Join us as we celebrate the 10th edition of Industry meets Makers.
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Best of IMM | May 7, 2026 | 4:00 p.m. | Vienna City Hall
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After five months of intensive collaboration, Industry meets Makers reaches an important milestone: its 10th anniversary edition. Best of IMM brings together representatives from cities, established companies, startups and the wider innovation community to reflect on this year’s projects, share practical lessons learned, and explore how meaningful collaboration can create real-world impact.
The event takes place at Vienna City Hall (Rathaus)
Entrance: Lichtenfelsgasse 2, 1010 Vienna | Rooms: Coat of Arms Halls (Wappensaalgruppe) – Please follow the signs!
Best of IMM is organized by the City of Vienna – Department of Economic Affairs, Labour and Statistics, EIT Manufacturing East, Industry meets Makers, SAPIE, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Platform Industry 4.0 Austria, accent Incubator and Vienna Business Agency within the Twin City Hub, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Interreg Slovakia–Austria program + the strong support of many further partners (see below).
We warmly welcome everyone interested in innovation, cross-sector collaboration and shaping the future together!
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What to expect
Insights from the 10th edition of Industry meets Makers
Practical lessons from cross-sector collaboration
Direct exchange with industry partners and makers
Drinks, snacks and inspiring conversations
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Program at a glance
4:00 - 4:15 p.m.: Arrival and welcome
4:15 - 4:30 p.m.: Opening remarks by organizers and partners
4:30 - 5:45 p.m.: Project result pitches
5:45 - 9:00 p.m.: Networking and community exchange
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Good to know
Admission is free, so we encourage early registration!
A shuttle service from Bratislava to Vienna will be available for guests travelling from Slovakia.
First Speakers
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Supporters
Bernhard Schmid
Vienna Business Agency
Team Lead Digital Economy
LinkedIn
Nilufar Mokhtari
EU Förderagentur
Programme Coordinator & Programme Manager
Interreg Slovakia Austria
LinkedIn
Prof. Franz Fidler
University of Applied Sciences St. Pölten
Head of Faculty
LinkedIn
Peter Kuen
EIT Manufacturing East
Twin City Hub
Manager Austria & Government Relations
LinkedIn
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Briefing Partners
Dr. Johannes Gartner
AM Austria
President
LinkedIn
Michael Kitzmantel
AM Austria
Secretary
LinkedIn
Marek Drnzík
BeKa Software
Branch Manager Slovakia LinkedIn
Michael Maier
City of Vienna – Wien Digital
GPC1 – Innovation Lab
IoT Expert and Business Analyst
Susanne Formanek
GRÜNSTATTGRAU and RENOWAVE
Board of Directors and
Co-Founder
LinkedIn
Elisabeth Leitner
GRÜNSTATTGRAU and RENOWAVE
Project Management
LinkedIn
Milan Botka
Slovak Centre for Productivity
Executive Director
LinkedIn
Clemens Mayer
smander.com
Founder and Manager
LinkedIn
Patrick Awart
IoT Austria & Mariahilfer i
President
LinkedIn
Organizers
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Dominik Karner, Advisor on Economic and Innovation Strategy 2030, City of Vienna – Economy, Labor, and Statistics,
LinkedIn
Sandra Stromberger, Founder & CEO, Industry meets Makers, LinkedIn
Markus Kleinfercher, Senior Project Manager, Twin City Hub, EIT Manufacturing East, LinkedIn
Katarina Bendikova, Project Management, Twin City Hub, EIT Manufacturing East, LinkedIn
Michal Číž, Program Director, SAPIE - Slovak Alliance for Innovation Economy, LinkedIn
Jaroslav Bukovina
SAPIE - Slovak Alliance for Innovation Economy
Innovation Policy Expert
LinkedIn
Assoc. Prof. Milan Husar, PhD
Spectra Centre of Excellence of the EU, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava,
LinkedIn
Assoc prof. Matej Jaššo, PhD, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, LinkedIn
Daniel Paunovic
EIT Manufacturing East
Twin City Hub
Business Development and Innovation Manager
LinkedIn
Michael Schwantzer
Vienna Business Agency
Technology Expert for Production and Manufacturing Technologies
LinkedIn
Réka Dancsecs
accent Incubator
Project Manager
LinkedIn
Denise Branz
Platform Industry 4.0
Senior Project Manager
LinkedIn
Our #IMM2025/26 partners
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TWIN CITY HUB Project Partners
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Supporters & Network Partners
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#IMM2025/26 Briefing Partners
As of July 1, 2024, Industry meets Makers has become part of the Twin City Future Innovation Manufacturing Hub (2C FIMH) – a cross-border initiative aimed at driving innovation, fostering collaboration, and promoting sustainable growth in the manufacturing sector across Austria and Slovakia. The project is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) within the Interreg Slovakia-Austria program. Learn more