Why do you support the Baselhack as CEO of Actemium?
I support the BaselHack because it is a hackathon anchored in the region. It is a place where the future is being designed. Actemium is very interested in supporting Basel and the surrounding region where we are based. We believe it is an important contribution to maintaining Basel's attractiveness as a business location.
What benefits do you see from a management point of view?
Our employees like it, we remain interesting as an organization and increase our attractiveness as an employer. In the long-term, this makes it easier for us to attract good talent.
Is there any benefit for Actemium employees?
Yes, of course. Employees who participate in BaselHack can exchange ideas with other people in the industry. They can learn from others, grow personally and feel what agile working really means. It's simply a challenge that we can't offer in our day-to-day work context.
We have the following agreement with the employees who participate: One of the two days of time investment is counted as work time, the second day is their own personal contribution. Currently we even have one of our employees as part of the organizing committee, which we are very proud to have.
For the employees who do not participate, it is a sign that we, as an employer, are open to do something for our employees that goes beyond the standard. This helps us ensure that our employees stay in the company.
Compared to classic hackathons, why do you find the BaselHack interesting?
There are several reasons why we think the BaselHack is great: It's not a huge event like many other hacks. Size is not what counts here. We think quality is more important than quantity. In large events personality is lost. You at BaselHack are likeable people and with less participants the quality automatically increases. This aligns very well with our company philosophy.
What do you see as the significance of BaselHack for the region?
BaselHack is the guarantee for the attractiveness of a city and indispensable for the entire region.
Many thanks to Patrick Vergult