The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has selected the concept “Transformation by Design: Designing the Sustainable City” for one of only 20 “innovation communities” in Germany as part of the DATIpilot funding guideline. This success was made possible by the University of Art and Design (HfG) Offenbach, the city of Offenbach, the Offenbach am Main Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK) and the VAIR e.V. association, who had jointly developed the application. In it, they outlined topics and structures for how technological and social innovations can arise in the systematic collaboration between the University of Art and Design, the city government and policy, businesses and civil society. The BMBF was convinced by this potential for innovation and will provide up to 5 million euros for innovation community projects over the next four years.
The starting point for this project was, among other things, the OIMD’s many years of collaboration with the city, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the VAIR association in various research and urban development projects, such as the design of the municipal mobility system or an inclusive sports park under the Kaiserlei highway bridge. The innovation community, which will start in January 2025, will focus on the topics of “sustainable conversion of the urban structure,” “social cohesion,” and “innovative ability.”
Photo: the innovation community’s management team (f.l.t.r.): Prof. Dr. Kai Vöckler (HfG Offenbach University of Art and Design/OIMD), Frank Achenbach (IHK Chamber of Industry and Commerce Offenbach am Main), Anne Schwarz (City of Offenbach/Digitization unit) und Ahmed Arriouach (VAIR e.V.). (c) Heike Andersen
