Short format with updates on key developments and success stories from the innovation region of Saxony – with perspectives from politics, finance, and innovation support.

What makes industry competitive in the long term, and why does IT play a decisive role in this? The keynote uses concrete examples to show how digital technologies, data, and scalable platforms are becoming the foundation of modern industrial innovation capability.

The panel discusses how local innovation power can translate into European impact. It focuses on how framework conditions, funding instruments, and partnerships need to be designed so that regional actors – from start‑ups and SMEs to research institutions – can unlock their innovation potential and contribute to Europe’s economic transformation.

Brainlab has evolved from a mid‑sized software innovator into a global medical‑technology leader offering integrated platforms across image guidance, robotics, and digital OR solutions. Under CEO Rainer Birkenbach, the company accelerates its shift toward scalable, digitally connected systems – showcasing the transformative strength of the German Mittelstand.

The keynote explores how Europe can strategically advance capital raising, liquidity, and exit opportunities to strengthen its global competitiveness and drive sustainable growth.

Time for informal exchange, networking, and a visit to the exhibition.

Following an inspiring keynote, the top six Saxon founders with a migration background pitch on stage. They receive valuable jury feedback and have the chance to qualify for the Grand Finals in Frankfurt am Main.

Transformation in SMEs does not succeed through technology alone, but through people who actively shape change. It is about attracting talent, inspiring teams, and creating a culture that enables sustainable transformation and ensures long-term success

The SPRIN-D podcast with Prof. Jörg Lässig shows how the quantum internet is becoming the next wave of technological transformation and setting new standards for secure communication. It explains why medium‑sized companies in particular can benefit early – from new business models to completely new forms of digital collaboration.

This fireside chat offers practical insights into how leading companies are driving industrial transformation through automation and robotics. Using regional success stories from the Mittelstand and global perspectives, participants receive impulses on how they can use innovation and digital technologies to secure and expand their competitiveness and which overarching market trends are becoming visible.

While others are still waiting for the right moment, Gen Z has already taken the next step. At 20 years old, Katharina Zieße Suari is a board member and head of the Education Department at the Young Founders Network, initiator of the Female Entrepreneurship Summit, and founder of the YouTube channel “Jung, Pleite, Selbstständig”. She is surrounded by young founders every day, hears their stories, knows their hurdles – and has her finger on the pulse of a generation that is rewriting the rules.

The stage belongs to the young generation: four teams show in 3‑minute micro‑pitches how they do not just imagine the future, but build it – honoured with the futureSAX Special Award as part of Saxon and national NextGenSupport competitions.

The keynote demonstrates how medium‑sized companies can elevate their processes, creativity, and competitiveness through the targeted use of artificial intelligence. Using practical examples from his own business experience, he illustrates how AI does not replace but empowers the Mittelstand, making it stronger and future‑ready.

Closing of the day programme and transition to the award ceremony for the Saxon Start‑up Award 2026.

The winners of the Saxon Start‑up Award 2026 will be honoured. The competition, organised by the Saxon State Ministry for Economic Affairs, Labour, Energy and Climate Protection, celebrates innovative business ideas and start‑up concepts that shape the future of Saxony as a business location – for the 26th time.

InnoStartBonus recipients pitch their innovative business ideas, and members of the Saxony-wide expert panel present their work in start-up support.

How can we equip young people for tomorrow’s challenges? This panel brings together different perspectives to show how joint, cross‑generational participation can work – and why it is crucial for building future skills. Together for more #InnovationmadeinSaxony.

Time for informal exchange, networking, and a visit to the exhibition.

AI automates workflows, accelerates processes, and strengthens competitiveness. This leaves more time for what truly matters: human interaction and relationship‑building. In this interactive panel discussion, you will learn how multipliers in the Saxon Corporate Partner Network optimise their own processes and support SMEs in implementing AI in a targeted way.

How do different approaches bring research results into application and the market, and which instruments close gaps in the “valley of death”? Funding models and practical examples are critically examined – with a focus on benefits, limitations, and suitable approaches for each project stage.

Discover current patents in the field of robotics that offer solutions to your business challenges, and use the opportunity to initiate cooperation on site.

Saxon start‑up partners present themselves and their support services. They also each bring one best‑practice team whose pitch offers an authentic insight into how the collaboration works.

Two seasoned entrepreneurs share first‑hand experiences of how innovation and transformation have helped them steer their companies through crises – and why they now invest in innovative start‑ups themselves.

AI is not a short‑lived technology trend but a long‑term driver of business development. The panel shows how companies, start‑ups, and investors can leverage the opportunities of AI by adopting a new mindset and creating the right framework conditions.

Time for informal exchange, networking, and a visit to the exhibition.

Open exchange on the path through early‑stage financing – with highs, lows, and valuable lessons for young start‑up teams.

How can medium‑sized companies successfully master their next growth step? This panel uses a best‑practice example to show how established Saxon companies work with investors to create sustainable growth.

Women are shaping tech – between progress and a relapse into old role clichés. Meet inspiring women in tech who are rethinking leadership, innovation, and careers – and who are shaping the tech world with courage, expertise, and conviction.

Discover how companies from Saxony and Silicon Valley leverage venture clienting to accelerate innovation and market adoption. The session highlights practical case studies, key success factors, and strategies for effective collaboration between corporates, SMEs, and start-ups in global markets.

The shift to a bio-based economy links biological resources, technology, and innovation to create sustainable growth. At the Saxon Innovation Exchange, business and research pioneers present solutions showing how bio-based innovations transform industries – from materials and food to industrial production.

Presentation of innovative solutions for government and industry that emerged from a two‑day thinkathon. The session shows how regional actors jointly develop, test, and implement new ideas for administration, business, and society.

Time for informal exchange, networking, and a visit to the exhibition.

Every stage of a start‑up’s life comes with highs and lows – and it is far better to experience them with the right people. In this live podcast, we talk about team development – through the eyes of a founder from the world of science and from the perspective of the next generation of founders.

Regional and supra‑regional innovation networks use different approaches to connect the shared vision of their networks and stakeholders. Get to know three models and discover how networks accelerate transfer, make cooperation easier, and shape new ecosystems.

Ten of Saxony's most innovative start‑ups present themselves live on stage to investors as part of their current financing round.

Baltic and Polish industry experts and decision‑makers offer exclusive insights into their technologies. Saxon companies have the opportunity to explore international cooperation and market‑entry opportunities. The guests have been invited through a SAXONY!visit project, which is coordinated and organised by Wirtschaftsförderung Sachsen GmbH.

The Infineon Startup Challenges enable international start-ups to develop and deliver innovative solutions fast, supported by hardware and know-how from a broad partner network. This year’s edition focuses on humanoid robotics – three of the selected start-ups will pitch their solutions live on stage.

Marko Popović, a Slovak innovation manager at CCSI – Creative Industry Košice, demonstrates how creative skills can be purposefully combined with industrial challenges. As part of the EU‑funded Label4Future project, he is developing cross‑innovation formats that make collaboration across national and sectoral boundaries easier.

In this panel discussion, four experts talk about the practice and impact of cross innovation in Saxony: from combining arts and crafts with space technology, to more efficient AI‑based medical diagnostics enabled by communication design, through to 28 success stories from Lusatia and the Ore Mountains that demonstrate the added value of co‑creative collaboration.

In this interview, entrepreneur Pierre Beer from GETT Gerätetechnik GmbH shares examples of his company’s collaboration with start‑ups and, together with Christoph Rommel from BayStartUP, analyses the success factors, opportunities, and potential of partnerships between small and medium‑sized enterprises and start‑ups.

Spotlight on innovation and mentoring! On the Sustainability Stage, we put valuable partnerships in the spotlight: an interview about a real innovation success story meets best‑practice mentoring – complemented by tried‑and‑tested mentoring approaches for your own success.

Artificial intelligence turns pure efficiency into a given. The how and what of our work is increasingly automated. As a result, the why of a company shifts from a soft marketing factor to its strongest competitive advantage.

Which actors finance social and sustainable innovations – and with what motivations? The session highlights different financing sources, from crowdfunding to impact investments.

How do social innovation projects actually generate impact – and how can this impact be measured and communicated convincingly? The session brings together perspectives from funding practice and impact research and shows which approaches help make impact visible in a meaningful way.

Two start‑up investors discuss the current state of sustainability – what it truly means for companies and investors today, how it is evolving, and what really matters in practice when it comes to impact investing.

Experience how research inspires – in a thrilling science slam, Saxon science comes to life on stage in a tangible and exciting way. Researchers present their topics in a compact, entertaining format that makes complex content accessible and fun.

A lecture for students interested in starting a business, outlining the journey from the initial business idea to a registered start‑up – presented from both a theoretical and a practical perspective.

Time for informal exchange, networking, and a visit to the exhibition.

Practical experience report from a lawyer and investor on what start‑ups and business angels should consider when entering into a partnership – and what they often fail to do. The session highlights typical stumbling blocks in contracts and deal structures and shows how to avoid them.

The Forum for Digital Technologies presents a “best of” selection of BFTR‑funded projects with a focus on artificial intelligence. Discover AI‑based solutions for process and knowledge optimisation tailored to small and medium‑sized businesses, as well as free services for developing AI applications. In the subsequent networking session, project representatives connect with interested companies and potential users.

Brilliant idea, flawed contract. Strong team, unclear roles. Revolutionary technology, overlooked intellectual property rights. A grand vision – but the fine print kills the deal. The path from idea to company is complex, and legal mistakes are among the most common stumbling blocks. In this moderated discussion, two experienced attorneys from Battke Grünberg, together with founders, bring real stories to the stage: honest insights into typical mistakes, critical decisions, and what, in hindsight, should have been done differently.

Together with grant recipients and interested stakeholders from the research and business communities, the Saxon State Ministry of Science, Culture, and Tourism (SMWK) gathers ideas and input. The goal is to identify strategic priorities for future research funding and to further support the transfer of research findings into the Saxon economy.

AI is changing learning, leadership, and work – but real development requires culture: openness, courage, and trust so that people and machines can grow together. Experience inspiring ideas, four practical use cases, and open discussion in four rounds of talks on AI as a supportive tool in human resources development.

The workshop “My solution – your problem?” demonstrates how ideas can evolve into concrete business opportunities. Through perspective shifts, brief interviews, and practical exercises, participants learn how to better understand the problems of their target groups in order to derive specific niches and market potentials. The focus is on questioning existing solution assumptions and identifying genuine needs.

Serial founders share three no‑fluff workshops on scaling: how to reach your audience at scale, how to keep your business model robust under growth pressure, and how to lead your team through phases of high‑velocity expansion.

The innovation workshop brings together stakeholders from the business and creative sectors for a 60‑minute innovation sprint to rethink specific challenges and develop solutions. Practical, interdisciplinary, and solution‑focused, the format provides targeted innovation impulses. Registration via KREATIVES SACHSEN is required for this curated event.

At the World Café session “Growth through Succession”, participants explore different facets of business succession through acquisition. In short, focused discussion groups, they discuss how a business acquisition can be successfully implemented as a strategic step towards growth.

In eight expert rounds, innovation managers and transfer stakeholders come together to discuss core innovation topics, start new collaborations, and gain practical impulses for joint innovations.

In this interactive workshop, participants develop a clear picture of their target group in a playful way. Using the magazine game, they creatively put themselves in the shoes of potential users and develop tangible target‑group profiles.

The shortage of skilled workers affects companies across all sectors. Saxon networks and clusters present practical strategies for securing talent – from innovative approaches to attracting young professionals to digital and automated solutions for a future‑proof world of work.

Researchers and postdocs celebrate their graduation at the Career Center of Helmholtz‑Zentrum Dresden‑Rossendorf and show how scientific careers and innovation can go hand in hand.

General assembly of TransferAllianz – the German Association for Knowledge and Technology Transfer. Participation is reserved for members.