Kickstart Innovation
Simon Erdmann serves as the Managing Director of Switzerland at Sphere Group International since October 2023, where the focus is on co-creating and implementing innovative solutions. Erdmann is an active Board Community Member at Board Owl, an Advisory Board Member at Starmind, and a Global Advisory Board Member at Virtual Advisory Board, roles that involve connecting decision-makers and addressing business challenges globally. Additionally, Erdmann lectures at HWZ Hochschule für Wirtschaft Zürich on topics including Digital Transformation and AI, and is involved with OST – Ostschweizer Fachhochschule as an Advisory Board Member and former Chief Digital Officer. Previous experience includes a notable tenure at Cognizant as Global Head of Corporate Messaging & Strategy and various leadership roles, alongside driving innovation initiatives at Novartis. Education includes training at Product Marketing Alliance and studies at Bundeswehr University Munich and VWA Hochschule für berufsbegleitendes Studium.
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Kickstart Innovation
Kickstart is one of Europe's largest zero equity, multi-corporate ecosystem innovation platforms that runs a scale-up program for later-stage startups with a goal to accelerate deep tech innovation. Science and engineering driven technologies have the potential to solve humanity’s biggest challenges. They require unprecedented collaboration between established organizations and the most audacious entrepreneurs out there. Thereby, Kickstart is committed to building an innovation ecosystem that brings high-growth startups, corporates, cities, foundations and universities together. Each year Kickstart brings around 100 startups to Switzerland to collaborate with key players for proofs-of-concept, pilot projects and other innovation partnerships. The program provides exceptional access to the executives and decision-makers of Kickstart’s partners. Being an initiative of Impact Hub Zürich and launched by digitalswitzerland in 2015, Kickstart runs 5 verticals (New Work & Learning, Finance & Insurance, Food & Retail, Smart Cities and Health & Wellbeing), an Intrapreneurship Academy and the Circular Economy Initiative.