Only a few graduates from German universities name a medium-sized company as their preferred employer. Tobias Rappers wants to change that. A mixture of independent platform, co-working space and think tank in the heart of Berlin should help.
One phenomenon has bothered Tobias Rappers for a long time: Graduates from top German universities almost always name Google, Microsoft or other tech companies as their dream employer. “The answer is actually never, I would like to work for German medium-sized companies,” complains the boss and co-initiator of the engine room in the ntv podcast “So techt Germany”.
Tobias Rappers wants to give medium-sized companies the attention that startups tend to get.
(Photo: engine room)
The machine room is a mixture of independent platform, co-working space and think tank “from medium-sized companies for medium-sized companies”, as the website says. There, future topics are to be collected, experiences shared and resources and knowledge integrated “in order to jointly create a future worth living for future generations”.
Swarm intelligence of the middle class
Rappers speaks of a “swarm intelligence” of the middle class. Because 80 percent of the topics and problems that the companies are working on are identical. In the machine room, they should benefit from shared experiences and be able to develop a “best practice” for all members. As an example, Rappers cites communication with employees, for example via an intranet.
Despite this, Maschinenraum has only 40 companies as members so far. Many companies worry about trade secrets and highly sensitive data that could suddenly end up in the hands of the competition. But that’s not the goal of the engine room, assures Rappers. It’s about visibility.
Therefore, the machine room has settled in Berlin to show presence in the startup capital. “Many family businesses are located in remote regions and don’t get the attention that DAX companies or startups get,” says Rappers. In the new episode of “So techt Deutschland”, Tobias Rappers explains how he wants to change that and what German medium-sized companies have to work on.
In “So techt Deutschland” the ntv moderators Frauke Holzmeier and Andreas Laukat ask founders, investors, politicians and entrepreneurs how things are with Germany as a technology location. All episodes can be found in the ntv app, at AudioNow, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Also at Amazon Music and Google Podcasts you will find it.