The first Collaboration Lab for the Stuttgart Region was planned jointly by the LP (HdM) and PP2 (WRS). The event took place at the Playpark of the HdM on March 15, 9:30am–4:30pm and in the event location “Gutbrod” of WRS on March 16, 10am–3pm. Umwelttechnik Baden-Württemberg, the central contact point for environmental technology, resource efficiency and industrial climate protection for companies in Baden-Württemberg, was a partner of the event with its “Green Check Your Idea” tool. The first day started with a welcome and a presentation of the project by project manager Violetta Fasulo from HdM. Representatives from 4 companies were present, including Kosmos Verlag, one of the largest board game publishers in the world. There were 11 participants from GenF. Prof. Dr. Claus Lang-Koetz from the Institute for Industrial Ecology, Sustainable Technology and Innovation Management (INEC) at the Pforzheim University, who is another partner of “Green Check your Idea”, kicked off the day with a presentation on sustainability-oriented innovations to introduce the participants to the topic. The companies and young people were then divided into their workshop teams. After a short introductory game, in which the group members had to draw each other, the workshop began. First, Dr. Philipp Preiss from Umwelttechnik BW explained the basics of life cycle thinking and eco design principles. Based on this, the teams then had to work together to identify the stakeholders relevant to sustainability within the life cycle of their product. After a lunch break, the next step for the teams was to identify the stakeholders that the company can influence in order to solve their sustainability challenge and to think about possible solutions. At the end of the first day, the teams presented their results. The second day started again with inputs on the topic of sustainability. In an inspiring keynote speech, Tina Kammer from Studio Interior Park, which focuses on sustainable architecture and design, made it clear why “business as usual” is not enough and why we need to take action. Building on this, Dr. Hartmut Rösch from HdM gave an insight into the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations and the EU’s Green Deal to emphasize how we have committed ourselves to sustainable change. The teams then started the second workshop phase, in which they were asked to check their idea for sustainability using the “Green Check Your Idea” tool from Umwelttechnik BW. The tool guides them through a questionnaire that asks about the most important sustainability factors. The aim of the tool is to identify sustainability hurdles early on in the development of new products, as this is the easiest time to still influence them.
Page 3
The company representatives and the young people answered the questionnaire separately. They then discussed the results and possible deviations together. At the end of the day, the teams presented their experiences and results again. As it was the first Collaboration lab, we put great emphasis on feedback from the participants. At the end of the two-day workshop, we held extensive discussions with the participants and had them record their experiences in an evaluation form.
Page 3
The company representatives and the young people answered the questionnaire separately. They then discussed the results and possible deviations together. At the end of the day, the teams presented their experiences and results again. As it was the first Collaboration lab, we put great emphasis on feedback from the participants. At the end of the two-day workshop, we held extensive discussions with the participants and had them record their experiences in an evaluation form.