Networking and learning from each other: the DigitalHubs in Lower Saxony

Innovations can only ever be effective where they are already known. However, it is not always possible to immediately transfer new inventions from research institutions into existing process chains in industry or to incorporate the many years of experience of practitioners into the development of new products. In order to promote precisely such encounters between science and industry, the state of Lower Saxony has launched DigitalHubs.Niedersachsen to strengthen the transfer of knowledge locally and at the same time make digital technologies tangible. As part of its online seminar series “DIGITAL VORAUS” on February 22, 2022, the Digitalagentur Niedersachsen presented various examples of successful implementations of DigitalHubs. Under the motto “Making digitalization tangible in Lower Saxony”, Nele Bracht from the Digitalagentur Niedersachsen led through the one-hour programme, which was opened by Lower Saxony’s State Secretary for Digitalization Stefan Muhle with a welcoming address. This was followed by a series of three presentations that examined the topic of digital hubs from different perspectives. First, Dr. Marian Köller, Managing Director of Digitalagentur Niedersachsen, presented the status quo of the DigitalHubs.Niedersachsen funding program. In his presentation, he gave an overview of the 15 successfully implemented DigitalHub projects, which are to be increased to over 30 projects in total in the future. Dr. Jasmin Grischke then presented the Center for Robotics in Healthcare (ZeRiG). At the Hanover hub, doctors, nurses and educators as well as robotics and software engineers are working together to identify potential for the use of robotics and AI in medicine and care and to test realistic applications for health and care facilities. Sensitive robots equipped with special tactile sensors and systems play a key role here, for example in applications involving humans. Finally, Sebastian Reh reported on the Center for Digital Transformation and New Work (ZediTA). Located in Hamelin’s train station, the hub combines an event center and coworking space in a 700 m² complex in the historic Kaisersaal, where students from Weserbergland University of Applied Sciences can freely exchange ideas and enrich each other’s content in cross-system cooperation groups with employees from the city and district administration and local businesses. In the online seminar series “DIGITAL VORAUS”, the Digitalagentur Niedersachsen focuses on current topics relating to digitalization every month. The digital agency is part of the Innovationszentrum Niedersachsen GmbH.