Living Labs

Entry Cycles are where the first connection happens — a real AI challenge meets a room full of curious, capable students. Over 3 to 5 days, companies bring forward early questions — an idea they want to test, a use case they are unsure about, a direction that needs exploring. Students from across disciplines take it on, working quickly with AI tools and fresh perspectives to see what might be possible.

These short cycles are designed to surface talent, test the edges of an idea, and identify which challenges are worth taking further. They are the starting point of the Living Lab ecosystem — where teams form, ideas take shape, and the groundwork is laid for deeper, more sustained collaboration.

Solution Cycles are where a defined challenge is matched with the right approach and taken through to a usable outcome. Over 10 to 12 weeks, student teams work closely with German SMEs, using AI tools and real data to design, test, and refine solutions in a structured way. Each problem is approached through the most relevant lens — whether market insight, user validation, simulation, localisation, product adaptation, or ecosystem mapping — ensuring the work stays grounded and context-specific.

The result is not just exploration, but tangible outputs with real potential for adoption. The strongest solutions move forward, with teams given the opportunity to further develop and present it on international innovation platforms.

Learning Labs are where the capability to solve real problems is built — and where faculty play an active, shaping role. In structured, hands-on settings, students and faculty work side by side with AI tools, datasets, and methods, experimenting and testing how these can be applied in practice.

Faculty are not just participants, but anchors of the process — guiding problem framing, ensuring methodological rigour, and translating industry challenges into structured learning and research pathways. As they work alongside students, they strengthen their own applied expertise and embed these approaches within the university.

These sessions lay the foundation for effective participation in Solution Cycles, ensuring teams are not just motivated, but equipped — and that universities build lasting capacity to engage with real-world, industry- driven innovation.

Demo Days & Showcases are where ideas meet the world. Student teams present their solutions to German and Asian industry partners, demonstrating the real impact of their work. These events create pathways for adoption, opportunities for further development, and high visibility for students, positioning them and their solutions in both local and international markets.