Digitalisierungszentrum Ulm | Alb-Donau | Biberach | Neu-Ulm

What Digitalisierungszentrum Ulm | Alb-Donau | Biberach | Neu-Ulm does

Digitalisierungszentrum Ulm | Alb-Donau | Biberach | Neu-Ulm (DZ) is a government-funded, registered non-profit association (e.V.) operating a regional digitalization hub for small and medium-sized enterprises in the four-county Ulm / Alb-Donau / Biberach / Neu-Ulm area of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Selected by the state of Baden-Württemberg in 2022 as one of twelve officially recognized regional Digitalisierungszentren, the center provides a neutral, vendor-independent point of contact where SMEs can access free initial consulting, a Digitalcheck maturity assessment, and an AgenturFinder matching service that connects them with regional IT providers.

Its core offering is built around eight digital competencies — Online Marketing, 3D-Druck, Künstliche Intelligenz, Extended Reality, Internet of Things / LoRaWAN, Building Information Modeling, and Drohnentechnologie — each covered by a dedicated Fachberater on a five-person team. The technology stack spans XR hardware (VIVE Focus 3, HoloLens 2), 3D printers using FDM/SLA/SLS processes, drones with thermal imaging and photogrammetry, and software platforms including Unity 3D, Microsoft Power Apps, n8n, and a proprietary KI-Chatbot on the website. Service delivery is supported by Experimentierräume (hands-on testing facilities) at the Ulm headquarters and the Ehingen Innovation Lab, enabling companies to test hardware and software before committing capital.

The business model combines a freemium core with fee-based extensions. Consulting, the Digitalcheck, the AgenturFinder, and SEO Startschuss are provided free of charge, funded primarily by the Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Arbeit und Tourismus Baden-Württemberg and membership contributions from IHK Ulm, four counties, and seven municipalities. Paid services include workshops and training (€99-€1,200 per participant), coworking in Ulm and Ehingen (€99-€175/month), the Innovation Lab (€179/day), conference rooms (€249/day), hardware rental (€25-€549/week), and corporate innovation events such as InnoTeamDay (€1,999 per group). Supporting revenue streams include the Digitalmacherbox card game (€8.99 plus shipping), the Digitalmacher podcast (free, brand-building), and partner-led training with organizations such as KÄSTLE AI, LF Consult, and Bildungszentrum Holzbau. Customer segments are dominated by regional SMEs, with additional reach into startups, freelancers, and the construction industry vertical.

Name

Digitalisierungszentrum Ulm | Alb-Donau | Biberach | Neu-Ulm

Legal name

Digitalisierungsregion Ulm | Alb-Donau | Biberach | Neu-Ulm e.V.

Website

https://digitalisierungszentrum-uab.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

A government-funded non-profit digitalization hub serving SMEs in Ulm, Alb-Donau, Biberach, and Neu-Ulm with free consulting, hands-on technology testing, and paid training across eight competencies including AI, XR, IoT, and 3D printing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Transformation Consulting for SMEs

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Infrastructure, Networking & Systems Administration Training (BPAEANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Building Information Modeling (BIM) & Digital Design Services (BPAHAKAK)

Keywords

• SME digitalization consulting
• 3D printing services
• AI training programs
• Virtual reality solutions
• Building Information Modeling

Headquarters

HQ city

Ulm

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Primary funding from Land Baden-Württemberg and Ministry for Economic Affairs, Labor and Tourism Baden-Württemberg as part of regional digitalization initiative
2. Event Organization Services: Revenue from organizing workshops, training sessions, and events on digitalization topics. Services include KI-Kompetenz Schulung (€129), Microsoft Copilot training (€99), photography workshops (€109), and promptathons (€249)
3. Space and Hardware Rental: Rental income from Coworking spaces (Ulm €175/month, Ehingen €39/week or €99/month), Innovation Lab (€179/day), Conference room (€249/day), and hardware rental (VR headsets, 3D printers, drones)
4. Team Building Events: InnoTeamDay corporate innovation team events priced at €1,999 per group
5. Digital Products: Sale of Digitalmacherbox card game set for €8.99 plus €2.90 shipping

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Digitalisierungszentrum Ulm | Alb-Donau | Biberach | Neu-Ulm is a state-funded regional digitalization center that provides free consulting, training programs, hardware rental (3D printers, VR headsets, drones, IoT/LoRaWAN sensors, BIM tools), and event services to small and medium-sized enterprises across the Ulm, Alb-Donau, Biberach, and Neu-Ulm districts. It operates across eight core technology competencies: Online Marketing, 3D Printing, Artificial Intelligence, Extended Reality (XR), Internet of Things, Building Information Modeling (BIM), Drones, and LoRaWAN, delivered by a core team of seven specialists supplemented by a regional partner network.

Product overview

Digitalisierungszentrum Ulm | Alb-Donau | Biberach | Neu-Ulm is a government-funded digitalization hub providing free consulting, training, and event services for SMEs in the Ulm region. The portfolio comprises a free Digitalcheck maturity assessment and AgenturFinder matching service as core offerings, complemented by fee-based services including Online Marketing consulting, 3D-Druck prototyping, IoT/LoRaWAN solutions, Künstliche Intelligenz advisory, Virtual & Augmented Reality labs, Building Information Modeling training, Drohnentechnologie inspection services, Hardwarevermietung equipment rental, Office 365 Schulungen, and InnoTeamDay team events. Supporting content products include the Digitalmacher-Podcast, KI-Kompetenz Grundlagenschulung, Digitalmacherbox card game, Wissensdatenbank Padlet, and a KI-Chatbot. Space rentals (Raumangebote) include coworking in Ulm and Ehingen, conference rooms, and the Innovation Lab venue.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Digitalmacher Podcast: Monthly podcast featuring companies and personalities from the Ulm, Alb-Donau, Biberach, and Neu-Ulm region discussing their digitalization experiences and challenges.
• Digitalmacherbox
• KI-Chatbot

Products and services

• Digitalization Consulting for SMEs Free, vendor-neutral consulting service for small and medium-sized enterprises across eight core digitalization competencies: Online Marketing, 3D Printing, AI, XR, IoT, BIM, Drones, and LoRaWAN. Target customers are regional SMEs in the Ulm, Alb-Donau, Biberach, and Neu-Ulm districts.
• Training and Workshop Programs Training sessions and workshops on digital technologies for SMEs, covering the eight core competencies. Designed to build digital literacy and practical skills within regional small and medium-sized enterprises.
• Hardware Rental Service Rental service providing SMEs access to digitalization hardware including 3D printers, VR headsets, drones, IoT/LoRaWAN sensors, and BIM tools, enabling hands-on testing before investment.
• Event and Networking Services Live events, meetups, and networking sessions that bring SMEs together with experts and partners to exchange knowledge on digitalization topics.
• Online Marketing Competency Service Consulting and training on online marketing topics for SMEs, including digital presence, marketing channels, and customer engagement strategies.
• 3D Printing Competency Service Consulting, training, and hardware rental for 3D printing and additive manufacturing, enabling SMEs to explore and adopt 3D printing workflows.
• Artificial Intelligence Competency Service Consulting and training on AI applications for SMEs, including practical guidance on AI tools and adoption pathways.
• Extended Reality (XR) Competency Service Consulting, training, and VR headset rental for SMEs exploring augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality applications.
• Internet of Things (IoT) Competency Service Consulting and training on IoT applications for SMEs, including sensor integration and connected device strategies.
• Building Information Modeling (BIM) Competency Service Consulting and training on Building Information Modeling for SMEs in construction and related sectors, including hands-on access to BIM tools.
• Drone Competency Service Consulting, training, and drone rental for SMEs exploring drone applications for surveying, inspections, and aerial imaging.
• LoRaWAN Competency Service Consulting and training on LoRaWAN low-power wide-area network applications for SMEs, including sensor network deployment and use-case design.

Quantifiable outcome

• Companies receive free Digitalcheck to determine digital maturity level and identify improvement areas
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

AI capability10 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Digitalisierungsregion Ulm | Alb-Donau | Biberach e.V.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization and association that operates the Digitalisierungszentrum. Members include IHK Ulm, Stadt Ulm, Landkreis Biberach, Alb-Donau-Kreis, Stadt Biberach, Stadt Ehingen, Stadt Riedlingen, GVV Amstetten-Lonsee, Stadt Laupheim, Landkreis Neu-Ulm, and Stadt Neu-Ulm.
• KÄSTLE AIminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAI automation specialists who co-lead n8n Promptathon workshops on building automations and workflows without programming knowledge.
• LF Consult GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction planning consultancy. Co-hosts production planning and control simulation games; provides expertise in ERP planning, lean approaches, and takt-oriented production.
• Bildungszentrum Holzbau (BZH)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWood construction training center. Co-hosts Social Media in Trade (Instagram) training for tradespeople with monthly online sessions and personalized support.
• Hochschule BiberachminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBIM competence center partner. Hosts BIM laboratory at Karlstraße 11, 88400 Biberach for digitalization of construction industry with VR solutions.
• Heidelberg Manufacturing Deutschland GmbHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerModern foundry in Amstetten. Partnership provides digital consultation services in northern Alb-Donau-Kreis area; Europe's most modern foundry.
• Stadt LaupheimminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partnership at Rathaus Laupheim, Marktplatz 1 for events and consulting on core digital competencies. Portable technology available for demonstrations.
• Lisa Augustin (Einfach mal SEO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEO consultant providing free SEO Startschuss service offering website visibility analysis and professional tips on Local SEO, OffPage SEO, OnPage SEO, UX, and Content Strategy.
• Centrotherm International AGminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal technology company in semiconductor/photovoltaics. DZ supported Master thesis project developing VR showroom with vertical furnace for sales presentations and trade shows.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Fraunhofer IAO: Stuttgart-based Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering (IAO) operates Mittelstand-Digital Zentren and conducts applied research on SME digitalization, technology adoption, and innovation—essentially the same service model as Digitalisierungszentrum Ulm (free advisory + workshops + experiment spaces) for German Mittelstand customers.
• Fraunhofer IGD: Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research (Darmstadt) specializes in visual computing including XR, AR/VR, and 3D technology—directly overlapping the Digitalisierungszentrum's XR/3D-Druck core competencies. Operates Mittelstand-Digital service offerings to SMEs targeting similar technology adoption needs.

Broad incumbents

• adesso SE: Major German IT/software consulting firm with ~7,000+ employees serving mid-market and enterprise customers across industries with digital transformation, custom software development, and IT strategy services—broader commercial equivalent of Digitalisierungszentrum Ulm's advisory scope, but B2B-fee rather than publicly-funded.
• msg systems AG (msg): Large German IT/digital consulting firm with strong focus on insurance, banking, and industrial sectors. Provides digital transformation, AI/data, and process consulting services comparable in nature (though commercial and at scale) to Digitalisierungszentrum Ulm's transformation advisory mandate.
• Sopra Steria SE: European IT consulting leader with significant German operations serving enterprise and public sector clients on digital transformation, cloud, AI, and industry 4.0 initiatives. Comparable to Digitalisierungszentrum Ulm's SME digitalization focus at much larger commercial scale.

Others

• Bitkom Servicegesellschaft mbH: Germany's leading digital industry trade association; its service arm provides consulting, events, and digitalization advisory to member companies and SMEs. Comparable as an industry-body-led digitalization support provider for German businesses transitioning to digital workflows.
• Hochschule Biberach: University of Applied Sciences hosting the BIM competence center (Karlstraße 11) as an explicit Digitalisierungszentrum partner. Provides applied research, technology transfer, and consulting services to regional construction companies—overlapping on BIM and digital construction technology consulting.

Regional players

• IHK Ulm (Industrie- und Handelskammer Ulm): Regional chamber of commerce and a parent/member of Digitalisierungsregion Ulm e.V. The IHK itself provides digitalization consulting, training, and events to regional SMEs—operating an adjacent service model in the same Ulm geography without offering the hardware/experiment spaces.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/dzuab
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dz-uab
• Instagraminstagram.com/digitalisierungszentrum_uab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Digitalisierungszentrum Ulm | Alb-Donau | Biberach | Neu-Ulm