The B2B and Matchmaking Event was held on 08 – 10 May 2023 in Vienna, where six Kosovar ICT businesses (one at his own expense) had the opportunity to meet with Austrian and other EU and non EU businesses from ICT companies with the aim to explore potential business opportunities and establish direct cooperation. The event was organised in cooperation with The Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), VOSI, WKO/Advantage Austria, The Vienna Business Agency, TU Wien, Accent Incubator, St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences, Enterprise Europe Network, and Enterprise Europe Network Kosovo (Prishtina REA).
During the first day (8th of May), after the 8 AM registration phase, Welcome Addresses from Vienna Business Agency; Federal Ministry of Labour and Economy; Austrian Federal Economic Chamber; Austrian Research Promotion Agency introduced the conference and gave insights on what to expect in 3 days full of digital business. Keynotes on topics of Computational Sustainability, Digital Transformation, Quantum Computing followed, as well as lectures from top innovative and digital companies from EU and US.
The first B2B meetings took place later on the same day, all at Vienna City Hall. The day concluded on an Evening Reception, by enjoying typical Viennese Food and networking with a glass of Austrian wine, taking part around 200 participants.
The second day (9th of May) begun with workshops at the Conference, being followed up by Pitching battles in front of International Investors. With a lunch break and a Keynote session on the topics of Innovation Ecosystem; Blockchain; and Unicorn in between, the workshops and activities of the day in the City Hall were done. Another additional event, took part at the evening, when the Kosovar ICT Delegation organised a Thematic Salon on the topic of “Digitalisation- The way we Prosper” between Kosovar specialists, professors, entrepreneurs and students of ICT & Digital sector living in Vienna, hosted by the Embassy of the Republic of Kosovo in Austria within their premises.
The 10th of May commenced with the participants’ arrival in Tulln with an introduction into the business ecosystem and programmes presented by the hosting partner Accent Inkubator & Prishtina REA. Pitches of the Kosovar ICT businesses and start-ups with the counterpart businesses and start-ups from Austria were presented, including common business discussions among them, before having a tour around the House of Digitalisation with a presentation of the project on “Innovation services in the mobility sector”. With a lunch break in between, the Kosovar ICT Delegation continued its visits to the St Pölten University of Applied Sciences, where they had the chance to get a closer look to the labs, have discussions with Alumni Start-ups, Present the ICT for Kosovo’s Growth Project and have presented Projects of the St Pölten’s.