Cities and Hinterlands: Shaping the Skill Agenda Together
R&D Safari
a full-day "Start-up Safari" to connect start-ups with key players in the regional innovation ecosys
Overview
What has been done
Participants visited over 20 support organisations, including incubators, accelerators, and innovation centres across Limburg. The
event began at Corda Campus and included guided bus transport to locations like IMEC, VLAIO, GreenVille,
T2 Campus, and more.
Why was it needed locally
The pilot aims to create meaningful new connections between makers and R&D communities, sparking
collaborations that would not have occurred otherwise.
Target Groups: How were they activated
Professional network – City of Chemnitz
Benefit: Foster mutual understanding and open up fresh opportunities for innovation
Activation: Activated by social media and direct mailings
Resources Required
Staff
1-2 facilitators with makerspace competence
Space
Makerspace van PXL/UHasselt
Equipment
A tourbus
Budget
Medium: 2-10,000 €
Basics: Mechanism and Method
Core Mechanism
Formats deployed
Methods applied
- Bus Safari: A tour from all makerspaces in Genk
- Network lunch: Here comes a short description
Steps taken
Safari
2 days
- Visit Energyville: With rented bikes doing a tour
- Another title: Fall of a rock and land on your feet
Results & Outcomes
Measurable Outcomes & Impact
- Improved maker skills: Transform solar panels into active building materials for facades, roofs, and art applications.
With the TransisThor project (in collaboration with LUCA School of Arts), SOLTECH demonstrates how architecture, art and renewable energy can seamlessly merge.
In collaboration with Orbix, Masterbloc uses its patented Carbstone® technology to convert CO₂ and residual flows (waste slag from Aperam) into sustainable building materials.
Participant Satisfaction
Many companies, it seems, need to take a harder look at how their customers really feel about their service and support—and though they may seem like dated options.
Evaluation Results
- Good points: - nobody was hungry - everybody happy
DOs & DON'Ts
- Visit to PXL: ISSOL – architecturale BIPV-oplossingen<br /> Glassiled – LED-geïntegreerde communicatieve gevels
- Networklunch: -Connections were made<br /> -ideas were exchanged
- Storytelling: -Zombie ipsum reversus ab viral inferno<br /> -nam rick grimes malum cerebro.
- Too much talking: people get bored<br /> people start to leave
- Long busdrives: See al of the above
Outlook
- Guided bike tour: Visiting interesting maker spaces by bik
- Visit to C-mine: A local exhibition about old coalmines
- Go on foot: walking is healthy
- Hire scooters: Get around faster
- No clue: De carne lumbering animata corpora quaeritis.
- No clue nr.2: Summus brains sit, morbo vel maleficia?
Participant Testimonials & Impressions
Impressions
📹 Video Documentation
Replicate This Application?
Access the complete implementation guide and connect with the team
Contact: john sevenans
Phone: 0485991771
Email: john.sevenans@stebo.be
Need more information?
Project manager:
Franziska Görmar
IfL - Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography, Germany
Email
This project is supported by the Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE Programme with co-financing from the European Regional Development Fund.
Find more information about the x-Inno Radar project on the Interreg CE projectwebsite.
x-Inno Radar is a project of: 
Creative Region Linz & Upper Austria Gmbh, 
The Regional Chamber of Commerce of the Karlovy Vary Region, 
Padova Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Crafts and Agriculture, 
Creative Industry Košice, n. o., 
BSC, Business support centre, ltd., Kranj, 
Regional Development Agency in Bielsko-Biała, 
Stebo Competence Centre Community Developmentm, 
Association of Cultural and Creative Industries Chemnitz and Region (Creative Chemnitz), Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography – Germany, Otelo Cooperative