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CyberForum e.V.

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General Information
The date when the cluster organisation was established: 
Tuesday, 1 July, 1997
Number of staff in the management team of the cluster organisation : 
over 30
Legal form of the cluster organisation: 
Non-Profit
Regions: 
Karlsruhe
Cluster Excellence Label: 
Gold Label
Other Label: 
Cluster-Exzellenz Baden-Württemberg (best IT cluster in Germany); go-cluster certificate of BMWi (2nd place)
Membership to European Strategic Cluster Partnerships (ESCP-4i, ESCP-S3 or ESCP-4x): 
CROSSCUT
Membership to other networks/partnerships: 
NameWebsite
Business Roaming Agreement
http://clusterize.org/
EDIT (MoU)
SCS Secured Communicating Solutions (MoU)
http://en.pole-scs.org/
Cluster Management Team: 
NameSurnamePositionTelephoneEmailGender
David
Hermanns
Cluster Manager
0049 7216028970
hermanns@cyberforum.de
Kerstin
Goos
Internationalisation Responsible
0049 72160289741
goos@cyberforum.de
Female
Link to team description on the cluster's website: 
http://www.en.cyberforum.de/cyberforum/about-cyberforum/cyberteam/
Languages spoken: 
Croatian
English
French
German
Italian
Russian
Serbian
Slovene
Spanish
Sectoral and Industrial Focus
Sectoral Industries: 
Information Technology and Analytical Instruments
Technology fields: 
CRM - Customer relationship Management
Visualisation, Virtual Reality
S3 EU priority areas: 
Cleaner environment & efficient energy networks (e.g. smart grids)
Information service activities
Emerging industries: 
Creative Industries
Digital Industries
Areas of specialisation of the cluster not covered above: 
More than 1,100 members are part of CyberForum network. They are from sectors such as software development, internet portals, e-commerce, IT consulting, social media, games, IT security, software architecture, providers, and from the creative industries.
Composition of the cluster
Total number of members: 
1100
Number of SME members: 
1035
Number of larger company members: 
25
Number of research organisations/universities/technology centres: 
10
Number of other ecosystem actors : 
30
Link to the cluster members’ list: 
http://www.cyberforum.de/mitglieder/unsere-mitglieder/mitglieder-von-a-z/
Entrepreneurship and scale-up support facilities in the cluster's ecosystem (see "Organisation type"): 
Name and link of major players: 
NameWebsiteType
FZI Forschungszentrum Informatik
http://www.fzi.de/en/home/?contentId_=75
Research Organisation
KIT Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
https://www.kit.edu/kit/english
Research Organisation
Fraunhofer Institute
https://www.fraunhofer.de/en.html
Research Organisation
Economic Development Department City of Karlsruhe
www.karlsruhe.de
CAS Software AG
http://www.cas.de/en/homepage.html
SME
ISB AG
http://www.isb-ag.de/
Larger Company
WIBU-Systems AG
http://www.wibu.com/
SME
Telemaxx
www.telemaxx.de
Larger Company
Fritz & Macziol Group
http://www.fum.de/de/
Larger Company
Alphatier
http://www.alphatier.de/
SME
Kizoo Technology Capital GmbH
www.kizoo.com
SME
Volksbank Karlsruhe
https://www.volksbank-karlsruhe.de
Secorvo Security Consulting GmbH
https://www.secorvo.de
SME
Riverbed Technology Labs GmbH
https://www.riverbed.com/de/index.htm
Larger Company
Chrono24 GmbH
www.chrono24.de
SME
andrena objects AG
https://www.andrena.de
SME
netzstrategen GmbH
www.netzstrategen.com
SME
kambeckfilm GmbH
www.kambeckfilm.de
SME
Knuddels GmbH & Co. KG
www.knuddels.de
SME
GRENKE AG
https://www.grenke.de/
Larger Company
United Internet Ventures AG
https://www.united-internet.de/
Larger Company
Chamber of Commerce Karlsruhe
https://www.karlsruhe.ihk.de
kr3m. media GmbH
https://www.kr3m.com
SME
AppSphere AG
https://www.appsphere.com
SME
Blueconomy GmbH
www.blueconomy.net
SME
Sparkasse Karlsruhe Ettlingen
https://www.sparkasse-karlsruhe-ettlingen.de
Hoepfner Strategie
www.hoepfner-bauinvest.de/hoepfner-braeu/strategie/index.php
SME
City Baden-Baden
www.baden-baden.de/
City Bruchsal
https://www.bruchsal.de/
Berres Strategieberatung
www.berres.biz/
Papier Fischer
https://www.papierfischer.de
SME
Steinbeis Europa Zentrum
https://www.steinbeis-europa.de/
HS Karlsruhe - Technik und Wirtschaft
www.hs-karlsruhe.de/
University
Cluster Strategy
Mission/Objectives: 

FROM THE NETWORK, FOR THE NETWORK ...

... is the maxim that inspires the CyberForum. In the center of our attention lies the exchange of experiences, knowledge, contacts and ideas. Here, exciting business ideas take off, businesspeople meet like-minded, (natural) scientists and technology freaks make contact with economically driven people, creative minds and business angels. In short, in the CyberForum “being part of it” truly means being part of a network that offers much more than just business contacts. It represents the excitement to create new things and improve on the status quo, and the openness to lead frank discussions about topics such as the latest technological developments to the inner motivational drivers of employees. And further, the strong conviction that diversity is the driving force, which makes the CyberForum a unique network.

Do you have a formalised strategy?: 
Yes
Do you have a specific strategy focus that addresses internationalisation ?: 
Yes
Services
Support services provided: 
Internationalisation support (= Access to third countries markets)
Access to public support (regional/national programmes, innovation vouchers, etc.)
Access to private funding (connecting to investors, seed-capital, venture-capital, crowd-funding, etc.)
Facilitation of collaboration between members
Support of knowledge transfer
Details of support services: 

In its function as networking platform CyberForum arranges +140 events per year. Specific services & concepts have been designed for all developmental stages of the corporate life-cycle, from start-up consulting, mentoring & coaching to a business congress.

Relevant services

  • Business Roaming Agreement (www.clusterize.org)
  • Networking events (different formats)
  • Organisation of workshops and conferences
  • Own Business Angels Network
  • Organisation of “Pitch Events” for entrepreneurs to find VC (also guiding entrepreneurs, pre-evaluation of idea etc.)
  • Regular newsletters for dissemination (reach: 2.300 recipients per CyberForum newsletter; in cooperation with partners up to 10.000 recipients), social media presence
  • Own PR and event management department with long-time experience
  • Knowledge transfer platform (www.itlotse.de)
  • Mentoring & coaching of entrepreneurs
  • TeamUp – a matchmaking event for entrepreneurs
  • CyberLab – Our own startup accelerator in the premises of CyberForum
  • CyberForum-intern trainings and workshops for innovation processes and other topics

More details here: http://www.en.cyberforum.de/events-networking/business-events/

Cooperation Activities
International Cooperation
The main countries targeted by the cluster organisation: 
India
Puerto Rico
Republic of Korea (South Korea)
United States
Viet Nam
Our cluster organisation undertook the following international activities to support our members: 
Participation at missions/events/study visits/fairs
Trans-national Cooperation
The main countries targeted by the cluster organisation: 
Austria
Estonia
France
Ireland
Slovenia
Our cluster organisation undertook the following trans-national activities to support our members: 
Participation at missions/events/study visits/fairs
Please explain: 

CyberForum is coordinator of the Business Roaming Agreement (www.clusterize.org) a worldwide network of (IT) clusters, with the main scope to increase the collaboration between clusters and to be a useful platform to support the internationalization ventures of the members of the participating clusters. The goal is to visualise the cross-border connections between business service entities and make them all accessible preferably for small & medium sized enterprises (SMEs) globally.

In addition, CyberForum participates regularly at international delegation visits to countries outside the EU in order to establish new contacts to other clusters.

Support Programmes
Participation in Funded Support Programmes: 
European ProgrammesProject Name
FP7
H2020
INTERREG

CyberForum is engaged in European projects since 2008 and was / is coordinator for:

  • 2008-11: iRegions: Internet-based and mobile technologies for regions in the net economy (FP7)
  • 2013-16: UPSIDE: User-Driven Participatory Solutions for Innovation in Digitally-centred Ecosystems (FP7)
  • 2016-18: PERMIDES: Personalised Medicine Innovation through Digital Enterprise Solutions (H2020 / INNOSUP)
  • 2017-2019: FORESDA: Forest-based cross-sectoral value chains fostering innovation and competitiveness in the Danube region (Interreg Danube)

Previous participation as partner:

  • 2009-2012: IT2Rhine: The Transnational IT-Region (Interreg IV Upper Rhine). Focus on transnational IT-cluster cooperation (France, Germany, Switzerland).
  • 2011-2014: CentraLab: Central European Living Lab for Territorial Innovation (Interreg Central Europe). Pilot project with focus on user (citizen) involvement in open innovation processes in urban context (Smart Cities), project focus on living labs and innovation processes.
  • 2011-2014: ClusteriX: Cross-linked Cluster Innovation (as associated partner; Interreg IVC). Focus on transnational, cluster-supported innovation.
  • 2013-2016: Be Wiser: Building Enterprises – Wireless and Internet Security in European Regions (FP7)
  • 2016-19: UrbanInno: Utilizing innovation potential of urban ecosystems (Interreg Central Europe)
Promotion
Success Story / Achievements: 

In October 2014 CyberForum has officially taken over the organization of the Business Roaming Agreement (www.clusterize.org) as a pillar of the internationalization strategy of CyberForum, within the UPSIDE project framework. The official handover of the network coordination took place on October 22nd 2014 at the Palais Niederösterreich in Vienna, during the final conference of the EU project ClusteriX.

Digital Innovation Center (DIZ - http://digitalisierungszentrum.com/) for the Federal State of Baden-Württemberg, hosted by CyberForum and FZI Research Center for Information Technologies. Opening: December 2015. Mission: Raising awareness and providing support for companies of any branch on their way to digitalize their business.

Cyberlab 2.0 – start-up Hotspot of Southern Germany. IT Incubator for the entire federal state of Baden-Württemberg. Opening: February 2016. More information at: http://www.cyberlab-karlsruhe.de/startseite/.

CyberForum will be the coordinator of the leading edge cluster Software Cluster in 2017. The cluster's main area of expertise is business software. In other words, software for managing business processes within and between companies. The member's of the Software-Cluster include the most important German software companies, such as SAP AG (Germany's largest software company) and Software AG (the second largest). However, the cluster also includes numerous medium-sized companies, which are specialists and innovative leaders in their specific areas (for example, proALPHA Software AG, SEEBURGER AG, CAS Software AG). More information at: http://www.software-cluster.org/en/ 

Why should partners choose you for cooperation?: 
  • CyberForum is connected internationally to other -mainly- ICT Clusters, through the Business Roaming Agreement (www.clusterize.org)
  • Involvement and expertise in EU Programs
  • Long-term experience as successful lead partner in EU projects
  • Access to "Karlsruhe ICT Hub" and "Software Cluster" (http://www.software-cluster.org/de/)
  • Huge own company network
  • We have our own Business Angels network with 45 permanent members and more than 200 guest members
  • We have an own incubator / accelerator for startups