Pop-up laboratory Baden-Württemberg

Five locations in the next two years

The “Baden-Württemberg pop-up laboratory” will take place in 2023 and 2024 in Buchen, Freiburg, Singen, Stockach, Neresheim and Heidenheim - all cities near the innovation hub Karlsruhe. As part of the pop-up labs, small and medium-sized companies can get to know and deal with innovative technologies, new business models and agile organizational forms. The Ministry of Economics has selected the five regions of Buchen (Odenwald), Freiburg and southern Upper Rhine, Karlsruhe and Northern Black Forest, Singen (Hohentwiel) and Stockach as well as Neresheim and Heidenheim (Brenz) as locations for the Popup Laboratory Baden-Württemberg (BW) for the years 2023 and 2024.

The pop-up laboratory, funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs with 450,000 euros in these years, offers small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) the opportunity to deal with innovative methods, technological trends and digital transformation locally and free of charge. "We are very pleased that with the pop-up laboratory we have a unique format to support small and medium-sized companies in rural regions of Baden-Württemberg in their digital transformation," explained Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut, Minister for Economy, Labor and Tourism. "The selected regions show their strong commitment to the promotion of SMEs and, through their regional networking, contribute to the pop-up laboratory being able to develop its full potential," said the minister.

Eleven successful pop-up labs since 2017 After eleven successful pop-up laboratories since 2017 with more than 4,400 participants, the temporary innovation workshop is to come to five more regions in 2023 and 2024. Interested consortia, for example from urban and rural districts in the state of Baden-Württemberg, business development agencies, chambers of industry and commerce and universities, could apply as possible locations for a pop-up laboratory until December 2022. After reviewing the documents and evaluating the concepts, Buchen (Odenwald), Freiburg and southern Upper Rhine, Northern Black Forest, Singen (Hohentwiel) and Stockach as well as Neresheim and Heidenheim (Brenz) were selected. SMEs often lack direct access to theoretical knowledge and practical implementation in terms of innovation methods and digital transformation. The Popup Labor BW is a temporary workshop in which these SMEs can get to know innovative technologies, new business models and agile forms of organization. With scientifically proven innovation methods, SMEs have the opportunity to rethink and redesign the economy and digitization beyond day-to-day business.

The offers of the Popup Labor BW are made across all sectors for all SMEs, free of charge for the participants, low-threshold in terms of approach and at the companies on site. Great interest in popup labs In general, the numerous applications from all regions of Baden-Württemberg underline the great interest in the format of the pop-up laboratory. "The pop-up laboratory is a valuable support for SMEs and start-ups on their way into the digital future," continued the Minister for Economic Affairs. "We are enthusiastic about the great field of applicants and the innovative concepts that have reached us and are very much looking forward to experiencing the ideas of the selected regions live over the next two years." With the five selected regions, the stations of the pop-up laboratory are distributed throughout Baden-Württemberg and will cover the entire state over the next two years. The selected regions provide rooms for the pop-up laboratory, contribute to its success with their network and act as local coordinators.

The pop-up laboratory itself supports the companies in workshops, keynote speeches, makethons and other formats. https://www.popuplabor-bw.de/