Masterclasses 16 July 2026

Practical inspiration right on the festival site

On the first day of the festival, the area around the SICK Arena will be transformed into your very own learning hub. From 11:00 to 19:00, top-class sessions await you in our three themed igloos. 

1 ticket is valid for 2 days of masterclasses

Use the breaks between the keynotes on the main stage to delve deeper in small groups.

Where: SICK Arena Freiburg, Neuer Messplatz 1, 79108 Freiburg im Breisgau

Außenansicht des modernen Messegebäudes der SICK ARENA mit einer breiten Freitreppe im Vordergrund und dem großen, blauen Schriftzug „SICK ARENA“ auf dem Dach vor blauem Himmel.

Future.Space.Black Forest Igloo

How does AI actually become productive in an industrial setting? This masterclass outlines a practical approach — from evaluating specific use cases, through governance and clear guidelines, to building an internal AI platform that empowers teams to implement solutions independently.

Using concrete examples, we’ll demonstrate how AI projects make the leap from experimentation to production — pragmatically, scalably, and with a clear focus on business value.

Speakers

  • Björn Fries, SICK AG

No more complicated external solutions! Join our Master Class to learn how, as a decision-maker, you can not only understand AI tools but also develop them yourself. We’ll show you the blueprint that will help you minimise risks, cut costs and unleash your own innovative potential. Become independent of service providers and solve specific problems facing your SME directly in-house. Practical, secure and forward-looking – take the first step towards digital sovereignty!

Speakers

  • Dr Niklas Goby, BadenCampus
  • Adrian Keller, Plantaddiction

There’s no shortage of inspiration. Here, you’ll get a practical tool.

This masterclass is for anyone who wants to take something concrete away with them today. Together, we’ll dive in: What data do I need? What’s behind CO2 equivalents? How do I interpret results – and what conclusions can I draw from them?

How we’ll work: Three groups, three scopes, one assessment – we’ll collect emissions data, analyse it, create a corporate carbon footprint live, and jointly develop the three most effective levers for CO2 reduction.

Interactive. Practical. Directly applicable to your business.
You’ll leave as someone who not only understands carbon footprints – but can create them.

Speakers

  • Dr.-Ing. Jan Dormanns, Klimapartner Südbaden e.V.

Three challenges at once: turning cost centres into profit centres, establishing new leadership, and embedding AI and customer-centricity into the DNA. Sound like madness? That’s exactly why we’re talking about it. We’ll present a real-life case study with all its hurdles and levers. You’ll discuss and develop strategies – how to get the team on board, where new business opportunities lie? Afterwards, we’ll lay our cards on the table: what’s happening now, what’s coming next. Hands-on, honest, right in the thick of it.

Speakers

  • Leonard Sporleder, machn GmbH)
  • Thomas Gutsche, Getränke-Service Baden GmbH & Co. KG

Innovation does not arise from processes and methods alone; in addition to the ability and the willingness, it absolutely requires a culture in which people feel safe to take risks, ask questions and share imperfect ideas. It is about the transition from “ability and willingness” to “doing and being allowed to do” – and about how a cultural foundation inspires and motivates innovation. 

Participants in this masterclass will understand the connection between corporate and innovation culture and recognise which cultural obstacles have so far been holding back innovation in their own organisation. They will receive concrete, actionable insights with which they can develop step-by-step measures that foster innovation.

Speakers

  • Andreas Seltmann, author and expert in employer branding
  • Manfred Mitreiter, Senior Business Development Manager, Hekatron

"Industry on Campus" is a collaborative initiative that integrates businesses into the teaching at Offenburg University of Applied Sciences.

Since 2022, these partnerships have been training future specialists whose expertise is tailored to the needs of the regional economy and who, through collaborative industry projects, bring creative ideas and solutions to companies.

Speakers

  • Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Alfred Isele, Offenburg University of Applied Sciences

IHK Southern Upper Rhine Igloo

Is venture clienting the ideal solution for start-ups and SMEs? Rather than equity investment, the focus is on piloting and implementation: established companies become clients, not shareholders, of start-ups. We examine the legal pitfalls of such strategic partnerships – particularly with regard to IP rights in work deliverables, exclusivity of the collaboration, protection against takeovers by competitors, and the management of insolvency risks.

Speakers

  • Lukas Reichenbach, Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner mbB Rechtsanwälte
  • Lukas Kalkbrenner, Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner mbB Rechtsanwälte

Cyberattacks rarely fail because of technical issues – but because of how companies react in the first few minutes. This is precisely where the mistakes are made that later cost millions. In this masterclass, business owners will learn what really matters right now: clear decision-making, accountability and communication. Through practical examples, it becomes clear why this phase determines whether you retain control – or lose it.

Speakers

  • Andreas Kaiser, Freiburg Police Headquarters

Markets are changing faster than organisations can keep up – and this is becoming a strategic risk. Companies with a skills-based organisational structure are clearly superior to traditional models in terms of innovation, productivity and adaptability. In this masterclass, we combine strategic input with your specific challenges: How do we rethink work? How can skills be turned into a genuine operating system? How do we orchestrate hybrid teams of people and technology? Input meets dialogue – addressing your transformation questions head-on.

Speakers

  • Christian Friedrich, Managing Director of Digital Learning Solutions, Haufe Academy
  • Monja Eberlein, Business Owner (Next), Haufe Academy

Launching AI projects but not sure where to start? Are pilot schemes stalling because the team isn’t on board, or because AI is treated as an IT project rather than a transformation initiative? In this masterclass, you’ll get some solid inspiration from Silicon Valley, where exactly this is achieved every day: with speed, courage and real-world use cases. In the Fireside Chat, we’ll show you how AI pilots actually get off the ground. With dos and don’ts, concrete methods and interactive discussion.

Speakers

  • Simone Friese, AHK San Francisco
  • Patrik Carus-Lacolade, Techtory GmbH
  • Sophia Eichler, SiMa.AI
  • Maria Weber, BW-i

Have you attended countless networking events without any clarity on the next step? This masterclass provides insights into start-up strategies drawn from corporate venturing practice and research, discusses common pitfalls and solutions, and explores your needs in order to further develop the (supra)regional innovation ecosystem. For decision-makers, shareholders, managing directors, and those responsible for innovation and strategy.

Speakers

  • Prof. Dr Stephan Lengsfeld, University of Freiburg
  • Tim Gegg, Mätch VC

Develop innovation in-house or acquire it? Both approaches can accelerate growth or tie up valuable resources. The key lies in choosing the option that best fits your strategy.

In this masterclass, we will show how small and medium-sized enterprises can make this decision in a structured and informed way.

Using proven tools, practical examples, and a clear focus on each organisation’s resources and objectives, we provide guidance for navigating today’s innovation challenges.

Speakers

  • Andrea Bailey, Smart Green Accelerator
  • Jonathan Niessen, Smart Green Accelerator

FWTM Igloo

Most start-ups fail because they solve a problem that doesn’t actually exist. At Haufe Group Ventures, we develop a market-tested product in eight weeks – rather than spending months building something that misses the mark. We’re opening the doors to our Venture Studio: in a live demo, we’ll show how we use artificial intelligence to radically accelerate ideation, validation and prototyping – and how you can apply these methods directly within your organisation.

Speakers

  • Kathrin Walke, Venture Architect, Haufe Group Ventures
  • Jonas Bayer, Venture Architect, Haufe Group Ventures

How can you lead effectively using data without getting lost in the jungle of dashboards? In our masterclass, we’ll show you how to turn existing data into sound decisions – in production, sales, development and project management. Together, we’ll develop our own dashboards and learn how to lead effectively using data. What you’ll take away: two practical cheat sheets – one for the right dashboard structure with its key performance indicators, and the other for fact-based leadership using key performance indicators, without any finger-pointing.

Speakers

  • Magnus Kandler, lumanaa GmbH & Co. KG
  • Fabian Dill, lumanaa GmbH & Co. KG

In this masterclass, we will outline the current state of cognitive robotics and the key use cases for its application in SMEs. 

We’ll demonstrate how intelligent robotics solutions can already be successfully implemented and operated today. We’ll address participants’ questions in detail.  


Speakers

  • Dennis Thaler, Consultant, Drees & Sommer SE
  • Mathias Stach, Founder & CEO, AURONIQ ROBOTICS GmbH

An honest masterclass by encourageventures × VdU on the reality behind investment, growth and collaboration. No glossy success stories, but real lessons learnt, areas of tension and uncomfortable truths between founders, business angels and SMEs. Why do good ideas fail despite having capital? When does trust break down? And what does it really take to build sustainable partnerships?

Speakers

  • Dr Heike Hundertmark, VdU
  • Christine Rittner, encourageventures e.V.

Decarbonisation is no longer a topic for the future – it starts now. But where do you begin? Which measures are realistic? And how do you make the transition from intention to action?

This interactive masterclass is aimed at practitioners, decision-makers and managers from industrial companies who want to take concrete steps.
The focus is on real-world case studies and the exchange of ideas on an equal footing – with experts from Badenova, from practice for practice, with the region for the region.

Badenova draws on experience from specific industrial projects and demonstrates how decarbonisation can be implemented pragmatically, economically and step by step within regional contexts. Together with the participants, approaches will be discussed, further developed and adapted to their own operational realities.

Speakers

  • Sofia Goncalves da Silva, Badenova Wärmeplus GmbH & Co. KG
  • Christoph Armbruster, Badenova Wärmeplus GmbH & Co. KG

Turn AI into a driver of productivity for your business. In this masterclass from FREIBADEN Consulting and BadenCampus, you’ll learn how to define clear objectives and where AI use cases deliver real benefits. We’ll clarify critical technical prerequisites and explain why the further development of your organisation is crucial to success. Using a canvas, you’ll reflect on your own organisation and identify initial approaches. You’ll walk away with a 100-day action plan for effectively embedding AI into your organisation.

Speakers

  • Moritz Weil, FREIBADEN Consulting GmbH
  • Niklas Goby, BadenCampus

Fancy a deeper dive?

Here’s what’s in store for you on Day 2!

The first day was just the beginning. On 17 July 2026 (Day 2), we’ll be stepping it up a gear and moving to the Lokhalle in Freiburg.

Whilst Day 1 is the perfect complement to the festival buzz, the second day is all about focused work and in-depth discussion. 

Please note: We’re starting earlier on Day 2! Sessions kick off at 9.00 am. Don’t miss out on Friday!

Check out the programme for Day 2 now

Viele Menschen sitzen und stehen in einer großen, modern gestalteten Industriehalle mit Sesseln, Holztischen und einer „INFOBAR“ im Hintergrund unter einer Deckenkonstruktion mit zahlreichen Hängelampen und Kabeln.
Zwei Hände halten ein Smartphone, auf dessen Bildschirm eine geöffnete Event-App mit dem Titel „Highlights“ zu sehen ist. Auf der Benutzeroberfläche werden eine Keynote mit dem Titel „Entscheiden statt hoffen“, verschiedene Menükacheln wie „Programm“, „Sponsoren“, „Matchmaking“ und „Erlebnisstationen“ sowie Porträts unter „Ausgewählte Referenten“ angezeigt.

How to secure your place

As places in the igloos are in high demand and limited, registration is available exclusively via our festival app.

  1. Download the app: It’s really easy to download the app.
  2. Link your ticket: Log in to the app using your ticket details.
  3. Find a masterclass: Go to ‘Programme’ in the app, select the day you want and the relevant venue, then search for your masterclass.
  4. Register: Register for the course straight away. As places are strictly limited, it’s worth being quick. Under the ‘Participants’ section, you can check how many places are still available at any time.
  5. Select your favourites: Choose your preferred masterclasses and check in.

More information about the app

Additional festival areas

Festivalgelände mit Menschen und Sonne