From 18-20 October 2018, Werkstätte Wattens hosted the Alpine Tech_ Innovation Sprint in cooperation with its partners I.E.C.T. Hermann Hauser and MAD. The event brought together nine international startups from Italy, Belgium, Norway, Switzerland, Austria and Germany with representatives from the Tyrolean tourism industry. The three-day Sprint focused on data control, guest experience and customer journey. It was co-sponsored by Tirol Werbung and Standortagentur Tirol.
Alpine Tech_ Innovation Sprint promotes innovation and development for Alpine tourism businesses. The Sprint recently hosted by Werkstätte Wattens allowed startups and hospitality businesses to meet and work on specific problems for 24 hours. The results were presented on the final day to an expert committee, investors and the interested public. Alexander Koll, head of Werkstätte Wattens, sees great potential in this tool: “Ideally, the Sprint creates long-term business relationships between startups and tourism businesses. Our objective is to further promote Alpine Technology in Tyrol by offering regular programmes that bring together startups and established businesses. We’ll be expanding this approach beyond tourism and software by launching cooperation programmes for other Alpine industries such as infrastructure, sports equipment and athletic clothing.”
Christian Klingler from Tirol Werbung, the Tirol Tourist Board, is convinced that these types of events foster innovation: “At Tirol Werbung, we are actively helping tourist destinations with their digital transformation. Formats like the Alpine Tech_ Innovation Sprint are ideal for quickly transforming ideas into real projects. This is why we sponsored two specific challenges faced by all Tyrolean tourist destinations. The results of this Sprint will be utilized and discussed with interested tourist boards to determine next steps. We strongly believe in the future of such events and are pleased that a few first innovators from the tourism industry already participated in this pioneering event. I hope further destinations will soon follow suit.”
The Italian university spin-off Emoj successfully won the public voting held at Umbrüggler Alm in Innsbruck with a special solution Emoj developed for the Swarovski Crystal Worlds. They were awarded 1,000 euros as well as a consulting package from Werkstätte Wattens, I.E.C.T. Hermann Hauser and MAD. More importantly, they will be continuing their cooperation launched during the Alpine Tech_Innovation Sprint.
contact
Nataša Oberleiter
natasa.oberleiter@destination-wattens.at
+43 664 88784900