In the Cross Innovation Lab 2024, researchers from the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY and HAW Hamburg joined forces with creative experts to combine basic research with creative approaches for the first time. The result: an oasis that combines research, education and spending time in public spaces.
According to a study, climate change is not a tangible concept for almost 20% of young people in Germany. Researchers from DESY and experts from the pool of creatives tackled this problem and developed the SOLR pilot project over several weeks. The different ways of thinking and working of the two disciplines led to a unique solution that combines sustainability, education and innovation.
SOLR (Sustainable Oasis for Learning and Recharge) revolutionises sustainability education through an innovative gamification approach: users charge their mobile phones for free at a solar station - in return, they take part in a quiz on environmental topics. Covering an area of 5.5 square metres, the station generates environmentally friendly electricity and also acts as a public meeting point and advertising platform for sustainable products. SOLR also offers DESY the opportunity to test future technologies. Using AI-supported technology, the pilot project raises awareness of environmental protection and offers practical benefits at the same time. The result from research and the creative industry forms an innovative bridge and proves that creative people are important sources of inspiration for science.
In the Cross Innovation Lab, companies come together in changing constellations over a period of six weeks to work together on product developments in a stimulating environment. Experts from the creative industries are specifically involved in the process.
Field research: At the beginning, the challenges of the companies are analysed in a new kind of depth in collaboration with creative professionals - and their fresh perspective from the outside.
Workshop phase: In a total of four workshop/lab days, the companies develop new solutions together with selected creative professionals.
Feedback loops: Between the labs, a concept review takes place with all participating companies in order to further improve the products through joint feedback and exchange.
In the iterative work process, companies develop new products or product adaptations in a significantly reduced amount of time.
"Drawing and designing in particular was something completely new in the innovation process from our scientific perspective, and I think that really enriched our scientists."
DESY is one of the world's leading accelerator centres, based in Hamburg and Zeuthen. The accelerators as well as the detection instruments that DESY develops and builds are unique tools for research: they generate the strongest X-ray light in the world, bring particles to record energies and open new windows into the universe. The research centre cooperates closely with industry and business and finds innovative solutions for their various areas of application.
Patrick Scheckelhoff is responsible for the conception and realisation of innovation-promoting formats at cross-industry interfaces at the Cross Innovation Hub.
He studied Cultural Studies (B.A.) at Leuphana University Lüneburg and Hong Kong Baptist University with a focus on cultural organisation and urban sociology. Prior to his studies, he completed vocational training as a media designer and gained experience in project management and event organisation in various non-profit associations and at festivals. Most recently, he worked at the Social Change Hub at Leuphana University Lüneburg.
Nicole Wittek is responsible for cooperation and partner management at the Cross Innovation Hub and is the point of contact for all companies and organisations that want to find out more about the potential of cross innovation with creative experts and are interested in working together.
She studied Cultural Studies, Media Studies and Business Administration at the University of Regensburg. There she played a key role in the development and management of the inner-city creative centre and helped to establish the area of cultural and creative industries promotion. Most recently, she worked in an interdisciplinary office for urban development, where she designed co-creative formats and implemented them in projects for city centre development and mobility.
Nicole has been voluntarily organising projects at the interface of culture, (creative) economy and urban development for over ten years and is a founding and board member of the association obenstadt e.V., which promotes multifunctional roof uses, and is co-initiator of the Hamburg Roof Days.
