Creapolis + design 2023 – 2027

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Background info

Seven years ago, the federal and state governments jointly launched an initiative to support universities in bringing their ideas, knowledge and technologies to their region.
Coburg University of Applied Sciences was one of the winners of the “Innovative University” competition.
From 2018 to the end of 2022, it received a total of 6.5 million euros in funding from the program to expand its diverse innovation and transfer activities.
This enabled the innovation and networking platform CREAPOLIS to be created on the derelict site of the former Coburg abattoir.
In the second funding period, a total of 9.1 million euros will be provided for the follow-up project “CREAPOLIS+design”, of which 7.6 million euros will go to the university.
It submitted the application with partners from the region: the Lucas-Cranach-Campus-Stiftung Kronach, the Förderverein des Forschungs- und Anwendungszentrums für digitale Zukunftstechnologien FADZ Lichtenfels and the Coburger Designforum Oberfranken.
“Creapolis+Design” has placed the topic of design at the center of the project’s transfer activities since 2023.
This will manifest itself in the transformation of the industrial wasteland at the Coburg abattoir and freight yard site into a “hands-on campus”.
The design factory is part of the Creapolis+design project, funded by the federal-state initiative “Innovative University”.
The former abattoir will become a design factory as a temporary venue during the transformation of the abattoir site.
With exhibitions, discussion evenings, lectures and practical craft events, the university is opening up and expanding the cultural landscape of the Coburg region.
The CREAPOLIS + design project is closely aligned with the objectives formulated in the transfer strategy and is divided into four sub-projects (TP).
We have formulated this as follows in the project application:

Design is moving to the center of our transfer activities and manifests itself spatially in the transformation of the industrial wasteland “Schlachthof” into a “hands-on campus”: With the real-world laboratory and design factory, this transformation process is becoming the third campus of the university in Coburg. Goals

  • Moderate and support the realization of the CREAPOLIS Campus as a “hands-on campus”
  • Strengthening Coburg as a design location and thus the “Coburg Design” brand
  • Enabling more design transfer

Measures

  • Real laboratory
  • Design factory
  • Design tandem

Network partner: Coburg Design Forum Upper Franconia

Local innovation labs at the university locations of Coburg, Kronach and Lichtenfels create low-threshold offers for citizens and network synergistically.
Through the increased integration of research-based transfer and student projects, these places of knowledge are developing into transfer instruments. Goals

  • By integrating research and teaching, the CREAPOLIS Makerspace can be used as a transfer tool
  • In cooperation with regional partners in Kronach and Lichtenfels, achieve synergy effects in operations and create access to science in the region

Measures

  • Makerspace as a transfer instrument
    • Makerspace network Coburg – Kronach – Lichtenfels
    • Design Thinking/Entrepreneurship in Kronach
  • Digital learning world in Lichtenfels
  • Maker Faire

Network partners

The focus on key research areas serves to raise the profile of Coburg University of Applied Sciences: clarity and knowledge of core competencies are the basis for high-profile research transfer and the development of expertise in partnership with industry. Goals

  • Raising the university’s profile regionally and nationally
  • Increase the innovative capacity of the university, esp.
    in the area of its core competencies

Measures

  • Innovation and project management in the university’s key research areas
  • Profile-building further development of specialist events

Networking is put into practice: regional needs are identified and specifically addressed and ideas are generated in partnership as part of the “Transfercheck” and “Innovation Festival”.
Intensive storytelling in science communication makes transfer successes and innovations in the region visible. Goals

  • Promote networking in the regional innovation ecosystem and esp.
    in the Coburg-Kronach-Lichtenfels innovation triangle
  • Identifying needs in the region and generating solutions in partnership
  • Massively strengthen science communication and thus the level of awareness of university competencies

Measures

  • Transfer & Innovation Check
  • Transfer innovation fund
  • Innovation Festival
  • Storytelling

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Project management

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