Third phase initiates for hub support
Since April 2024, the Federal Ministry of Economics has launched a call for the expansion of the Digital Marketing Hub Initiative, leading to the addition of 25 de:marketing hubs nationwide by September 2024. These thematic points of contact serve small and medium-sized enterprises, start-ups, research institutions, students, and investors, with three new de:marketing hubs in Baden-Württemberg being funded from 2025 to 2026.
The Baden-Württemberg de:marketing hubs, regional Digital Marketing Hubs, and European Digital Innovation Hubs form the Digital Marketing Hub Network Baden-Württemberg. The three de:marketing hubs funded in the third phase are the de:marketing hub for Applied AI, the de:marketing hub for Digital Chemistry and Health, and one other de:marketing hub related to digital innovation. The specific thematic areas include applied artificial intelligence, digital chemistry, and health sectors.
Each de:marketing hub will receive up to 400,000 euros over two years in the current third funding phase, with the recipients required to provide at least 50 percent co-financing. The de:marketing hubs aim to facilitate national and international cooperation in their respective thematic focus areas, helping small and medium-sized enterprises in the country to open up new business opportunities through partnerships and thus strengthen their competitiveness.
The de:marketing hubs in Baden-Württemberg are located in Karlsruhe, Mannheim/Ludwigshafen, and Stuttgart. They offer support to companies in the fields of applied artificial intelligence, digital chemistry and health, and future industries. The de:marketing hubs serve as thematic input providers for the regional Digital Marketing Hubs and benefit from improved access to regional businesses, research institutions, and other stakeholders.
The de:marketing hubs in Baden-Württemberg are promoted within the initiative "Economy Digital Baden-Württemberg" as thematic lighthouses with international impact. They are intended to bridge the gap to federal activities and initiatives in other states, contributing to the goal of driving forward the transformation of Germany into the world's leading digital marketing location.
The first twelve de:marketing hubs were awarded in spring 2017 by the Federal Ministry of Economics as part of the Digital Marketing Hub Initiative. Since then, the de:marketing hubs have already received state funding in two previous funding phases, starting in 2019 and 2020. The de:marketing hubs in Baden-Württemberg aim to network small and medium-sized enterprises with innovation partners from the start-up scene and science, creating more networking opportunities for businesses in their specific thematic focus areas.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism of Baden-Württemberg is providing funding to these three de:marketing hubs, totaling around 1.2 million euros, from the Double Budget 2025/2026. The focus areas of the de:marketing hubs in Baden-Württemberg include Promotion, Education and Science, Research, Economy, Start-ups, Digitalization, Artificial Intelligence, and Health. The de:marketing hubs will focus on bridging the gap to federal activities and initiatives in other states, fostering a thriving digital marketing ecosystem in Baden-Württemberg.
