High Tech Summit – Reflections from EKTOS

25 October 2018
High Tech Summit – Reflections from EKTOS

High Tech Summit is new within the Danish technology fair scene. This year’s event at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) on October 10 and 11 is the second in the history of the fair. EKTOS was represented at the fair for the first time. We are here to share our reflections about the fair in case you did not make it to the High Tech Summit this year.

High Tech Summit wants to be a place where research, business, and, partly, decision makers meet to shape technological development. The fair managed to attract a significant number of visitors. According to the organizers, more than 5600 people attended, of which around 1400 were students and 260 were from start-ups. The remaining were visitors from research institutions as well as public and private companies.

Watch the video made by the organizers of the High Tech Summit:

A large number of new companies have roots in DTU

As an electronics consultancy with the main market in Scandinavia, we saw great potential in being present at the fair and being recognized as qualified development and test partners by the new companies that originate from DTU. A survey conducted by the consultancy firm IRIS Group shows that around 2,200 new companies have sprung from DTU since 1999 and that the start-up companies are performing significantly better than the national average within the same industry in the same period. An example of a company with roots in DTU is Airtame, which launched the latest version of their product, a device for screen sharing, at High Tech Summit – a device that EKTOS Testing & Reliability Services has tested and supported in getting certified.

Matchmaking – Smaller gap from idea to product

The organizers of the High Tech Summit had planned dedicated initiatives to link start-ups with the knowledge and skills they need to realize their ideas. One of the initiatives was matchmaking sessions. Twelve themes were discussed at different tables, moderated by experts on the respective themes.

Our table with the theme of “product development” was visited by lecturers, representatives of established companies, a number of startups, and a single supplier. We discussed relevant questions about everything from the maintenance of software documentation to how to prepare students for the transition into private business.

The matchmaking sessions were a great way for us to get new contacts. However, it was the first time that the concept was tested at the High Tech Summit, which we noticed due to a few minor coordination difficulties.

Particularly the first day was very busy at High Tech Summit

Are we visionary enough in Denmark?

“I have come to get more insight into where we are regarding technological progress in Denmark,” answered several guests at our booth when we asked them why they had come to High Tech Summit. The conversations led to the question which was also discussed diligently on the main stage, that is: “What role should technology play in Danish society?” One of the visitors to our stand commented that there are a lot of good ideas in Denmark, but in Japan hotels exist that are only run by robots – why is it not Nordic countries that are pushing the boundaries?”

The president of DTU, Anders Overgaard Bjarklev, emphasized the need for a new, visionary strategy for technological innovation in Denmark. Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen responded in his opening speech by emphasizing the government’s ambitious climate goals and the role of technology in achieving the goals. By linking research and technological inventions to sustainable development we can make profitable business, Lars Løkke pointed out.

 

We are where it happens

Compared to our experience as exhibitors one month prior at E-18 in Odense and Tec Lund in Scania, where we had many conversations about specific projects, High Tech Summit was characterized by wider networking within the industry. We see High Tech Summit as a serious initiative that strengthens our industry both in Scandinavia and internationally by creating a platform for early collaboration between research institutions and public and private companies. EKTOS and other consultancies are an important part of the network, and we are happy to be involved.

EKTOS in action at High Tech Summit

Read a more thorough review of the Prime Minister’s speech here: http://www.elektronikfokus.dk/forskning-skal-hurtigt-ud-i-industrien/

Source of the DTU survey: https://www.dtu.dk/english/news/2018/09/dtu-behind-two-new-companies-a-week?id=d3808ff0-216e-4994-abee-9d22e43a3016

Contact Us