12.10.2023
12.10.2023
Attending the inaugural Innovative Leaders Conference in Mainz as a guest of honor is certainly a special occasion. On October 10, 2023, I, Kristian Kraft, along with Michael Louis, had the pleasure of doing just that. As finalists for the AI Innovation Award with nele.ai, we were naturally eager for the event. The conference theme was "Learning from Germany's Best," and it was held at the Schott AG facilities—a true hub of innovation.
The conference was hosted by the F.A.Z.-Institut and the FAZ, which promised a high-quality event from the start. It certainly did not disappoint. The opening address was delivered by Dr. Frank Heinricht, CEO of Schott, who impressively demonstrated the company's innovative spirit and the vital role innovation plays there.
Next, Prof. Dr. Thomas Kropf from Bosch spoke about implementing innovation within a company. He shared his experiences and provided fascinating insights into Bosch's internal processes. It was particularly impressive to see how innovation is systematically integrated into their corporate culture.
Another highlight was the presentation by Stefan Bauer from Lilly Pharma. He is a captivating speaker who energized the entire room. His talk focused on collaboration as equals and how it drives innovation. His ideas were inspiring and opened up new perspectives for us.
He was followed by Torsten Albig, the former Minister-President of Schleswig-Holstein. He discussed the transformation of Philip Morris and how they had to realign themselves in the face of societal change. His insights were highly revealing and showed that innovation is inevitable, even for established companies.
Alexander Barion from Fidelity then spoke about innovation in marketing, presenting various use cases for generative AI. His presentation illustrated how AI can revolutionize marketing and offered compelling examples.
In addition to these talks, the event was enriched by panel discussions and further presentations, from which we consistently gained new insights. The variety of topics and the expertise of the speakers made the conference a truly valuable experience.
We are especially proud that nele.ai was selected as one of the 12 finalists out of over 70 applicants. Even though we didn't win the AI Award, it is an honor to have been nominated. The atmosphere among the participants was fantastic, and everyone was enthusiastic about the possibilities AI holds for our future.
The conference made it clear that AI has already arrived in large corporations. The challenge now is to implement AI in small and medium-sized enterprises as well. We must ensure that Germany remains a hub for innovation and that SMEs have access to the latest technologies.
My personal takeaway from the conference is extremely positive. I learned a great deal, made interesting contacts, and was inspired to continue working on the innovative development of our company and our clients. I am already looking forward to the next Innovative Leaders Conference and am certain it will be just as rewarding.
