Competence Centre eStandards’ Virtual Barcamp: How the Participants Became Creators @ZukunftDigital In a virtual barcamp organised by the Competence Centre eStandards in May 2021, the participants were asked an open question: which topics related to sustainability and digitalisation are most interesting for SMEs, multipliers and other relevant stakeholders and how to approach them? With this broad guiding question, the barcamp offered a platform that allowed the participants to tailor the format and the content of the event to their specific needs. This led to candid discussions on sustainable digitalisation from different perspectives and with a focus on participation and creative exchange. Topic suggestions where pitched, voted and presented in different breakout sessions. A total of 12 different sessions on topics ranging from 3D-printing, digital leadership or upcycling were held during the virtual barcamp. For an introduction on the interlinkages of sustainability and digitalisation, the barcamp welcomed Bernd Hecking, Managing Director of the food packaging company Maag on its virtual stage. As part of a practical project together with the Mittelstand 4.0 Competence Center eStandards, Maag showed that sustainability and digitalisation can go hand in hand in and that both economic success and positive social and environmental impact can be achieved. Mr. Hecking emphasized not only the concrete economic benefit of digitalisation for his business, but also the added value for the environment, thus encouraging other SMEs to benefit from the support offered by the Competence Centre. “The diversity of the contributions and the backgrounds of the participants reflected in an interesting way the diversity of topics that need to be addressed in the context of sustainable digitalisation. It is encouraging to see how much interest there is in this field and that there are already many initiatives actively working to apply digital solutions on sustainability challenges”, notes Thomas Wagner, CSCP project manager. Are you a small or medium-sized enterprises (SME) who is looking to lead sustainable digitalisation that benefits your business, the environment and society alike? Check out the Competence Centre eStandards website to find out how we can support you! For further questions, please contact Thomas Wagner.