred to the Digital Hub Development Agency, who are responsible for the largest digital media cluster in Ireland. In 2009 she took over the project leadership in cluster management of Digitale Wirtschaft Schleswig-Holstein.
The author studied Business Administration in Kiel. He was media spokesman and marketing head of Hansapark Sierksdorf. Following this, he took over the head of customer services for fluxx AG and in 2000 founded the Kiel marketing agency New Communication. He has been on the board of governors of the organization Digitale Wirtschaft Schleswig-Holstein e.V. since 2005 and since 2007, their chairman.
