35 million euros for Hamburg start-up center

The planned Hamburg innovation center tecHHub was not supposed to be ready until 2025, but now a temporary solution is to satisfy the demand of young companies. Many millions of euros are coming from business development.

The City of Hamburg is in a hurry with the Science City project in the Bahrenfeld district and is investing 35 million euros from funds made available to overcome the coronavirus crisis. The tecHHub, an innovation center for start-ups and young companies, was not actually due to be completed and ready for use until 2025. Now a solution with containers called tecHHub Village is to be built next to the planned building as early as next year. "1,400 square meters, two storeys with space for around 40 laboratories. There will also be offices, a community center with meeting rooms and space for events," explains Michael Westhagemann, Senator for Economic Affairs. "We are already creating facts and launching the first stage of the tecHub." Demand is already high enough and the makeshift solution could attract talent before the innovation center is completed in 2025.

The tecHHub will then consist of 10,000 square meters of space where rooms with various technical equipment can be rented, as well as offices, laboratories and areas for events. A start-up center called Factory II of the DESY research center is to be built in the immediate vicinity. There will also be an open workshop for interested parties, schools and associations.

The economic stabilization programme includes 45 million, most of which will flow into the tecHHub. The remaining ten million will be distributed to other programs, for example in the field of artificial intelligence.

An information event was held for residents of the area at the end of September 2020. A lot of criticism was voiced, especially regarding the possible gentrification of the district and rising rents. "I understand these concerns very well. In order to rule out such a development, we must issue further social preservation ordinances for the adjacent neighborhoods in good time," said Stefanie von Berg, head of the district authority and member of the Green Party, to the Hamburger Abendblatt newspaper.

Hamburg's economic stabilization programme is to provide a total of around 900 million euros in funding over the coming years.