1. Innovation Challenge Lausitz

1. What is the Innovation Challenge?

The Innovation Challenge is a 2.5-day event where participants in diverse groups develop prototype solutions for specific or self-selected problems faced by companies, municipalities, and associations in the Görlitz district. The teams are guided and supported by coaches and mentors.

2. Who should participate?

• Employees of regional institutions from all sectors who want to learn new methods, overcome current obstacles and escape everyday thought patterns
• Developers and computer scientists who want to immediately demonstrate their skills and come into direct contact with potential clients.
• Students, pupils and young professionals

3. Why participate?

Participants develop solutions to real, current problems or challenges outside of their usual structures. Companies, associations, and municipalities send employees and volunteers to participate in the event. Participants receive application-oriented, modern methodological input. Solutions are developed in diverse teams, free from external constraints. Our coaches and mentors support the teams along the way.

The participants bring the problem-solving process and their experiences back to their organization.

Participants become ambassadors of innovation within their sphere of influence. The mixing of teams provides all participants with new perspectives. The event also serves to foster employee retention, development, and motivation.

There is ample opportunity for networking. Furthermore, the exchange of information on trends and challenges across different industries is encouraged.

Young professionals, school pupils and students come into direct contact with potential employers.

 

 4. How exactly does that work?

• Thursday, April 27th (Start 6 pm | open end)

Kick-off event with keynote speeches

Main goal: To commit to the Innovation Challenge format and creative work in interdisciplinary teams, team building

• Friday, April 28th (Start 9:45 am | open end)
  

workday

Key areas: Understanding the problem, personas, possible solutions

• Saturday, April 29th (Start 9:45 am | End 6 pm)
  

Main goal: Prototyping, finalization, pitch training

Jury pitch

 

5. Which challenges will be addressed:

• Weißwasser and Lausitzer Füchse: What could a long-term citizen participation process for the project of an International Sports Academy in Weißwasser look like, so that the citizens of the municipality and neighboring communities see it as an opportunity?. 
• Boxberg Water Rescue Service: How can the Boxberg Water Rescue Service attract more adults from the region around Lake Bärwalde to volunteer as lifeguards in the association? 
• Lodenau village community: What could a multi-generational and functional meeting place in Lodenau look like for the municipality and the village community in the existing building? 
• Young Lusatia: How can young people be motivated to become socially and politically active, for example in local and city councils? 
• UNU FLORES: How can the innovative concept of vertical gardening in rural areas be made more accessible to the stereotype of the "bourgeois allotment gardener"? 
• ENO (SST Education): Nobody uses thick tomes like an atlas anymore, right? How can the career guidance resources of the INSIDER Atlas be presented in a way that Generation ɑ will actually engage with them?
• Future Agency: What opportunities exist to sustainably use the villages abandoned as a result of coal mining, which are now being preserved, for the development of the region? 

 

6. Summary - What can you expect from the Innovation Challenge?

• Coaching of startup methodologies,
• Learning application-oriented innovation techniques,
• Exchange and networking on innovation topics, trends and challenges,
• Networking,
• Solving real-world problems from companies, associations and municipalities,
• Abundant food and
• Participant documents.