Seven stations of the future
Anyone boarding the bus on route 72* at Linz Central Station will experience a journey into the future. A bus route that leads into the Digital Mile and was co-initiated by the 110 companies and their 3,500 employees. Seven stops from the tobacco factory to the new port portal. Seven stations that impressively demonstrate the transformation of the city. The heads of digital innovators smoke in what was once Europe's largest cigarette factory.
"A critical mass is needed"
CHEFINFO: What was the original idea behind networking companies on the Digital Mile?
Georg Spiesberger: The DiMi had one initial goal: to make the location attractive to external parties. People should know about DiMi and everyone should know that there are lots of cool companies here. We have a unique mix of large, established companies and small start-ups. It was a funny coincidence that shortly after we launched the DiMi, the Minister for Digitalization Schramböck visited Linz and we were presented to her as an "important" digitalization initiative. I was therefore able to offer the companies a working meeting with the responsible minister just a few days after our first meeting, which brought me, but especially the initiative, a lot of reputation.
CHEFINFO: How did you manage to bring together companies that are competing for IT talent?
Spiesberger: There was a quick consensus that we all have requirements that one person cannot solve alone. We started with something simple: German courses for expats. We didn't need 70 people to travel to the WIFI, we brought the trainers here and they held the courses exactly as our people needed them. Then the topic of childcare came up in the summer. One company already had experience with forest weeks for six to ten-year-olds and we rolled out the concept for everyone. We then expanded the offer with our own technology camp. We knocked down open doors at HTL Leonding and Coderdojo, for example. At the DiMi Camp, employees from the companies also volunteer as mentors. Today, we have a summer STEM program for 180 children. This was followed by joint sports programs, further training and events. We can also better represent public interests as a group. It's not just a single company that goes to politicians when it has a concern, but we go together. Overall, it's always about synergies, about issues that you can't tackle alone because you need a critical mass.
CHEFINFO: Animportant element is social commitment such as charity events. Why is this so important?
Spiesberger: We can initiate things and get them going; to establish them sustainably, we need additional driving forces. In my experience, purpose is one of the biggest drivers. And we create opportunities for this at DiMi: be it as a coordinator for sports programs, as a mentor for childcare, at Bubble Days or with a mobile punch stand that moves from company to company. The employees run it and the proceeds are donated. This commitment to others strengthens our community and creates resources to make things happen in the first place.
This is how the cover story of the current CHEFINFO begins...if you want to read the whole story behind the DIGITAL MILE Linz, just click on the link:
https://epaper.chefinfo.at/2024/Chefinfo-Magazin-02-2024/16/