Crises everywhere you look: Climate, pandemic, supply chains, war. The Makeathon was about finding solutions in interdisciplinary teams for the multiple challenges that companies in the region are facing. On the one hand, there were data challenges, in which teams developed specific programme codes for analysing and evaluating real company data, and on the other, so-called ideation challenges, in which teams developed creative ideas, concepts and models. Jan Segermann, research assistant at inIT, took part in an ideation challenge. Specifically, he worked in an interdisciplinary team with Lennart Engel (University of Paderborn) and Benjamin Backmeister (Wilhelm Böllhoff GmbH & Co. KG) on the challenge "Data Driven Training for Machine Operators" from the company DMG MORI. In the process, he developed a concept for individualised training of CNC milling machine operators. For Jan Segermann's team, three days packed with discussions, analyses and practical insights. He particularly liked the quick cohesion in the team, the good organisation and support as well as the pleasant working atmosphere. He emphasises: "Along with the result of our challenge, it became clear to me once again that people continue to play a central role alongside masses of data and algorithms. "
Unfortunately, it wasn't enough for first place, but Jan Segermann looks back on this special event with satisfaction: "Even though we didn't win, we are very satisfied with the result. We were able to emphasise for DMG MORI how important it is to consider the human factor. Without the typical 'corporate glasses', we were able to show great benefits that arise when comprehensive access to data is possible."
The best ideas received prize money of €15,000. First place in the Data Challenges went to a team from Bielefeld University. The winner of the Ideation Challenge was a team from Wago and Fraunhofer IEM. The leading-edge cluster it's OWL organised the Makeathon together with its initiatives KI-Marktplatz and Kompetenzzentrum Arbeitswelt.Plus as well as Fraunhofer IEM and the Heinz Nixdorf Institute.