This year, the Hamburg Future Award is looking for a startup whose solution approach can create an economically strong, sustainable and livable city of the future. We will participate in the Hamburg Future Award for the first time this year and enter the race with our CARGO M.
"The solutions for the most important problems of our time can be found in logistics, mobility and especially in connection with green hydrogen," explains Michael Westhagemann, Senator for Economic Affairs of the City of Hamburg. A business model with impact for sustainable cities and a connection to these three areas is therefore a prerequisite for participation in the Future Hamburg Award. The submissions will be evaluated by international experts, such as Ralf Belusa, Managing Director of Hapag Lloyd AG, Clare Jones, CCO of what3words and Markus Sontheimer, CIO/CDO and Member of the Board of Schenker AG.
The winning startup will receive a one-month residency at Plug and Play's Sunnyvale, California office as part of the Accelerator program to build out its sustainable solution approach. Plug and Play is this year's main partner of the award and, with its network of over 30,000 startups and 400 companies, represents one of the most important players in the international startup industry.
Saeed Amidi, founder and CEO of the innovation platform Plug and Play Tech Center from Silicon Valley, sees great transformation potential in the collaboration: "I think Hamburg can show the world how a smart city can work, because business and society are working closely together here to shape change together. That's why I'm very happy to support the Future Hamburg Award through our international network."
One startup each will also be supported by partners from Hamburg's financial and logistics sectors - Hamburg-based venture capitalist Am Hafen Capital and homePort of the Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) will help the companies test their innovative business model in the Hamburg Reallabor.