15 December 2025
After taking a short detour last year to host our first-ever Hackathon, smartweek returned this September with a refreshed format. From 22–25 September, smartweek provided four focused mornings for colleagues across Europe to connect, share updates, and exchange knowledge across teams.
The week began with an update from Thomas Servatius, our Co-CEO, who highlighted company-wide priorities and what’s next for smartclip — setting the stage for a series of sessions on data literacy, IT security, developer tools, and coding best practices, all reflecting the company’s cross-functional DNA.
Sessions that sparked ideas
During Scientific Literacy: Test Your Knowledge, Andreas Meier and Miriam Blockhaus reminded us that not all “facts” are created equal. The session peeled back the curtain on how scientific research is approved, highlighted where biases can creep in, and offered guidance on separating solid evidence from shaky conclusions.
From thinking critically about research to thinking critically about our digital habits, IT Security Awareness with Dr. Christian Paulsen from RTL Deutschland emphasised the importance of smart online practices. Participants explored the policies and best practices that protect our people, systems, and company from evolving security threats, reinforcing that cybersecurity starts with awareness.
Next, A Deep Dive into smartclip’s Data Sources with Nadine Blanke and Luise Odenthal offered a closer look at how data powers our work. The session dove into the roles of our various data teams, ongoing projects, recent achievements, and key takeaways that are helping shape smarter, more informed decision-making across the company.
This year, developer-focused sessions took centre stage. In Playwright vs Vitest, Su Gao shared the motivations and results of testing Vitest against our established Playwright setup, offering practical insights for optimising development processes. Complementing this, CLI Toolbox for Developers with Lukas Senicourt highlighted the value of small, efficient command-line tools, offering a practical set of utilities to simplify workflows and save time. Rounding out the developer sessions, VMAP & MRSS: Orchestrating the Hornet’s Nest of TV Ads with Merten Schakohl and Ekaterina Beck explored the integration of key industry standards into the smartx platform and how they help streamline and optimise the management of TV ads.
And finally, we took a cinematic turn during Joel Boychuk’s session, The Making of Coding. During his session, Joel shared a behind-the-scenes look at last year’s offsite coding challenge, blending humour and reflection to show how he overcame “coder’s block” and turned challenges into inspiration, serving as the ultimate reminder of the creativity and perseverance at the heart of smartclip.
While smartweek continues to evolve, its core purpose remains the same: bringing people together to share knowledge, spark new ideas, and reinforce the collaborative spirit that drives us forward. Beyond the individual sessions, the week was a reminder of how exchanging insights across teams helps us work smarter, stay connected, and drive innovation.
Lee is the Marketing Specialist Europe at smartclip and is responsible for content writing, editing, social media, and creative support across the department and company. Originally from the United States, Lee graduated from the University of Cincinnati, where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Electronic Media. Before joining smartclip, she has worked with various organisations managing social media accounts and assisting in the video and audio production processes.
Lee Richter
Marketing Specialist Europe
