Column: What worries Würmser
Startup-friendly?
It's taken a long time, but something like a culture of innovation is finally developing in Germany. Artificial intelligence, robotics, IoT, big data and autonomous mobility promise nothing less than to reinvent the world. Exciting. And then this: let the following dialog melt in your mouth. As the chairwoman of the jury for a technical logistics award, I have had this or similar conversations many times in recent weeks, without exception with start-ups.
"We want to apply," says the caller.
I explain the conditions of participation: ".... and if you are nominated, your product will be tested."
My counterpart: "Tested? Why? That's not usual."
Me: "We test the finalists to verify whether the information is correct and also have the value of the innovation scientifically assessed."
"Really? (pause) Okaaay? (pause) No, we definitely don't want that," says my counterpart fiercely.
Me: "Why not?".
Answer: "The real performance data is secret. We have enough inquiries as it is". Or: "That's not start-up-friendly." And then: "There are plenty of other prizes that are easier to win."
That's right. In fact, it's almost impossible for a logistics start-up not to win an award. The main thing is that the story is good. It is obviously not a requirement that the products also have to be good. Yes, doesn't anyone take a closer look anymore? Is it all about the show?
Even from the Lion's Den, which cannot be denied its entertainment value and even more so its pioneering achievements, innovations are shouting at us that - once you have the products in your hand - it is surprising that anyone would spend a single cent on them. The only difference is that logistics is not about overpriced sportswear or super-sweet wellness drinks for a few euros, but about investments in technologies on which the existence of a company depends. Who needs an AI robot that can't pick in three shifts what a moderately fit pensioner can easily do in one? Bloated software, poor mechanics, unsuitable basic technologies, subterranean performance - it doesn't matter. In the exuberance of start-up sentiment, anything that says disruptive or smart on it is celebrated. Questioning is undesirable or even typically German.
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