One of the main goals of Lord Mayor Dr. Felix Schwenke's work is to broaden Offenbach's economy in order to be more robust overall in the event of a crisis in an individual sector, as a lesson from the decline of industry. In technical terms, this means "diversifying Offenbach as a business location". Schwenke is focusing on promoting a wide range of industries. One element of this is to make Offenbach more of a technology location. "The project to establish a design park is a key building block for the opportunity to attract research and development departments to Offenbach," says Mayor Schwenke. He continued: "It is assumed that around 80% of companies and products will have to change as a result of digitalization and the further development of artificial intelligence. Numerous companies have therefore either begun to question their "product design" or are faced with the task of doing so. Ideally, thinking about and researching this further development of products would be the core of our design park." Schwenke also has an example from everyday life: "For example, a valve used to open or close. The valve of the future must generate data. It has to measure everything that passes through it and share the results in real time with other valves or artificial intelligence. Ideally, this will allow processes to be optimized and resources to be used more efficiently, both economically and ecologically. This core, "generate data and use it directly in real time" is something that is about to change for many objects."
The physical location of the design park will be part of the Innovation Campus. "The Innovation Campus and Design Park will change the entire Offenbach cosmos," says the President of the Hochschule für Gestaltung, Professor Bernd Kracke, confidently. For the past two years, students and lecturers in the "Technical Products and Product Systems" department under Professor Frank Georg Zebner have been working on the "Designpark Offenbach" and examining the potential of the former chemical industry production site for urban and commercial development. They have received financial support from the City of Offenbach, the Offenbach Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK), the Offenbach offensiv association, the Hessen Trade and Invest (HTAI) economic development agency and Innovationscampus Offenbach GmbH & Co KG INNO. The city council has now decided to continue the "Design Park Offenbach II" project and approved a further 15,000 euros per year until 2023, with the partners contributing a total of 40,000 euros per year.
A foosball table alone does not attract creative people
For Lord Mayor and top business promoter Schwenke, this is logical, as the design park has met with great interest in the talks he has held so far, for example at the World Economic Forum in Davos, and numerous companies have shown a willingness to invest. The corona pandemic has changed the initial situation virtually overnight, but Schwenke is optimistic that he will soon be able to pick up the threads again: "Especially as we are offering companies the unique opportunity to help shape the process as a member with the planned association. This is a unique selling point of such projects." No turnkey concept, but plenty of room for your own ideas and needs. Schwenke also knows that a foosball table is not enough to attract creative minds, and to ensure that the innovation park can live up to its name, the design park should provide important impetus as an incubator. "The HfG is essential for Offenbach and I am pleased that we were able to reach an agreement with the state on the new building in the port." The fact that the internationally renowned think tank with its equally international student body will remain in Offenbach as a business location even after its relocation has already attracted the attention of a number of companies.
Location advantage HfG
"It's not a business park. It's a design park." Zebner agrees that the conditions couldn't be better. Digitization, artificial intelligence, urbanization, mobility and environmental issues: no one can ignore them anymore. The Innovation Campus provides answers and benefits from its location in the middle of the overall artistic and creative structure of the Städelschule, Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts and the new HfG building in Offenbach Harbour. "This," says Zebner, "results in a fantastic line with a supra-regional impact directly on the Main." What's more, the next generation is already here and companies know that they have to change. This applies not only to products and services, but also to working environments. Zebner talks about sensuality, the choice of materials, aesthetic dimensions such as road and path planning, space and light and recreational opportunities.
"The project already fits in well with our considerations for the Masterplan 2030," says Markus Weinbrenner, Managing Director of Offenbach Offensiv e.V. and Managing Director of IHK Offenbach: "The Designpark offers companies the opportunity to use design ideas and, on the other hand, to attract and retain creative minds to Offenbach. The IHK will help diligently in recruiting companies."
Helping to shape the day after tomorrow
It will be several months before the first excavators roll in and ideas can take shape. That's enough time to deal with contaminated sites and examine the need to renovate the listed buildings on the site. "But no time to rest on our laurels," says Daniela Matha. The civil engineering graduate has already successfully implemented the development of Hafeninsel and, as Managing Director of INNO Innovationscampus Offenbach GmbH & Co KG, is now also responsible for the Innovation Campus site. "We have created a framework with the design park concept. Now we need the courageous partners for the day after tomorrow." Companies that are not only willing to take on the risk, but also the opportunity to jointly develop the site and the Offenbach location, but are also enthusiastic.