Digital helpers for the industry
The industry can benefit from the possibilities of digitalisation in many ways - but often still does not. Some start-ups from Düsseldorf are addressing the situation. For example FoxBase and Fero Labs.
Fero Labs, for example, helps industrial production companies to better understand their manufacturing processes. With the help of special Machine Learning (ML) software, they can reduce their raw material consumption, minimize their emissions and continuously improve the efficiency and quality of their processes. Transparency is a major concern of the start-up company: all analysis steps and results can be precisely tracked for the user. Fero Labs’ customers come from various industries: from chemical production and steel companies to automobile manufacturers. The start-up has its headquarters in New York. The European headquarters at the Düsseldorf site are headed by Tim Eschert, who has also conducted research at the Department of Computer Science at Columbia University (New York) and in the robotics laboratory at Rio de Janeiro University. From his base in Düsseldorf, the mechanical engineer has already advised Henkel, among others: The group's engineers now use Fero Labs software to better understand processes in the manufacture of dishwasher tabs and to optimize their planning accordingly. Gerdau, Volvo Trucks and Covestro are also among the five-year-old start-up's customer base. “Nowhere else is the density of potential customers, corporate headquarters and relevant talent for us higher than in and around Düsseldorf. And if we don't find what we're looking for here, the infrastructure takes us to all parts of Germany, Europe, and the rest of the world as conveniently as nowhere else,” says Eschert.
His company offers software for digital product consulting: Benjamin Dammertz of FoxBase
Manages the European headquarters of Fero Labs in Düsseldorf: Mechanical engineer Tim Eschert.
With regard to changes brought about by the Corona pandemic, the site manager explains: “The volatility of the markets in Corona times also means that the
pressure on companies to understand their processes in detail has increased. This means a further acceleration of automation and digitalisation. For our own business, this time means above all to create innovations literally on the sofa, because there is no need to travel for us anymore”.
FoxBase also offers established companies support with digitalisation. The start-up company focuses on distribution. Many B2B providers are having a hard time in this area today: with the abundance of product offers available online, the desire of customers for fast, competent answers is growing. Companies are faced with the challenge of marketing their products online as simply, comprehensibly and efficiently as possible. The solution that FoxBase founders Benjamin Dammertz and Carsten Dolch have developed together with their customers is a software that enables users to receive digital product advice. With the help of an interactive questionnaire, the “Digital Product Selector” transfers the analogue sales talk into digital. The recommendation logic that is used here is based on possible questions that a good salesperson would normally ask in a customer conversation and determines the products that fit the customer’s needs. The software is integrated into the customer's existing websites and is suitable for different industries and company sizes. Henkel is also a major customer for FoxBase: In the group’s Industrial Adhesives business, the “Digital Product Selector” helps customers and sales staff to find the right product. Various “Henkel Adhesive Selectors” are now in use worldwide in several languages. Deutsche Telekom also uses the software to advise business customers on their fixed-network and Internet rates. Medium-sized companies from various industries are also already using the solution. Since it was founded four years ago, the start-up company has been able to build up a large network in this way. The founders particularly appreciate the location Düsseldorf: “Many established companies from a wide range of industries are located here, from ‘hidden champions’ to large corporations,” says Benjamin Dammertz. “Many are open to working with start-ups like us and have digitalization as one of their top priorities on the agenda.”
“Many are open to working with start-ups like us and have digitalization as one of their top priorities on the agenda.”
In the current crisis, it has once again become clear how German companies are approaching digitalisation. “We are currently experiencing two different scenarios. One is that companies put everything on hold and react by stopping investments while observing the market. What we are seeing mostly though are those companies which are even more interested in the digitalisation of their distribution and say: Yes, let's start quickly. The relevance of digitalisation has become clearer to many in recent months”. •
Further Examples:
Numerous other Düsseldorf start-ups are showing the industry how it can take advantage of the opportunities offered by digitalisation. A few examples:
fastersolutions.de
Faster Solutions supports companies in the planning and implementation of robotics projects.
www.roambee.com
Roambee makes it easier for customers to control their goods and assets.
www.vathos-robotics.com
Vathos Robotics is a specialist for machine vision and learning with applications in robotics and industrial automation.
www.acoono.de
Aconno develops networked sensors and hardware solutions.
Words: Elena Winter
Pictures: PR