Discussing and finding solutions – B. Braun Accelerator boot camp
Connecting people with one another, exchanging knowledge and experiences, and transforming innovative ideas into lasting solutions more quickly: These are the goals of the six-month accelerator program that was launched in November 2017 by B. Braun. Since then, B. Braun has provided four startups with support in the form of individual, tailormade measures for their product development.
Part of the accelerator are, among others, multiday boot camps that are geared towards the company locations Melsungen, Tuttlingen, and Berlin. Boot camp number two took place at the end of May 2018 in Melsungen and Kassel. The inspiring atmosphere of the Science Park from the University of Kassel served as a backdrop, where startup founders and B. Braun mentors met to work on the topics of technical feasibility and joint use cases. The objective was the planning of further steps and the evaluation of the progress made together up until then.
Iva Jankovic and Yatan Blumentahl Vargas, accelerator and design-thinking experts from the betahaus in Berlin, served as facilitators throughout the boot camp and provided participants not only with help in the implementation of new ideas, but also encouraged communication between the participants through interactive input. Along with the status check of the development, above all, the work process and relationship between startup founders and B. Braun employees was paramount. Each of the four teams evaluated their current situation and presented it in the group. In a plenary session, the projects were subsequently discussed and suggestions for solutions were developed and weighed together. For the young companies Recare, Bluedrop Medical, Admetsys, and Boca Health, this was an exciting and helpful way to drive forward their development process.
Alexander Katzung, Vice President Acceleration & Innovation at B. Braun, then summed up the output of the meeting accordingly: “Even if this boot camp was all about finding together potential use cases for the startups’ solutions, it is just as important to provide the young companies with room for their own development.” This is exactly why the employees from B. Braun were on site and energetically offered their support – true to the corporate philosophy “Sharing Expertise”.
Alger Tessin, Senior Manager Marketing & Sales Critical Care at B. Braun, made it clear that the accelerator was all about both sides getting to know one another and changing up their thinking. “As an employee, it is important to obtain new inspiration and better understand new technologies and trends. That makes the participation in this program so interesting. Also, it’s about acquiring new methods of customer centric product development and integrated business-model generation”
Exactly that was accomplished within the scope of the boot camp: All participants were able to drive forward the development process of their product or business area, discuss challenges, and come up with new solutions. After the workshop, the startup representatives then went back to the company with a clear mission: to continue finetuning their products and come up with operational solutions as quickly as possible.