Prototyping Lab

In the implementation.

We bring companies together with students and let them develop technological prototypes together.

A participant shows guests and other participants a prototype on a laptop

Creative prototypes for technological challenges

In the Prototyping Lab, we bring together companies that are keen to experiment with talented students from Hamburg's universities to develop innovative prototypes together. The teams work on real technological challenges faced by the companies and are supported by tech experts.

In past labs, the students have experimented with XR technologies and artificial intelligence for the content industry. Together with the companies, they have developed prototypes for the following challenges, among others How can publishers optimise their printing decisions with AI? How can existing content be prepared for VR applications? And how can AI support music editors in selecting new songs?

The Reveal of the Prototyping Lab will take place at SPACE on January 22. Find out how our student teams have developed creative solutions to this year's four AI challenges and test the prototypes live on site. Please register by January 20, as places are limited so we can plan better.

The Challenges 2025

Der Spiegel
Where are the offbeat bestseller stories lying dormant? Where are there interesting developments that no one or only a few have reported on? The Spiegel editorial team needs reliable, automated access to relevant, curated content. We are looking for a solution that provides editors with a well-structured and prepared overview of relevant content on a regular basis (e.g. daily or weekly) - directly integrated into the existing workflow.
Verlagsgruppe Oetinger
The children's book publisher Oetinger has a large stock of audio books, radio plays and texts on the subject of "legends". The publisher would like to develop an interactive product to make legends more accessible for children aged 6-14. The aim is to bring readers directly into the world of legends. For example, AI-generated videos and dialogues are conceivable, which can be created, consumed and, if necessary, downloaded in a personalized way in the context of the saga heard.
dpa
As a renowned news agency, dpa has an enormous wealth of data at its disposal. And yet, finding the right information is often not that easy, as it may be unstructured in texts or outdated (example: “Chancellor Olaf Scholz”). How can this unstructured data be transformed into machine-readable, structured information and made accessible in order to optimally serve information needs (e.g., integrated into the research assistant)?
fiindo
fiindo is an AI-based investment platform that transforms complex, dry financial data into easy-to-understand content and stories. This enables investors to make easily comprehensible, well-founded investment decisions. Since the manual creation of introductory videos about companies, industries, and financial products is very time-consuming, the company wants to set up a largely automated AI process that generates quickly understandable and interesting videos.

Company 2025

Universities 2025

FAQ

How does the Prototyping Lab actually work?
You will work in an interdisciplinary team with up to three other students on a specific business challenge. After a joint kick-off on site with all teams, you will have three months to independently develop a prototype as a solution. You will be supported by tech experts as mentors, regular feedback sessions and exchanges with your partner companies. You will go through the following development phases:
- Define: The teams take a close look at the challenge and draw up a project plan with the most important steps and assumptions.
- Research & Ideation: After intensive research, the teams move on to brainstorming - accompanied by creative and tech workshops.
- Prototyping & Testing: Now it's time to implement the solution approach, including testing with the target group.
- Finish & Reveal: The testable prototype is completed before the final presentation.
What are the requirements for the Prototyping Lab and how can I take part?
Participation is open to students who are enrolled in our partner universities / degree programs in the winter semester 2025/2026 and are based in Hamburg. You should be at least in the 5th semester of your Bachelor's degree or already in your Master's degree and be able to work in the Prototyping Lab for an average of 15-20 hours per week. Also advantageous: curiosity, a love of experimentation, team spirit and previous practical experience in the relevant team role. If you meet all of these requirements, we look forward to receiving your application by October 5 at the latest. Please use our application form.
How are the teams put together?
The teams are put together by us according to a variety of criteria: professional expertise, role allocation, cross-university collaboration, challenge preference, diversity and, if applicable, language skills.
We endeavor to take all requests into account - it is not possible to change the team.
What does the scholarship include and what can I spend it on?
You will receive a 1500 Euro scholarship for the entire Prototyping Lab - paid out in three installments of 500 Euro each. The scholarship is intended as financial support for your living expenses, not to cover the costs of the prototype (e.g. for tools). It is possible to pursue other activities at the same time (e.g. temporary jobs, working student activities) as long as you do not neglect your time commitment in the lab.
How flexible is the time allocation during the lab?
With the exception of a few mandatory dates where all teams must be present (e.g. kickoff, feedback sessions, workshops and reveal), you organize the time flexibly in your team in consultation with your partner company and your mentors.
In which language does the Prototyping Lab take place?
The Prototyping Lab usually takes place in German. Under certain circumstances, individual teams may work in English, depending on the focus of the respective challenges. In order to enable the participation of non-German-speaking students in the interests of diversity, the entire application process takes place in English.
Will I receive credit points for my participation?
The Prototyping Lab takes place as part of your studies, i.e. you will usually also receive credit points for your participation. For details (e.g. number of credit points, additional services and registration with the examination board), please contact the lecturer/professor at your university directly.
When will I find out if I have been selected for the Prototyping Lab?
After the end of the application phase, the team members will be selected at the beginning of October. You should receive an e-mail with your acceptance or rejection by mid-October at the latest. Until then, please make a note of the mandatory dates that we will inform you of as part of your application. As places are limited and we have to make binding plans with the participants, please let us know before the end of the application phase if it is foreseeable that you will not be able to take part in the Prototyping Lab after all.