A weekend full of innovative ideas

Werther, 19.10.2021
Hinterland Hack hackathon held in Bielefeld

The Founders Foundation Hinterland Hack hackathon took place in Bielefeld in September. Competitors from various fields had the opportunity to work together in small project teams to solve technical or commercial challenges and develop collaborative new digital business models.

This year Poppe + Potthoff was given the chance to contribute its own challenge for the competitors. The task set was to develop an intelligent hydrogen distribution system which would form the basis of a digital business model for P+P. Two project teams signed up for the P+P Challenge. When Solution Day came around on Sunday afternoon and it was time to present their solutions to the audience, the teams could look back on a strenuous weekend devoted to creative work, sometimes lasting until 2.00 am. They were, however, not completely alone. In addition to their collaborative work they also took part in several mentoring sessions during which mentors specifically selected to help with the challenge gave them advice. The P+P Challenge competitors, for example, were supported by staff from a specialist sensor manufacturing company. With their assistance, the teams were able to come up with solutions to the sensor technology challenges presented by an intelligent hydrogen distribution system.

At the end of the event Poppe + Potthoff chose one of the two project teams as the P+P Challenge “champion”. The winners came up with a business model which envisages P+P working in partnership with other players to create a network to map H2 charging stations and potential H2 withdrawal stations. Within the context of this network a P+P intelligent hydrogen distribution system could make it possible to plan journeys more efficiently. P+P is already in talks with various companies to discuss how these concepts could be implemented.

Independent of the promising outcome of the corporate challenge, the Hinterland Hack was a great success for P+P. A creative exchange of ideas with a large number of participants from a diverse range of industries allowed the company to make valuable contacts and identify exciting starting points for innovative ideas. P+P is already looking forward to the next Hinterland Hack!