Future Work Lab
University in the City

Invitation to Op dä Maat with Pottbäckermarkt in the middle of Krefeld and in the Future Work Lab of The Hochschule Niederrhein

When:
Saturday, 2 May, 10.00 to 18.00
Sunday, 3 May, 11.00 to 18.00

Experience - technology, team spirit and participation in the Future Work Lab around the Behnisch-Haus site in Krefeld. We will be showing several highlights from The Hochschule Niederrhein. Come along, take a look behind the scenes of student projects and experience how much passion there is in teamwork, movement and play.

# The Hochschule Niederrhein racing team - racing at your fingertips
When: on both days
The Hochschule Niederrhein's racing team: a student team that develops, builds and tests racing cars from scratch. This project brings together design, production, electronics/software, data analysis, organisation and marketing - and the result is a vehicle that not only looks good, but is also designed for performance. We show you two generations of this teamwork:

*RS-25e- our current electric racing car
Modern e-mobility, high-voltage technology and smart systems: The RS-25e represents the next step in student motorsport - quiet, precise and technically highly exciting.

*RS-23c- the predecessor with combustion engine
Classic racing car construction with combustion engine drive: Here you can see how the technology, packaging and concept differ compared to the electric vehicle.

You can experience the vehicles up close, ask questions and get an explanation of what is really behind the aerodynamics, chassis, drive and team organisation.

# More programme from the HSNR: acrobatics, board games and science snacks
In addition to technology and racing, other co-operative activities await you:

* HSNR acrobatics group
When: Sunday, 03 May 2026 from 14:30 - 18:00
The acrobatics group shows what is possible when strength, coordination, confidence and timing come together. Teamwork is at least as important here as safe training. The acrobatics group trains partner and group acrobatics, does balancing exercises, small pyramids and floor elements and nothing works without a joint warm-up. Come along and try a few exercises with the professionals under supervision. Test your own personal acrobatic power.

* Science Snack - Faculty of Health Care students
Science Snack: Juicy sweet - we uncover!
When: Date to follow
Orange juice, iced tea or energy drink - they're all delicious, but what's really in them? In this workshop, we'll use a handheld refractometer to measure the sugar content of various drinks. We take a close look: What does the packaging tell us and what can you look out for when buying drinks?

Science Snack: Myth High Protein!
When: Date to follow
Discover how proteins make your body strong and what's really behind the high-protein hype. You will check products, test alternative protein sources and find out what makes sense.

With experiments and a small tasting session, it will be both delicious and educational.

* Brettspielclub Niederrhein e.V.
When: Sunday, 03 May 2026 from 12:00 - 16:00
Brettspielclub Niederrhein e.V. already plays once a month at the Future Work Lab and has a selection of games on site. Take a look, play along and discover, whether short and easy, tactical and tricky: you'll quickly find a place at the table here.

# Future Work Lab at The Hochschule Niederrhein - a regional KNOWLEDGE PLACE for business and civil society

The Hochschule Niederrhein's Future Work Lab is an open place for exchange and orientation. In events, talks and discussions, we address issues relating to the future of technology, business, science and society - in an understandable, up-to-date way and with a focus on the region.

The focus is on topics that directly affect many people and organisations, for example:

- How are *digitalisation and AI* changing our everyday lives and professions?
- What does change mean for *education, opportunities and participation*?
- How can work and life be shaped in a *healthy, fair and sustainable* way?
- How do we deal with *uncertainty, upheaval and new demands* in society?

The Future Work Lab brings together different perspectives on this: Civil society, science, business, administration and other stakeholders. The aim is to engage in dialogue, clarify questions, exchange positions and gain orientation on the basis of expert information - without fakes and without access barriers.

At the same time, we see ourselves as a bridge between the university, business and civil society: we cooperate with companies and institutions from the region, take up their issues and experiences and bring them into the university - for example through practical projects, joint research and/or public discussions. Conversely, we make findings from research and teaching education accessible in an understandable way and bring them into the region.

In short: The Future Work Lab is an *invitation to join in the conversation, think and participate* - and an offer to jointly develop sustainable perspectives for our future.

We are the city! -A project of the Future Work Lab of The Hochschule Niederrhein with associations from the region

The new series of events organised by the FWL: Wir sind Stadt! ties in with the idea of picking up on existing knowledge in urban society, rethinking it and communicating it. Each year, the FWL team will work with an association from the region to highlight the theme of a particular association and present it in an annual programme. Within this series of events, event formats are developed together with associations from the urban community that offer insights into the work of the associations and embed them in a scientific context.

In 2025, the FWL is working together with the Vereinigung der Krefelder Sternfreunde e.V. association. The aim is to present the work of the association and the topic of astronomy and to bring it from the sky into the FWL.

Astronomy Day on 29 March 2025

The new series of events kicked off on Saturday 29 March 2025 from 4pm to 7pm as Astronomy Day 2025 at the FWL. On this day, astronomical instruments of the association were presented, degree programmes of the university related to astronomy were introduced and the mysteries and wonders of the celestial stars were discussed in a keynote lecture: Astronomy is - just look up .


Two further events are planned for 2025 and the beginning of 2026.

1. Astronomy and the environment: large-format photography exhibition of celestial bodies - starry skies over Krefeld. Keynote speech followed by a discussion on the topic of light pollution.

2. where does astronomy touch our existence? Exhibition of light projections of object representations. Impulse lecture on the topics: Sundial as an orientation system.

Please visit us again soon to find out the dates. Thank you very much!

Producing electronic music
Interactive workshop on 3 April 2025
with Dieter Herten

Electronic music has long since developed from a niche to an integral part of our everyday culture and is shaping the world of music in a unique way. This interactive workshop is aimed at anyone who is interested but has no experience in music production, as well as those who have already taken their first steps in this field. Together, the participants got to know the Ableton Live 12 programme and played through the structure of a track using examples. In this interactive process, a track was developed through to fine-tuning and finalisation. Number of participants: 20 people.


Further events are planned. Please visit us again soon to find out the dates, thank you!

What will the city of the future look like - and how do we want to live in it?

The Hochschule Niederrhein's Smart City Symposium invites experts from science, administration, politics, start-ups and industry as well as citizens and students to take a look at the digital urban future together.

In addition to inspiring presentations, the symposium also offers space for active participation and discussion with the interactive "Learn Vision" format - both on site and online.

The focus will be on innovations and technologies that make our cities more connected, more sustainable and more liveable - from smart building technology and digital environmental monitoring to materials that generate energy or clean themselves.

The Hochschule Niederrhein is actively involved in interdisciplinary urban development projects - bringing together research, practice and society: open, future-oriented and thought-provoking.

Location: Future Work Lab of the Hochschule Niederrhein, Petersstraße 122, 47798 Krefeld
Format: Hybrid event - participation on site or online via Zoom
Date:Thursday, 09 October 2025, 13:00-18:00
To register:https://mf.ide3.de/view.php?id=150628
To the programme: [Link to the landing page with programme follows]

Stifterverband - Transformationslabor Hochschule - Niederrhein Urban Lab

The Hochschule Niederrhein (HSNR) and the city of Mönchengladbach are joining forces to tackle the key challenges facing the Niederrhein region. With a focus on socio-cultural participation, sustainable urban development and interdisciplinary collaboration, they are tackling structural change in a region characterised by economic and social upheaval.

Cluster I:Community outreach with the TransferBike (module T): Workshops and events in special socio-cultural neighbourhoods are used to capture the concerns of citizens directly on site.

Cluster II: blank spaces - Conference Festival for Urban Culture and Creative Industries in Mönchengladbach on 23 and 24 October 2025: An innovative event format that brings together the cultural and creative industries, science and civil society to develop the region's potential.

https://blank-spaces.de/

Cluster III: HSNR workshops: Based on the findings collected, measures for teaching education, research and social responsibility are developed, monitored and a recommendation for further initiatives is made.

The exact dates for Cluster III "HSNR workshops in January 2026" are yet to be announced. Please visit us again soon to find out the dates, thank you very much!

Kulturpolitischer Salon - "A Call to Action"
Performative exploration of the cities of Krefeld and Mönchengladbach

"The past called, we can't mess up the future..." - A performative exploration of the cities of Krefeld and Mönchengladbach, which are often overshadowed by larger metropolises. Cultural-political salon - "A Call to Action" in the Future Work Lab at The Hochschule Niederrhein. At the heart of "A Call to Action", a space opens up in which culture, science and politics enter into a creative dialogue to discuss spatial development and democratic participation. We are structuring the evening as a moderated, dialogue-oriented expert forum, accompanied by interactive elements.

We deliberately focus on short inputs - impulse statements of 5-7 minutes each - followed by moderated discussion blocks and questions from the audience. In small group formats ("talk tables") with changing thematic blocks, we create low-threshold discourse spaces for beginners as well as those interested in the subject - in the style of salon-style forums that combine learning from each other, networking and practical reflection.

The evening continues with a staged walk to the Heeder factory and ends with an open get-togetherwith drinks and informal dialogue - a transition to the artistic performance "Rauschen", which makes the topic a direct sensory experience. This turns discourse into concrete encounters: heads on, hearts up, debate is alive.

Location: Future Work Lab, The Hochschule Niederrhein and Fabrik Heeder, City of Krefeld

The Hochschule Niederrhein is a member of the association: Haus des Wissens und der Wirtschaft e.V.

The association sponsors the initiative: Leading Ladies in Town

While the W3 focuses on resilient urban development with science, business and urban society - and thus invites Krefeld's citizens and entrepreneurs to engage in dialogue about innovation, education and Krefeld as a business location - the LLiT initiative, based on the W3, concentrates on developing the potential of female specialists and managers in Krefeld and thus actively counteracting the shortage of skilled workers.

The Future Work Lab supports both contact points at various events.

The Future Work Lab is ideally suited for innovative and integrative teaching education. The open space solution in the reception area and the adjoining project room can be adapted to individual learning and teaching requirements thanks to the flexible furniture.

You can set up a classic lecture situation and present together or individually on the Smart Board, or set up to 7-8 individual learning situations where small group work can take place. The project room is also ideal for quiet work or group work, as it can be separated from the open space by a door. There is also a lounge area adjacent to the project room, which can be used by up to four people as a separate retreat.

The annual nationwide Night of Biosignals is organised by the "Biosignals" committee of the German Society for Biomedical Engineering (DGBMT), the largest scientific and technical society for medical technology in Germany.

On this evening, many colleges and universities will be hosting entertaining lectures and discussions on the latest developments in biomedicine. The Hochschule Niederrhein (HSNR) is also taking part and invites you to its Future Work Lab (Petersstraße 122) in Krefeld. The Hochschule Niederrhein's interdisciplinary Competence Centre for Research for Intelligent Assistance Systems and Technologies (FAST) is organising the Night of Biosignals at the Krefeld campus. FAST brings together faculties such as Design, Engineering and Computer Science, Textile Engineering and Business Administration and Economics and researches innovative applications for computer-aided assistance systems. FAST's research focuses on applications in logistics, in the health and home care sector, in disaster management and in general mobility within society. Particularly noteworthy are the developments in the field of biosignal processing, modelling as well as the use of wearables and the integration of virtual/augmented reality (VR/AR).

The 2025 programme will be advertised beyond the HSNR event announcement and linked on the Future Work Lab website. Please visit us again soon to find out the dates. Thank you very much!

Pop-up event with short presentations in the Future Work Lab on the topic of design Krefeld
25/07/2024 and 26/07/2024

The Hochschule Niederrhein's Faculty of Design has been in existence for 120 years. During this time, the subject area and thus the students' apprenticeships have changed significantly. University professors and alumni of the faculty gave insights into how exactly and what exciting topics there are in two days of exciting short lectures.

On Thursday, 25 July 2024 (2 to 6 pm) and Friday, 26 July 2024 (2 to 4 pm), interested parties could simply come to the pop-up event in the Future Work Lab (Petersstraße 122, near the Jazz Club) in Krefeld city centre without registering and listen to the 30-minute lectures. The event was organised by the Faculty of Design and the Third Mission (linking research and teaching education with society).

Whether informative, historical, lyrical or topical - there was something for everyone. These included topics such as:

"Communication Design & K-Pop: An Unexpected Career"
"The Cold War in Design: FRG-GDR"
"Between Typography, AI and Gaming"
"No diversions is for nothing - challenges and opportunities after studying design"
In addition, former design students reported on their successful start-ups.

The event was embedded in the anniversary week for "120 years of designkrefeld", which took place from 23 to 27 July.

Exhibition by the Krefeld local child protection association at the Future Work Lab Krefeld
Stay colourful: children's art with heart and imagination

Giving up magic powers so that someone else can make the world a better place. A world without disease, without war - but with horses for everyone. What sounds like dreams from a children's book are the real thoughts of Catalina, Polina and Lesja from the art group of the Krefeld Child Protection Association.

Under the title "Stay colourful", this year's exhibition in the Kinderkunstpunkt series showed the works of 14 young artists in the Future Work Lab of The Hochschule Niederrhein in the Behnisch-Bau on Petersstr. 122. On display are colourful paintings, imaginative sculptures and touching statements - the results of a year of creative work in the Regenbogen studio under the direction of art therapist Katrin Petri.

"Sometimes it's easier to express feelings with paint and brushes than with words. Art is a language that can do without words," explains Nicole Ehrlich, Chairwoman of the Executive Committee of the Krefeld Child Protection Association.

The exhibition is the fourth of its kind. However, this year marks the premiere of a successful cooperation between the Kinderschutzbund, The Hochschule Niederrhein and the Haus des Wissens und der Wirtschaft e.V. association. In the beautifully designed exhibition catalogue, Professor Donja Amirpur, Vice President of University Culture and Diversity, explains The Hochschule Niederrhein's commitment: "The Future Work Lab is an open, supportive and diverse place. Also for the youngest members of our society."

And they are looking forward to many visitors. Mario Bernards from Haus des Wissens und der Wirtschaft e.V.: "Every work here is an expression of a very personal emotional world and passion. My tip: take a look and be amazed." The exhibition was open to the public until 17 September, Monday to Friday between 9am and 6pm.

The Hochschule Niederrhein is following up on this successful cooperation with the local Krefeld Child Protection Association (Kinderschutzbund Ortsverband Krefeld e.V.):
A joint symposium on the topic of "Child endangerment, sexualised violence, Early Childhood Education" is planned for spring 2027.

Home game science

Scientists who come from or currently live in rural areas (by definition: places without a university location/scientific institution, preferably places with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants) spoke in simple language to people outside the scientific community about their research and what it has to do with everyone's lives. The scientists giving the presentations have at least a doctorate or are in the final phase of their doctorate, ideally they are working as professors at the university.

The Hochschule Niederrhein hosted the following lectures:

Wednesday, 16 August 2023 | 18:30
Niederrheinisches Freilichtmuseum, 47929 Grefrath - Am Freilichtmuseum 1 / Stadionstraße 145 (Navigation)
"Ab heute trainiere ich dann mal meine Resilienz.
Why resilience training has a lot to do with brushing your teeth and why everyone can benefit from it.
Prof.in Dr LenaEvertz (Faculty of Business Administration and Economics)
 

Wednesday, 27 September 2023 | 18:30
Event room Obsthof und Quartier Selders, 47877 Willich-Schiefbahn - Am Diepenbroich 58
"Help, my bees are too warm"
How beekeepers can use digital tools to learn more about their bee colonies.
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Claus Brell (Faculty of Business Administration and Economics)
 

Wednesday, 18 October 2023 | 18:30
Event room Verein für Heimatpflege e. V. Viersen, 41747 Viersen - Gerberstraße 20a
Artificial intelligence: Do I need to understand it?
Prof. Dr.- Ing.Ing. Jens Brandt (Dean Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science)

Wednesday, 27 November 2024 | 18:30 | Admission from 18:00
Jugendzentrum Krefeld-Fischeln e. V., 47807 KR-Fischeln - Kölner Straße 430
"Is that plastic or can it go?"
Why plastics are not waste, but valuable resources and what we should know about the conscious use of plastics.
Prof. Dr.-Michael Heber (Faculty of Mechanical and Process Engineering)

Moderation: Dr Joachim Schick (Team Dritte Mission)

Project partners:
HRK German Rectors' Conference
congressa
Capas Käthe Hamburger Centre
University of Heidelberg

The project was sponsored by: BMBF as part of the "Science Year 2022 In Demand!" initiative
 

Experience climate protection live!

Students from the faculties of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering presented their project assignments and invited the Krefeld community to join them.

On Sunday, 15 December 2024 from 1pm to 4pm, visitors were able to try out an interactive "mini museum to go" at the Future Work Lab in Krefeld (Petersstraße 122). Playfully discover exciting topics relating to climate change and sustainability and immerse yourself in the world of climate protection:

"Test your personal carbon footprint"
"Learn how energy is produced from water"
"Play a memory game that shows the changes to the landscape caused by climate change"
"Look at climate change on a global scale"