The Max Aicher Foundation covers a wide spectrum of industrial and commercial activities, but is best known as a leading steel company and supplier to the automotive and building industries. Our more than 4,200 employees, located in 18 countries, are working with passion to utilize their technological know-how to produce high-quality products, intelligent industrial processes, innovative solutions and customer orientated services. The qualifications and commitment of our staff is the basis for our success. With our products, we wish to be the worldwide preferred partner for our customers. Our specific areas of expertise include: Steel and steel production, environment & recycling, real estate properties & projects, building & construction, leisure & tourism. We are continuously expanding the scope of business activities and enhancing our expertise. Each of our companies enjoys a high degree of autonomy which enables them to react rapidly to changing market and technical requirements, thereby ensuring our sustainable success. As a family owned company, we stand for sustainability and stability whilst simultaneously embracing strategic developments for the future..
The family-owned Hirschvogel Automotive Group, headquartered in Denklingen nearby Munich, Germany, is among the world’s largest automotive suppliers in the area of sophisticated functional components. Our customers include all renowned automotive manufacturers and suppliers worldwide. The consolidated sales of the Group with plants in Germany, USA, China, India, Poland, and Mexico exceeded one billion euros in 2016. The number of employees was about 5,000. These figures speak for themselves – and for the Hirschvogel Automotive Group. Ceravis is the strategic investment arm of the same group of shareholders who also own the Hirschvogel Automotive Group. Ceravis not only invests in cutting-edge technologies, more specifically industrial technologies, but also develops new business models by setting up and offering startup incubation and acceleration programs.
HOERBIGER is active throughout the world in the oil, gas, and process industries, in the automotive industry, and in safety solutions. In 2018, its 7,000 employees achieved sales of 1.222 billion euros in 110 locations and 48 countries. Our products and services are used in reciprocating compressors, gas flow control units, vehicle transmissions, gas-powered engines, automobile hydraulics, and comprehensive explosion protection solutions. It is our shared ambition to deliver excellence for our customers. As a result, we create an environment which allows our employees to develop their full potential and demonstrate initiative: people and success go hand in hand at HOERBIGER.
HAWE Hydraulik SE is a responsible development partner with application expertise and experience in more than 70 branches of mechanical engineering. The product range includes hydraulic power units, fixed and variable displacement pumps, valves, sensors and accessories. Electronic components that are exactly attuned to the hydraulic components provide an easy initial operation, precise control and condition monitoring. The intelligent system solutions reduce energy consumption and operating costs. Compact drives save space and allow an innovative machine design. Around 2470 employees in 16 countries and sales partners in over 40 countries provide local, professional and personal support to customers worldwide. Turnover (2018): 363 Mio. Euro (+64 million Euro sales volume through acquisition in May 2019) Number of employees: 2470 Certified according ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 50001, OHSAS 18001
OUR STORY
We are a consortium of four family-owned companies.
Together we master the entire value chain from the production of raw material up to the manufacturing of ready-to-install systems and components. Through diverse processes. In large-scale. With highest quality standards.
With joint forces we established FASTTRACK in 2017 to live up to our ambitious standards of continuous innovation. We don’t perceive new technology as a threat, but rather want to get involved first hand. Open innovation in a very practical process. Digitalization to us is not an end in itself, but rather a means to an end. We want to offer you access to what makes us successful.
Let’s work together, let’s grow together.
THE PROGRAM
THE PROGRAM
WHAT WE LOOK FOR:
INDUSTRIAL B2B HIGH-TECH STARTUPS
REQUIREMENTS & BENEFITS
Seed, start-up or growth stage – it’s not our main criteria.
More importantly we want to be sure that you are mature enough to collaborate with family-owned automotive players and precise manufacturing companies.
Minimum Requirements
- You have proven the core functionality or your technology under laboratory conditions (prototype or demonstrable product)
- You have proven your initial mettle and now require industry insights, mentorship and empirical practice to take your product to market
For more mature startups
- You have successfully launched your product/service and want to test new technology use cases in the automotive industry
We open up our production lines for you to do surgery on the open heart:
real data, real people, real processes – all highly automated with short
cycle times, vibrations, noise, dust and heat.
A FASTTRACK project will give you no less than a reality check of your technology
Based on your offer and your need, the most suitable project department will be determined.
Amongst others, the 20+ FASTTRACK pilot projects up to this point took place in:
Quality Management/End of Line, Intralogistics, Engineering, Product Development, Training Center, Shop Floor and more
ALUMNI
CASE STUDIES

HD Vision
Project Title
Computer vision for quality inspection and error detection
Project Scope
HD Vision Systems is up to date the only FASTTRACK Alumni who has conducted three PoCs successfully in parallel — one with each partner.
The idea behind all projects was to see, whether a fully automated robot vision system would be capable of meeting the quality requirements of large-scale production with regards to cycle time, identification of error types and error detection reliability.

IMSystems
Project Title
Design-to-cost of toothless gearbox
Project Scope
Make the Archimedes Drive producible (at large) scale and cost effective.
IMSystems develops and manufactures a new generation of gearboxes. Contrary to the widely used transmission of force thorugh geat teeth, IMSystems’ so called Archimedes Drive transmits force through hollow friction rollers.