A trip like no other! Last week, our CEO Haris traveled to London at the invitation of our Mayor Alexander Kalouti, together with a high-caliber 20-strong delegation from Dortmund.
Thanks to the new daily flight connection from Dortmund Airport to London, the direct line to the island is shorter than ever. The stated goal of the trip: to spark new partnerships and make Dortmund internationally visible as a strong location for innovation and technology. Alongside us at Ziya, there were also outstanding representatives from the IHK, Borussia Dortmund, WILO, adesso, the Lamarr AI Institute and many other players.
Artificial Intelligence and Strong Networks in Focus
The program was absolutely packed with highlights. From a visit to the German Embassy and an inspiring talk by the AI company InstaDeep to the London offices of adesso – it had it all. The start-up pitching session in particular showed just how great the interest in German-British collaborations in the tech sector is.
As Peter Hansemann aptly summed up, the most exciting impulses often emerge in direct exchange with bold founders. As the winner of the diwodo IT.SOLUTION Award 2025 of the IT-Club Dortmund, it was a valuable opportunity for us to talk with established players about the future of artificial intelligence and concrete applications. Such encounters show how important the close interlinking of start-ups and traditional companies is – both regionally and internationally.
The Real Highlight: Dortmund's Doers
For Haris, however, the greatest value lay not primarily in the appointments on site, but in the delegation itself. The city's concept of bringing together such a group and chasing through London together for three days was simply brilliant. The unofficial main goal seemed to be to bring together exactly the people who can truly achieve great things together in Dortmund.
Even though we first had to travel all the way to London to expand Dortmund's network even further, it was all the more worthwhile. We are certain that major developments will follow on the basis of this trip.
Hats off to this strong concept by the City of Dortmund!