iL-CURRENT
April 29, 2024
Global Shapers are
very impressed by the iL
Ten young Global Shapers filled the iL meeting room on Friday afternoon. The two-hour stay of the group, which is part of the World Economic Forum with independently organized hubs, was peppered with presentations and insights into the work and premises of the InnovationLab.
After the group briefly introduced themselves, they were given an insight into our company, its fields of work and areas of responsibility, as well as the iL spin-off FLEXOO. Managing Director Dr. Michael Kröger presented the history of iL: Starting as a cluster in the Forum Organic Electronics competition, the young company established itself and is now active in three sub-areas: Life Science Technologies, Energy Transition and Advanced Manufacturing. Michael Kröger also emphasized iL's role as a bridge builder and incubator for companies, start-ups and ideas.
517 hubs in 154 countries
The spin-off FLEXOO was particularly highlighted. Due to the volume of orders, this area is developing from an incubator and problem solver to mass production. In order to guarantee this, the recent spin-off was the logical consequence. The young visitors also listened with interest to the two subsequent presentations. The group is part of the Global Shapers worldwide network founded in 2011. The community is for people between the ages of 20 and 30 and consists of self-organized local centers. According to the website, there are now 517 hubs in 154 countries, with a total of 11,122 Shapers - ten of whom were at the Innovation Lab in Heidelberg - and 7,750 alumni.
Karina Zub, layout designer and development engineer at FLEXOO, talked about her work and how theoretical constructs and ideas are turned into real products. What all products have in common: An application based on sensors and printed electronics. Karina was fascinated by the wide range of possible applications in the equipment and sports sector. Dr. Christoph Kaiser, also from FLEXOO, briefly went into the company's young history before also pointing out exciting products and their development. Christoph vividly illustrated the various steps from the idea to production and the design and development of the actual products.
Afterwards, the impressions and theoretical input for the group were rounded off with a tour through the laboratories and clean rooms. In two groups, Michael Kröger and Christoph Kaiser, together with Maren Heusser, guided the Global Shapers through the hall where sensor production takes place, as well as through the newly renovated laboratories on the 4th floor, which will be occupied in a few weeks. From then on, innovative biological and chemical research will be possible there.
After two hours, the Global Shapers' flying visit came to an end, and they were noticeably impressed by their insights into working and production life at the site in Heidelberg's Bahnstadt district. See you next time ...
Text: Hannah Gieser, Communications Department
Joachim Klaehn
Head of Communications
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