Land promotes Smart Services Competence Center

more digitization, more innovation and new digital business models

Minister of Economic Affairs Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut said: "We have to have fundamental thoughts on the country's economy and economic policy. More digitization, more innovation and new digital business models-these are key factors for service providers. And in the service sector, for example when exporting services, Baden-Württemberg still has room for improvement."

Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut brought a clear message from her latest trip to the USA: "Artificial intelligence can change the mobility industry towards more sustainability and smart urban development. In Silicon Valley, the economy has been diversified with good success and also relied on services!"

already over 160 small and medium -sized companies supports

The Smart Services Competence Center has been accompanying service companies in Baden-Württemberg on the topics of digitization and innovation for more than two years. Over 160 small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) have so far been supported in the development of new business models and the implementation of complex data-based service offers, so-called smart service solutions. Over 3,400 companies were also reached in more than 100 events. In addition, the competence center has trained more than 150 consultants who support companies throughout Baden-Württemberg in questions about future innovative business models, the development of new services and the increase in service productivity. The Smart Services Competence Center is now the innovation engine for small and medium-sized service companies in Baden-Württemberg. 

How important the support of the Smart Services competence center is especially for small and medium-sized companies, a study by the competence center confirms: While more than half of the large companies (54 percent) in Baden-Württemberg says that they are already using smart services or if it would be shortly before the introduction is a fifth of the company with less than 250. The result: developing and establishing innovative digital offers will become a question of existence for many SMEs, otherwise they are difficult to survive in competition with large companies

The competence center Smart Services will therefore now set new additional priorities. On the one hand, this is the topic of sustainable services, so -called green services, to make the service companies "fit" for the future and to accompany the necessary transformation processes. Another topic is trend monitoring and the initiation of necessary measures for SMEs, in particular the continuous analysis of an increasingly dynamic environment: Coping with several challenges with energy crisis, supply chain problems, shortage of skilled workers, a successful remaining start according to Corona pandemic and inflation.