Masterclasses 17 July 2026
The extra Masterclass day!
On 17 July 2026, Käpsele goes into extra time. Please note: on this second day, we’re changing venue! Instead of the SICK Arena, we’ll be meeting in the urban atmosphere of the Lokhalle Freiburg (Paul-Ehrlich-Straße 5–13).
1 ticket is valid for 2 days of masterclasses
Where: Lokhalle Freiburg, Paul-Ehrlich-Straße 5-13, 79106 Freiburg im Breisgau
Important travel information:
Parking spaces directly at the Lokhalle are limited. We therefore recommend travelling by public transport (stop: Freiburg, Zollhallenplatz).
Freiburg Locomotive Shed, Platform 1
In our company, a lot of things were being done ‘right’. And that is precisely what put us under enormous pressure in 2023. We made logical decisions, built structures by the book, and lost momentum and collaboration. Today, the company is more financially successful than ever before. In this masterclass, we’ll use this real-life case study and your own situations to explore the questions: How can you tell if decisions are really working? What does that mean in concrete terms for leadership and the organisation?
Speakers
- Michael Habighorst, HWI IT GmbH
- Holger Wiedel, HWI IT GmbH
Whether you’re addressing DAX board members, investors or founders, the moments that really count often happen during presentations. As a coach at explain, Jules has supported countless pitches and keynote speeches behind the scenes – from international corporations to unicorn start-ups.
In her entertaining masterclass, she offers a glimpse behind the scenes:
- What makes a pitch truly convincing?
- What patterns run through successful presentations?
- And which stories stick in the memory – even beyond the stage?
Speakers
- Judith Langer, explain
In this interactive masterclass, technology-driven start-ups and SMEs will learn how to make targeted use of European funding opportunities to drive innovation and growth. Using a specific call for proposals as an example, we will demonstrate in a practical way what information is essential for an application – from topics, eligibility criteria and budgets to deadlines and partnerships. With directly applicable insights for the next steps in your own business.
Speakers
- Lena Ohlig, Alexandra Fezer, Steinbeis Europa Zentrum
- Alexandra Fezer, Steinbeis Europa Zentrum
Organisations today face constant pressure to change – and often rely on individual initiatives, programmes or projects. Yet isolated measures fall short when change becomes the new normal.
In this masterclass, participants will receive a concise overview of how organisations can develop lasting transformational capability – going beyond individual measures. The focus is on how change can be structurally embedded and become an organisational competence.
Drawing on concrete practical insights, the session demonstrates how companies build learning capacity, rethink leadership and enable sustainable change.
Participants will take away ideas and perspectives to help them shape transformation not as an exception, but as an integral part of their organisation.
Speakers
- Tanja Krase, FUTUR F e.V.
- Anne Hegemann, Freibaden
Innovation rarely fails because of a lack of ideas or technology, but rather because of which ideas are voiced within organisations and which ones are taken seriously. In this interactive masterclass, participants will discover why groupthink stifles innovation and how different perspectives can lead to better solutions. Through an interactive dialogue format, participants will discover how listening, challenging assumptions and embracing different viewpoints can foster new forms of collaboration.
Speakers
- Yvonne Hägle
Successful partnerships don’t just happen by themselves. Tomorrow’s economy, in particular, is built on value networks and circular ecosystems where added value is created collaboratively. In our masterclass, we’ll therefore show you how you can easily map your business and innovation ecosystem. This will give you the best foundation for connecting the right people, companies and other stakeholders in the future, thereby building strong partnerships.
Speakers
- Max Schwendemann, Circular Black Forest
Companies face complex challenges on a daily basis – yet in the day-to-day rush, there is often little time to tackle these in a structured way and from new angles.
In the Cross Innovation Sprint, we bring real-world business challenges to the stage of the Käpsele Festival – and tackle them together with interdisciplinary teams, using Design Thinking methods and AI as an active sparring partner in the process.
The aim is to develop concrete, actionable solutions in a short space of time that companies can immediately build on and put to use.
Speakers
- Marie-Fee Natonek, EDIH Southwest
Freiburg Locomotive Shed, Platform 2
Let’s fail together, with everything that entails.
A culture of learning from mistakes as a strategic success factor for NewBiz.
We’ll be talking about psychological safety, the power of communication and learning from mistakes.
We’ll be talking about money, shame, guilt and social systems.
This masterclass is all about courage, psychology and communication techniques.
Speakers
- Robert Radloff – FUN Hamburg e.V.
- Pia Eck – Fuckup Nights Freiburg
Innovations rarely fail because of a lack of good ideas – but because of the structures within which they are to be implemented. This is particularly evident in small and medium-sized enterprises: caught between day-to-day operations and the pressure to change, many projects get bogged down in the routine or are ground down by conflicting interests.
In this masterclass, we take a fresh look at the visible and invisible mechanisms within organisations that determine whether ideas can have any impact at all.
We combine a concise theoretical introduction with practical discussion and explore together why good ideas alone are not enough, and what it takes for innovation to become the new norm within an organisation.
Speakers
- Julia Henke, Hello Innovation
- Marc Jaschik, Hello Evolution
11:00–11:45: Between gut instinct and AI – Modern planning for procurement, production and logistics
How do conflicts arise in the planning process of a medium-sized company – and what do they actually cost? In an interactive simulation, participants experience typical conflicting objectives and uncoordinated decisions for themselves. We will then demonstrate how machine learning can create a shared, robust planning framework using explainable, quality-assured forecasts. A practical insight from the food and beverage industry by Spicetech GmbH.
Speakers
- Dr Alexander Kauffeldt-Thieß, Spicetech GmbH
- Dr Janis Lapins, Spicetech GmbH
Around 15–20% of people are neurodivergent – yet in many companies, this potential remains unseen or is even viewed as a challenge. In this masterclass, we will discuss the spectrum and manifestations of neurodiversity, and work together to identify individual needs, areas of tension and development for individuals, SMEs and start-ups. A workshop for anyone who wants to understand how diversity in thought and being can become a competitive advantage – for companies, start-ups and the region.
Speakers
- Alicia Reimer, University of Freiburg
- Prof. Dr Stephan Lengsfeld, University of Freiburg
In this masterclass, we’ll show you how to turn the circular economy from a concept into a working business model. The focus is on service models, new revenue models and greater control over existing value streams. Our approach demonstrates how these can be tested and further developed in the market step by step with minimal risk. Using a specific case study from the SME sector, we will provide concrete examples, including typical pitfalls and how to avoid them.
Speakers
- Jonathan Niessen, smart green (Grünhof GmbH)
How can small and medium-sized enterprises use generative AI safely and productively? The masterclass presents two practical approaches through the Learn2RAG and CESAI projects: Learn2RAG demonstrates how corporate knowledge can be tapped into via Retrieval Augmented Generation and made usable for specific applications. CESAI develops industry-specific AI models for business and industry. In an interactive World Café session, participants will develop their own use cases, for example for services, production, mobility and new digital business models.
Speakers
- eco e.V
Don't miss out:
The full festival experience on Day 1!
Have you come across the Day 2 programme but haven’t even thought about Day 1 yet? On 16 July 2026 (Day 1), the main festival will take place right next to the SICK Arena!
There, alongside the main stage, our three Masterclass igloos await you. The programme on Thursday runs from 11:00 to 19:00 and offers you the perfect mix of festival vibe, networking areas and immediately applicable knowledge. If you want to take in the full Käpsele experience, you should definitely check out the Thursday sessions too!
Additional festival areas
- Interactive stations
- Live podcasts
- Meeting points for matchmaking via the talque festival app
