Your gateway to a wider ecosystem.
The next big opportunity rarely comes from looking inward. It comes from connecting with new perspectives, discovering technologies, and working with people who challenge how things are done.
With Hub as a Service, BIA helps companies build and activate ecosystems around their strategic priorities. Whether it's accelerating AI adoption, exploring the future of work, or developing new business opportunities, we connect organizations with the startups, founders, technologies, and networks that can move them forward.
We take care of the entire journey: defining the hub's strategy, building the network, engaging partners, and creating programs that turn connections into collaboration.
Whether you want to establish your own hub or tap into an existing ecosystem, we bring the right people, expertise, and formats together to make it work.
From ecosystem access to action.
We design and operate hubs around your strategic priorities, combining ecosystem access, community engagement, and collaborative programs.
| Service | What it does |
|---|---|
| Startup Partnering | Connect companies with startups and emerging technologies to develop partnerships, pilots, and new solutions. |
| Hub Strategy & Ecosystem Access | Define your hub strategy and connect with the networks, expertise, and partners that support your ambitions. |
| Network Engagement | Bring industry leaders, founders, and decision-makers together through conferences, community events, and expert exchanges. |
| Collaborative Workshops | Bring different perspectives together to explore challenges, exchange knowledge, and develop new ideas. |
| Partnership Projects | Turn ecosystem connections into joint initiatives, pilots, and longer-term collaborations. |
Smart City Hub: Four seasons. One connected city.
Berlin is home to ambitious founders, global companies, emerging technologies, and institutions shaping the city's future. But having all these players in one city doesn't automatically mean they work together.
In 2018, BIA launched Smart City Hub in partnership with Berlin Partner für Wirtschaft und Technologie to close that gap.
We built and operated a platform connecting corporates, startups, technology companies, and public institutions around Berlin's urban challenges, from mobility and energy to infrastructure and sustainability.
Across four seasons, we brought the ecosystem together through curated events, expert exchanges, collaborative workshops, startup partnering, and joint projects.
What began as conversations developed into partnerships, pilots, and new initiatives. Organizations gained access to new technologies and perspectives, founders connected with corporate partners, and ideas moved beyond discussion into implementation.
From ecosystem access to business impact.
Every organization enters an ecosystem with a different ambition. Some are looking for new technologies. Others want to build partnerships, connect with industry leaders, or bring an entire community around a shared agenda.
We design the right approach for each challenge, from targeted activities to long-term hub operations. Here's what that looks like in practice.
Fujitsu: From startup scouting to an MVP in five weeks.
Fujitsu set out to develop a new platform-based business model for smart building management. The ambition was to bring different services into one digital interface, combining corporate expertise with technologies developed by startups.
BIA designed and facilitated a startup partnering program connecting Fujitsu teams in Germany and Japan with Berlin's technology ecosystem.
We scouted relevant companies, interviewed more than 20 startups, and brought international teams and founders together to explore potential partnerships. Two technology partners, LeafTech and Comydo, were selected to develop the solution.
Together, the teams built RunMyBuilding, a cloud-based platform integrating services such as energy and access management for property managers.
From the initial concept to a working MVP, the entire process took five weeks.
The collaboration gave Fujitsu more than a new product concept. It demonstrated how working with external technology partners could accelerate development, introduce new capabilities, and open up new business opportunities.
- 20+
- Startups interviewed
- 2
- Technology partners selected
- 5 weeks
- From concept to MVP
“The collaboration with BIA made it possible for us to set up an MVP in a very short period of time.”
Wolfgang Ries, Head of Global Marketing, Fujitsu RMPNovo Nordisk: Connecting global ambitions with Berlin's ecosystem.
Novo Nordisk wanted to establish a Digital Innovation Hub in Berlin, creating a local gateway to emerging technologies, founders, and new business opportunities.
As the German partner in an international consortium, BIA helped bring Novo Nordisk's global innovation strategy into the German market.
Our role went beyond opening doors. We supported the hub's development through strategy sparring, market intelligence, technology scouting, investment case development, ecosystem events, and partnership negotiations.
We screened more than 100 startups, delivered four in-depth market reports, developed two investment cases, and supported two partnership negotiations.
Along the way, we helped Novo Nordisk connect with Berlin's technology and business ecosystem, identify relevant opportunities, and establish relationships that could support its strategic priorities.
The project demonstrates how a corporate hub can connect global ambitions with local expertise, technologies, and networks, giving organizations a stronger position in an ecosystem they want to be part of.
- 100+
- Startups screened
- 4
- Market reports created
- 2
- Investment cases developed
- 2
- Partnership negotiations
“We greatly value the work that BIA has done in helping us cascade our global innovation strategy to the German market and connect to the Berlin Ecosystem.”
Airbnb: Bringing Berlin's tourism leaders to one table.
Airbnb wanted to strengthen its position in Berlin's tourism ecosystem and build closer relationships with the people shaping the future of the industry.
BIA designed and delivered the Future of Tourism in Berlin conference, bringing together policymakers, corporate leaders, tourism organizations, and technology companies to discuss digital transformation, new business models, and sustainability.
The conference attracted more than 250 industry stakeholders and featured 15 C-level speakers across nine program blocks, combining expert discussions with interactive workshops.
BIA managed the initiative end to end, from developing the concept and curating speakers to stakeholder engagement, communications, event production, and follow-up workshops.
The conference put Airbnb at the center of an important industry conversation, increased its visibility, and strengthened its connections with decision-makers and organizations across Berlin's tourism sector.
More than a one-day event, it created a platform for exchange and further collaboration across the ecosystem.
- 250+
- Industry stakeholders
- 15
- C-level speakers
- 9
- Program blocks
“Our goal is to foster exchange on the topics of digitisation of tourism with industry and political stakeholders.”
Vattenfall: New perspectives beyond the energy sector.
Vattenfall wanted to expand its network beyond the energy industry, discover new approaches, and explore opportunities for collaboration with other organizations.
Through Smart City Hub, BIA connected Vattenfall with a broader ecosystem of companies, technology partners, and industry experts.
Together, we designed and facilitated a cross-company workshop focused on heat-energy-saving strategies. The workshop brought different industry perspectives to the same table, helping participants exchange knowledge, challenge assumptions, and identify potential areas for collaboration.
We also delivered internal masterclasses on innovation methods and customer-centric approaches, bringing insights from the wider ecosystem into Vattenfall's own teams.
By combining external connections with hands-on learning, the activities helped Vattenfall explore new partnerships, access different ways of thinking, and strengthen its internal capabilities.
“Being part of the BIA Smart City Hub enabled us with networking outside the organization and with insights into innovation methodologies and tools. We are also excited about how BIA events fueled our partnerships with other companies that will drive our organization further.”
André Schacha, Business Development Manager, Vattenfall Wärme Berlin AGALBA Group: From ecosystem connections to lasting partnerships.
ALBA Group wanted to explore new business models, discover emerging technologies, and connect with founders who could help address challenges in urban infrastructure and waste management.
Through Smart City Hub, BIA helped ALBA access Berlin's technology ecosystem and identify opportunities for collaboration.
Our work included a learning expedition, support for the development of ALBA's innovation lab BlueHouseLab, startup scouting, and partnership development.
One of the outcomes was a pilot with Vialytics, using intelligent sensors mounted on ALBA's waste collection trucks to assess road conditions during regular routes.
The pilot grew into an ongoing collaboration spanning multiple cities and initiatives.
What started as an introduction through the ecosystem became a practical application of new technology and a partnership that continued beyond the original program.
“The program has supported us extensively in establishing this cooperation, and we look forward to making our contribution to smart cities.”
