SAXONY!visit project: Making Makerspaces - International Exchange on Cross Innovation

Information and objective

The project focuses on operators from the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Slovenia, France, Japan and Saxony, with a particular focus on the newly established maker hubs in the region and cooperation aspect in the Culture and creativity branch.

Makerspaces are key hubs for innovation, education, knowledge transfer and crossinonvation as well as social participation. 

At the same time, many sites – particularly new initiatives – face structural challenges:

• sustainable use and continuity
• viable funding models
• long-term governance structures
• the role of local authorities, businesses and public partners
• cross-sector innovation
• cooperation with industry

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the project is to facilitate a structured exchange of experiences between established national and international operators and emerging maker hubs and players of the creativity industry in Saxony. The focus is on different operational models and collaboration with research and industry, with a view to effectively advancing cross-innovation approaches from the cultural and creative sectors. The aim is to consolidate international partnerships and expand cross-border cooperation.

COSTS

Participation in the SAXONY!visit project is free of charge but requires prior registration.

The following project costs are covered within the project:

• Project management in Saxony
• Transfers in Saxony / company visits
• Optional: Translation assistance
• Lunch on June 25 and June 26, 2026

The following costs are not included and need to be financed by the participants:

• Travel expenses to / from Saxony
• Accommodation costs in Saxony and short-term cancellation fee's for hotels or flights
• Costs for the preparation of your company presentation / marketing material
• Own travel and health insurance
• Individual visits to tourist sites
• Individual appointments

OTHER TERMS & CONDITIONS

Upon registration, each participant can specifiy interests and needs for cooperation. Your application needs to be confirmed prior to the event either by the Saxony Trade & Invest Corporation or by the project partner. The number of participants is limited.

• Participants are required to organize their own travel to and from Saxony (Chemnitz).
• When registering for the 3-day programme, you accept the General Terms and Conditions of Participation for Events issued by the Saxony Trade & Invest Corporation (WFS).
  The project is organized in cooperation with the maker e.V. and Kreatives Sachsen e.V. as well. Registration data will and need to be shared with those partners for organizational matters.
• With your registration for this 3-day programme, you agree that the Saxony Trade & Invest Corporation and partners may also take photographs and videos during the complete event and publish them in online and offline media.
• The entire event will be in English.
• For the project communication the maker e.V  and Saxony Trade & Invest Corporation (WFS) will use social media chanels (e. g. WhatsApp or similar).

For the local logistics communication we will use common mobiles chats.

SUPPORT and FUNDING

This event is co-financed by tax funds on the basis of the budget approved by the Saxony state parliament. The client in this context is the Saxony State Ministry of Economics, Labor, Energy and Climate Protection, which supports the project. The event is part of a "SAXONY!visit project". The project is being coordinated by Wirtschaftsförderung Sachsen GmbH (Saxony Trade & Invest Corp.). Maker e. V. was entrusted with the implementation and support. The branch network “Kreatives Sachsen” supports as well. 

Agenda

(Amendments are possible.)

A) Thursday, June 25, 2026, all day:  Site visits & practical discussions, visits to regional maker hubs, co-working spaces and places of creativity 

• Neonworx / Kraftwerk Mitte
• Markthalle Dresden
• Rosenwerk Dresden
• Baumwollspinnerei Leipzig / SpinLab

B) Thursday, June 25, 2026, late afternoon: Networking event at FunkenSPACE Chemnitz

C) Friday, June 26, 2026, all day: Further visits and explorations

• Lößnitz MAKERS – #diemacherei e.V.
• Pi Rope Chemnitz
• Holzkombinat Chemnitz

D) Friday, June 26, 2026, late afternoon: Get-together and reflection of the day at vectorlab Chemnitz

E) Saturday, June 27, 2026, 02pm-04:30pm: International symposium as part of the makers united festival.

• Morning: makers united festival
• After lunch: Symposium - Exchange on governance, financing, operation and further development of makerspaces + cooperation with companies and cross innovation with the industry  etc.
• Evening: Networking at makers united festival

RELATED EVENTS & MORE: 

Synergies with and arising from events such as the Saxony State Prize for Design and the MACHN Festival BETA-conference will be utilized.

1. Several companies and projects from Saxony State Prize for Design are going to be incorporated into the program concept.
    
2. MACHN is a two-day business festival in Leipzig, June 3 - 4,2026
   MACHN will be the event for people who want to rethink marketing, leadership, start-up culture and innovation in Eastern Germany. Saxony Trade & Invest Corp. recommends to visit MACHN Festival for Tech, Business & Art in Leipzig on your own. There will be a chance to meet people from the local creativity and culture branch and show cases of the winner and nominates of the Saxony State Prize for Design. You can attend several sessions with keynotes; speakers from business & tech, science & the creative scene; panels; workshops; an exhibtion and an AI barcamp.
    
3. BETA-Conference, September 24, 2026
   A meeting place for creative professionals from across Saxony to develop new perspectives together, discuss pressing issues facing the sector and strengthen collaborations. The focus is on three key themes: artificial intelligence, self-directed working environments, and perspectives beyond the sector. Through keynote talks, panel discussions and practical workshops, these themes will be explored from multiple angles, offering new insights and concrete starting points for participants’ own work.
    
4. Branch network “Kreatives Sachsen”
   Are you interested in News from and for the cultural and creative industries in Saxony? - Then get in contact to the network “KREATIVES SACHSEN”.
    
5. Saxon-Czech Innospace: For a midterm perspective to built up and intensify a crossborder cooperation, a so-called INTERREG project will start soon. The project aims to create a cross-border innovation ecosystem for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Saxony-Czech border region, utilizing the cultural and creative industries (CCI) to ensure the region’s long-term competitiveness. This SAXONY!visit project will help to built up first contacts in that matter.