• © HTW/ZfS

    17.09.2024

    Ideas for Berlin’s future

Climate, health and sustainability – these are the main topics of Transferale. From 25 to 27 September, the science and transfer festival will be held for the first time in Brain City Berlin. Five Berlin universities present their practical research and invite visitors to participate and discuss. The venue is the silent green cultural quarter in Wedding. Admission is free.

Test care robots, get creative in the makerspace, learn about textile upcycling or think together about how the drinking water shortage in Berlin can be addressed in the future. The Transferale programme is colourful, informative and interactive. For three days, the science and transfer festival will focus on the topics of climate and health as well as exchange and encounters. At the festival, five Berlin universities of applied sciences bring together science, business and society to tackle urban challenges together: The HTW Berlin University of Applied Sciences (HTW Berlin), the Berlin School of Economics and Law (HWR Berlin), the Berliner Hochschule für Technik (BHT), the Protestant University of Applied Sciences Berlin (EHB) and the Catholic University of Applied Social Sciences Berlin (KHSB) are researching innovative solutions in the areas of climate, sustainability, health and resilience under the umbrella of the Berlin joint project “Zukunft findet Stadt”. This is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as part of the federal-state initiative “Innovative University”. At Transferale, the five university alliances present more than 30 projects and are supported by numerous practical partners from business and civil society.

“Our aim is to show what exciting projects and topics are being researched at our university. To find out what concerns and drives people in the big city in the areas of climate, sustainability and health - and to enter into dialogue together,” says Eleonora Frühwirt, project coordinator of “Zukunft findet Stadt”, explaining the aim of the festival. “We want to bring innovative and socially relevant research from the universities to the city in an understandable and entertaining way with lots of hands-on activities and open it up to interested citizens.” 

Accordingly, Transferale is open to everyone. The festival programme includes workshops, exhibitions, lectures, a science slam, makerspaces, games, a quiz and a real life lab focusing on care. However, the three days of the event are aimed at different target groups:

Wednesday, 25 September 2024, is all about networking between scientists.

Thursday, 26 September 2024, focuses on the exchange between Berlin’s science and business communities. However, the topics are just as relevant for a specialist audience as they are for the interested public. For example, circular construction, in which new buildings are created by reusing building materials from old buildings, and a research project on the future of urban logistics will be presented.

Friday, 27 September 2024, Transferale invites Berliners to contribute actively to solutions for the future. There are lectures and workshops for schools, which are offered in co-operation with the KinderUni Lichtenberg (KUL), among others. Science becomes tangible and is intended to encourage young visitors to help shape their city of tomorrow. At the science slam, scientists present the results of their current research. And in the “Vision Kiosk”, visitors can develop future scenarios for Berlin. “Makerspaces” and a “Meet the Scientists” programme in the afternoon round off the Friday.

The question remains whether the approaches and ideas developed at the festival will be incorporated into the subsequent project work of “Zukunft findet Stadt”. “In one way or another – for sure,” says Eleonora Frühwirt. “On the one hand, there are long-term sub-projects of ‘Zukunft findet Stadt’, such as Real Life Labs, KiezTalks, the makerspace ‘GLASBOX’ or Innovation Work Retreats. At Transferale, they open their doors for continuous exchange with different target groups. Here you can continue creating and trying things out even after Transferale Perhaps this will also lead to new, cooperative projects. On the other hand, the exchange in formats such as ‘Meet the Scientist’ could provide new impetus or new directions for researchers at a low threshold. This is also very exciting for us.”

Participation in Transferale is free of charge. However, for events with limited space and person capacities, such as the workshops or the Makerthon kick-off “(Rain!) Water for Berlin” on Wednesday, you should register in advance.

Good news for everyone who cannot attend this year’s science festival: The next – and second – Transferale is planned for 2026! (vdo)

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