Due to the advancing digitalization and the trend towards Industry 4.0, small and medium enterprises (SME) are forced to implement measures to adapt to the accompanying changes. In that process, the companies are often missing sufficient information, how to proceed in this transformation. Also, implementation projects that could showcase good practices with the potential to work as demonstration material, are missing.

 The goal of the project is, to discern relevant developments, inform SME and the craft industries regarding these developments and present fitting solution concepts. Digitalization in the economic cluster is analyzed regarding costs, utility, and also opportunities and risks. The project supports SME in their endeavours to implement digital technologies and business models. Meanwhile, good practice models will be used as demonstrators. The necessary knowledge is provided through qualification offerings. Additionally, employment effects that are affected by the digizalization, are analyzed.

 To realize these goals, the project has been divided into four working packages.

The project focusses on Hamburg, but will eradiate into the metropolitan region.

The Mittelstand 4.0-Kompetenzzentrum Hamburg is one of currently 14 Mittelstand 4.0 competence centers. These are part of the promotion initiative „Mittelstand 4.0 – Digitale Produktions- und Arbeitsprozesse“ (digital production- and working processes) that is promoted by the federal ministry for economy and energy (BMWi). The Mittelstand 4.0-Kompetenzzentrum Hamburg is aimed at SME in the metropolitan region Hamburg and supports them with regards to the digitalization of processes and products. The area of logistics is one area of special attention within the project. The Handelskammer Hamburg Service GmbH is consortium manager. Additional project partners are the Technical University Hamburg, the Helmut-Schmidt-University, the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences and the Handwerkskammer Hamburg. Please visit the project homepage for more information (www.kompetenzzentrum-hamburg.digital/).