Project goal
#IMM2025/26
Our 10th anniversary round will take place from December 4, 2025 to May 7, 2026.
Project goal
#IMM2025/26
Our 10th anniversary round will take place from December 4, 2025 to May 7, 2026.
Industry meets makers
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Industry meets Makers (IMM) is an open innovation initiative that connects leading industrial companies with creative minds from the maker scene – start-ups, SMEs, freelance developers, designers, students, researchers, hobbyists and more. Through real-world tech challenges (so-called “briefings”) in fields like AI, robotics, IoT and Industry 4.0, both sides co-create innovative solutions over a five-month collaboration phase, with the goal of launching lasting partnerships.
Learn more about how IMM bridges industry and innovation!
#IMM2025/26 Program Overview
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We are currently preparing to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Industry meets Makers as part of our new Twin City Hub initiative. The anniversary program will launch with an opening event in Bratislava on December 4, 2025, and culminate in a Best of IMM showcase in Vienna on May 7, 2026. Challenge topics are currently being defined, and program planning is in full swing. If you are interested in contributing or participating, we invite you to get in touch or register for the main events.
Impressions from previous years
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PARTICIPATION OPTIONS
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Industry & Tech Partners
Contribute a challenge brief (problem statement + rewards) for teams to tackle together, and/or provide enabling technologies and expert know-how needed to solve it.
Creative Makers & Innovators
Join as a maker to co-create solutions with experts and challenge partners. Time commitment is flexible thanks to our hop-on, hop-off program design. Vision: opportunities beyond the project.
Universities, UAS & Schools
Participate with student groups during the semester or via focused formats – bootcamps, beach camps, hackathons, etc. Activities can be integrated into the official curriculum where appropriate.
Tech Experts & Maker Coaches
Support teams with your domain expertise and help them shape projects for real-world implementation – e.g., financing and funding, startup formation, business modeling, industrialization, etc.
Local Network & Space Partners
Host IMM activities in your region: promote topics, members, services, and dates through your network, and provide nearby workspace and equipment to participants.
Sponsors, Supporters & Multipliers
Back IMM through sponsorship – financial contributions, prizes (jobs, products, tools, infrastructure, vouchers), media reach, refreshments or creative additions to maker incentive packages.
partner network
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Twin City Hub
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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). Learn more
