New European Bauhaus ignites innovation in four European cities

Launched in early 2021, the New European Bauhaus (NEB) provides funding for projects leading the transformation of cities into more thriving and resilient communities that are better prepared to tackle the climate crisis.

NEB is an EU-backed initiative built on the principles of sustainability, inclusivity and beauty and at EIT Climate-KIC, we are leading the community aspect, which supports on-the-ground projects that embody the values of the movement.

In the upcoming ‘Ignite NEB’ event series, we’re working with a diverse set of organisations across four European cities to bring about long-lasting change through entrepreneurship, regeneration, sustainability and creativity.

During a series of online and in-person events, participants will respond to local challenges set by the organising teams, after which two winners per location (one in the business category and another in the social impact category) will each receive a grant of €10,000 to turn their ideas into reality. Find out below how to take part in each Ignite NEB event.

Rotterdam, the Netherlands: BlueCity Circular Challenge

What: 

The team at BlueCity – based in a former tropical swimming pool that has been transformed to house entrepreneurs in the circular economy – want to encourage local farmers to adopt regenerative farming practices that benefit both soil health and biodiversity. As a result, they’re inviting young professionals to take part in the ‘Circular Challenge’ – to develop a business case for local crops such as wild gage, paulownia, salix and elephant grass. 

Guided by experts in circularity, design and finance, participants will work in small, multidisciplinary teams to transform a local crop into a circular product for a partner organisation. The event series will culminate in a final pitch event, where an expert jury will select the winners. The two most promising teams will continue with the ‘Grow NEB’ programme and receive support worth €10,000 in taking their idea to the next level with a new start-up based at BlueCity.

When: 

• Monday 30 September: Session 1 – Kick-off
• Tuesday 1 October: Session 2 – Material research and experimentation
• Monday 7 October: Session 3 – Product design
• Monday 14 October: Session 4 – Design feedback and business case
• Monday 21 October: Session 5 – Branding and finances
• Monday 4 November: Session 6 – Pitch preparation
• Monday 11 November: Session 7 – Final pitch event

Where: 

BlueCity, Maasboulevard 100, 3063 NS Rotterdam

Contact: 

Marlon Velvis: m.velvis@bluecity.nl (Marketing)

Denise Li: d.li@bluecity.nl (Project Lead)

More information  

Arquino, Italy: Participative Futures 4Planet

What: 

The aim of Participative Futures 4Planet is to focus on the post-Anthropocene era – encouraging participants to consider the sustainable impact and long-term significance of current choices, while co-designing solutions with local communities.

By integrating speculative thinking approaches and design tools, the event series aims to create visions of an alternative future (five protopia scenarios) and develop ten related early-stage ideas for eco-social challenges. In total, this will include: one online pre-event, a two-day in-person festival and a final video storytelling. Two of the ten ideas will immediately win a cash prize of €1,000 (in the business and community categories) and access to the Grow NEB incubation process worth €10,000 (in-kind).

When: 

• Wednesday 16 September: Kick-off meeting (online)
• Monday 21 and Tuesday 22 September: Live events

Where:

Teatro Spazio Centrale in Sondrio, Arquino, Italy.

Contact: 

Elena Giunta: hello@studioshift.it

More information

Donostia-San Sebastián, Basque Country, Spain: Habic

What:

Aimed at architects, product designers and manufacturing companies interested in exploring the New European Bauhaus, Habic will guide participants through the three principles of the movement – sustainability, inclusivity and beauty – while providing examples of inspiring projects, innovative new technology and practical methodologies that demonstrate how NEB is transforming architecture and product design.

As well as gaining a comprehensive understanding of the NEB initiative, participants at the online and in-person events will acquire the tools needed to apply these concepts to solving challenges set by the local community.

When:

• Thursday 12 and Friday 13 September: Ignite NEB initial session – Donostia-San Sebastián (In Spanish)
• Thursday 19 September: Eco-design webinar. 
• Thursday 26 September: NEB enabling technologies webinar. 
• Thursday 3 October: Green transformation of construction webinar. 
• Thursday 10 October: Industrialised architecture webinar. 
• Thursday 17 and Friday 18 October: Final Ignite NEB event – Bootcamp/hackathon event, Donostia-San Sebastián (In Spanish)

Where:

University of the Basque Country, Donostia-San Sebastián

Contact:

Xabier Pérez de Arenaza: xperezdearenaza@habic.eus

More information

Nicosia, Cyprus: CyprusInno

What:

Located within the UN Buffer Zone, the Ignite NEB Hackathon Cyprus is a collaborative effort between CyprusInno (powered by SocialTech Lab) and Kimitisik – bringing together innovators, entrepreneurs, and community leaders across Cyprus to address pressing urban challenges.

Sessions will tackle problems proposed by local challenge owners, including the creation of inclusive public spaces, sustainable urban development, community-driven urban planning, and the preservation of cultural heritage. To ensure participants are well-prepared, online interactive workshops will be held, featuring ideation sessions mediated by coaches and guided by challenge owners.

When:

• Monday 7 October and Monday 14 October: Online events
• Friday 8 November: Opening event – Gardens of the Future, Nicosia
• Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 November: Hackathon event – The Base by CyrpusInno, Nicosia

Where:

Various locations in Nicosia, Cyprus.

Contact:

Annita Tsolaki: annita@socialtechlab.org

Berfu Ilgililer: berfu@socialtechlab.org

More information

This article is part of EIT Climate-KIC’s #LiveableCities Campaign, where we explore the pathways to a climate neutral, just, and more beautiful future. By 2030, our goal is to help transform over 400 cities into thriving, climate-resilient communities. This campaign captures the stories and lessons of ambitious cities in Europe and around the world. We want to show a vision of what’s possible when cities and stakeholders come together to tackle the climate crisis.