On October 21, 2014, the 8th National IT Summit, hosted by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMBF), took place in Hamburg. Critics scoffed at the federal government, which put its Digital Agenda at the center of the event. But while some question the government’s expertise and others its strategy, the IT Summit has produced valuable initiatives in the past that are now bearing their first fruit.
A good example is the program launched in 2011 at the 6th Summit, the Software Campus. It brings master’s and doctoral students together with partners from industry and academia, with whom they can carry out their own exciting IT projects. Alongside the opportunity for academic development, students gain valuable practical experience and training as well as financial support from the BMBF.
At the 8th IT Summit, the first graduates have now been honored. Thanks to the high-caliber partners and attractive opportunities, places in the program are highly sought after, and application numbers are rising steadily. The application platform PEACOQ developed by Schaltzeit GmbH allows students to present themselves and their project ideas. Program managers and partners then use the platform to evaluate and match applicants, running the selection process and allocating the available places. We congratulate the first graduates and encourage anyone interested to bring their own ideas and apply.
