On October 5, 2024, Marburg experienced a very special event: The “Tiny Festival” brought together people from different areas of the city and finally at the university library to enrich the innovation ecosystem in Marburg with new perspectives.
CSL Innovation has supported and co-sponsored the project since its inception. “To conduct world-class research and development in Marburg and in our new R&D building M600, we need talent and an international scientific community,” said Dr. Lars Groenke, Managing Director of CSL Innovation. ”We believe that we already have many of the prerequisites for this in Marburg and Central Hessen. We are happy to contribute to creating a vibrant innovation ecosystem.”
Tiny Festival: The highlights
The day started with a city tour that took visitors along various innovative developments in Marburg and at the same time allowed an open view not only of the bright blue sky, but also of future scenarios that are based on overcoming habitual silo thinking. The city presented itself here as a vibrant center that brings people together for new, positive developments and thus realizes its potential.
In and around the atrium of the university library, all those involved in organizing the festival came together. What they have in common is that they are initiatives that promote the thinking and development of ideas across disciplines. The exchange with the developers of the “Political-X-Change” app, who are working to enable young people to actively and easily shape politics and society, was just as enriching as the live creation of a street art work of art at the old university library; together with Marburg residents, a collective of young artists transformed the facade into a colorful symbol for the vision of a Marburg that is open to new ideas. Yukiko Elisabeth Kobayashi, head of the “Innovation Ecosystem Marburg & beyond” project, says: “From schoolchildren to people over 80, people from all walks of life have worked on this joint project in Marburg. A great symbol of innovation and a successful democracy across borders.” The Listening Cubes – specially made wooden booths – offered visitors the opportunity to find each other in random pairs, exchange ideas and thus dare to look beyond familiar horizons.
" We are happy to contribute to creating a vibrant innovation ecosystem in Marburg and Central Hesse. "
Dr. Lars Groenke, Managing Director, CSL Innovation
One year of Innovation Ecosystem Marburg
The Tiny Festival marks another milestone in the development of the innovation ecosystem in Marburg, which was launched a year ago. Projects such as the cross-mentoring program prove that cross-sector collaboration is one way to develop solutions to challenges. Over the past twelve months, CSL Innovation has shown how innovation can be created through continuous engagement, the courage to change, and the development of a network. The Tiny Festival highlighted Marburg's potential as a location for innovation.
“Marburg and the Central Hessen region can become Germany's 'Life Science Valley',” said Dr. Lars Groenke in conclusion. ”We have successfully taken the first steps towards this today and over the past twelve months.”
