Innovative "test balloons" wanted for Jena city center

StadtLab Jena opens in June - website online - applications now open

An experimental space for new ideas is currently being created in the city center of Jena. At Löbderstraße 6, the new "StadtLab Jena" is providing a pop-up space and a workshop area. Innovative commercial and non-commercial ideas can be tried out on site for days or weeks at a time. Interested parties can now submit concepts for use online. The website stadtlab-jena.de has been online since today. The premises will open in June 2023.

"We are looking forward to innovative ideas for the city center and are providing the right infrastructure. We invite companies, small businesses, associations and private individuals alike to join us," says Markus Henkenmeier, authorized signatory of the Jena Economic Development Agency (JenaWirtschaft), which is responsible for the project.

A total of 175 square meters of space awaits commercial and non-commercial concepts in StadtLab Jena. In addition to a pop-up area, which is particularly suitable for sales, exhibitions or showroom offers, there is also a workshop area with presentation technology and an open kitchen with a fridge and oven for events such as tastings or similar offers.

"We can imagine a wide range of different business ideas that could be tried out on site - from wine tastings or pasta workshops to urban production such as jewelry design or cosmetics production to sewing workshops and the sale of special retail products," says Grit Sachse, project manager at StadtLab Jena.

The pop-up space is allocated on a weekly basis for a period of two to six weeks. Commercial providers pay a small service charge. Ideas can be submitted online via the new website.

The workshop area can be used on a daily or evening basis. Here the StadtLab makers can present children's activities, club information events or very individual formats, for example.

"Perhaps someone would like to start a series of talks with local politicians? Or introduce an unusual hobby? Gain new supporters for an aid project? StadtLab Jena should definitely be a place where everyone can exchange ideas and network," says Florian Lauterbach, also a project manager in the StadtLab team. There are no fees for non-commercial use.

The final construction work is currently still underway on the site, which also includes the office of the two project managers Grit Sachse and Florian Lauterbach. They are coordinating appointments, evaluating concepts, organizing events and - in the long term - also developing a start-up competition. The first task now, however, is to fill the new StadtLab Jena with life and creative ideas. Concepts can now be submitted online on the StadtLab Jena website.