CoLabs
As part of the CoLabs, researchers from the COLOURS partner universities and stakeholders from the participating European regions work together on current social challenges. The aim is to bring together people from research and education, business and industry, public administration, politics and civil society in order to incorporate a wide range of perspectives. The Alliance has identified the fields of health and well-being, food production, green transition, IT and digitalisation as overarching topics. The individual CoLab events will jointly develop viable solutions for these current topics.
29 September–1 October, 2026 : CoLab and Hackathon on „Sustainable Housing”
Healthy & Sustainable Housing Affects Us All – Shape the Future With Us!
Housing is a fundamental human need that connects every single one of us. We all look for a place to call home—a space that offers shelter, fosters community, and accommodates our daily lives. Whether moving out for the first time, searching for an apartment, joining a co-living space, or even renovating a house, we all bring unique, personal experiences with the spaces we inhabit.
But how do we ensure that the future of housing is healthy and sustainable? How do we create living spaces that are both good for our well-being and gentle on our planet?
This is exactly where our CoLab and Hackathon come in.
Who Are These Events For?
Simply put: Everyone. You do not need to be an architect, a software developer, or an industry expert to make an impact. These events are designed for anyone who:
Has a genuine interest in healthy and sustainable housing.
Loves a good challenge and enjoys creative problem-solving.
Wants to collaborate with others to turn ideas into real-world solutions.
The Challenges We Will Tackle
We will dive into real-world topics that matter to our communities, exploring creative ideas such as:
Smart Matchmaking: Finding new ways to help people—including international students and newcomers—smoothly connect with available housing and communities.
Multifunctional Spaces: Designing flexible, versatile living areas that make the absolute best use of limited square footage.
Desirable & Green Habits: Developing smart nudges, concepts, or tools that naturally encourage sustainable and mindful tenant behavior.
Hackathon: The "Student Housing Hack"
Building directly on the insights from our CoLab, the Student Housing Hack is where we turn ideas into action. This high-energy event focuses on critical themes like health and well-being, responsible communal living, and accessible, sustainable housing design.
During hands-on collaborative workshops, you will team up to tackle real-world social and environmental challenges. Together, we will brainstorm innovative concepts, map out future living scenarios, build viable business models, and create initial, tangible prototypes.
Whether you are designing smart tools to improve international student matchmaking, rethinking versatile spaces, or creating concepts that foster mindful community habits—this is your launchpad to build the future of living.
Why You Should Join
Your perspective matters: Your everyday experience as a resident is the perfect fuel for innovative ideas.
Power in collaboration: Work in diverse, multidisciplinary teams and learn from fresh viewpoints.
Real-world impact: Help design actionable concepts that can truly improve how people live.
Bring your ideas, your curiosity, and your unique background. Let’s rethink the future of living spaces together!
Garage33 Guided Tour
As part of the event, an English-language guided tour of Garage33, Paderborn University’s start-up centre and maker space, will take place for participants on Monday, 28 September, at 10 am.
Who Is the Event For?
The CoLab and hackathon are aimed at researchers, students, and staff from the COLOURS partner universities, as well as all interested stakeholders from civil society, business, politics, and public administration in the COLOURS partner regions who are working on this topic and would like to network with European partners. International students are particularly encouraged to take part.
Registration and Participation
The event will be held in English. Participation in the CoLab “Solutions for Healthy and Sustainable Housing” is mandatory for all hackathon participants.
We look forward to receiving your registration for participation on site or in a hybrid format by 20 September via the following links:
Registration: umfragen.uni-paderborn.de/index.php/896956
Application for students
CoLab in Paderborn
To take part in a CoLab in Paderborn, you can apply by sending a short application with details about yourself, your background and your motivation to cospace.colours@upb.de.
CoLab in a Partnerregion
An application is required to participate in a CoLab in a partner region. Please complete the application form provided and send it together with the following documents by e-mail to cospace.colours@upb.de:
- Curriculum vitae
- Letter of motivation (max. one page)
- certificate of enrollment
Up to two people can be selected per CoLab. If you are a student, an assignment will be created based on your application. You will receive all further information on the application deadlines and selection process as part of the call for applications.
Travel Expense claim form
If you are selected for a CoLab in a partner region, you can apply for reimbursement of travel expenses. Please note the following steps:
After your trip, please complete the travel expense claim form. Submit the completed form together with the following documents:
- Original receipts and invoices for travel and accommodation
- Signed confirmation of assignment (you will receive this when you are selected)
- Certificate of participation from the respective COLOURS partner
Please send the documents by e-mail to basel.myhub@uni-paderborn.de (with cospace.colours@upb.de in the CC). Make sure you keep all receipts carefully and only submit them after the trip.
Further information on which costs can be reimbursed can be found on the official website for business trips. Due to current reconstruction on that page some information might currently not be available in english. In this case you can check the archived website for business trips
Not a student, but would like to participate in a CoLab?
Please send us an e-mail with details about yourself, your background and your motivation to cospace.colours@upb.de.
Past CoLabs
What?
The CoLab analysed the connection between body image, physical activity and mental health and developed solutions for greater body satisfaction in the context of sport, society and the media.
Further information can be found in our flyer and the programme schedule.
When?
29 - 31 October at the UPB
Where?
AStA Stadtcampus, Königsplatz 1, 33098 Paderborn
Who?
The event was aimed at all researchers, students and employees of UPB as well as all interested parties from civil society, business, politics and administration in the OWL region who work on this topic and would like to network with European partners on this topic.
Representatives of our European partners from the University of Kristianstad (Sweden) and the Josip Jurai Strossmayer University of Osijek (Croatia) took part in the CoLab. The event was held in English.
Registration
You were welcome to register by 30 September at the following email address: cospace.colours@uni-paderborn.de
Click here for a report about the CoLab.
At the CoLab event ‘Communicating Green Transitions’, challenges in communication on sustainability topics were analysed and solutions for target group-oriented information exchange and greater acceptance of the complex topic of sustainability were developed.
The CoLab analysed current communication on topics such as ecological change, transport and mobility and developed solutions to improve communication strategies in these contexts. The participants addressed the following challenges in various workshops:
- How can effective communication best contribute to increasing social acceptance of green change?
- In addition to raising awareness, how can we also encourage action and promote behavioural change in society in order to shape the green transition in a lasting and sustainable way?
- What ways are there to communicate complex and uncertain scientific findings and research results on green transition, transport and mobility?
- How can we counter false narratives, misinformation and fake news in connection with the green transition?
- What role do popularisation and content marketing play in this context?
- How can we best address negative impacts of the green transition and address potential dissatisfaction of those affected?
- And how can we best talk about the winners and losers of the green transition and recognise the real social and economic challenges without relying on arguments of perceived moral superiority?
The event takes place at the Start-up Campus OWL, at Ausblick 1, 33100 Paderborn
Due to its international focus and international guests, the event was held in English.
The CoLab was streamed live on Tuesday, June 24 2025, 10:30-12:30 p.m. and 1.30-3p.m. via the following link:
Click here for a report about the CoLab.
The CoLab event explored challenges in the areas of mental health and body image in the context of equality, diversity and inclusion and developed solutions to improve body image and mental health for marginalized populations.
The event took place at the Start-up Campus OWL, at Ausblick 1, 33100 Paderborn
Travel details can be found here
Due to its international focus and international guests, the event was held in English.
A livestream of the panel discussion (7th of October, 3-5pm) could be found here
CoLab
Das CoLab „Frugal Innovations in Food Production and Green Transition“ (Sparsame Innovationen in der Lebensmittelproduktion und im ökologischen Wandel) befand sich an der Schnittstelle zwischen Lebensmittelproduktion und ökologischem Wandel und berücksichtigte dabei auch soziale Aspekte. In diesem Sinne befasste es sich mit mehreren Zielen der Vereinten Nationen für nachhaltige Entwicklung, darunter Ziel 3 „Gesundheit und Wohlergehen“, Ziel 12 „Verantwortungsvoller Konsum und Produktion“ und Ziel 13 „Maßnahmen zum Klimaschutz“.
Das CoLab untersuchte die Lebensmittelproduktion im Zusammenhang mit der grünen Wende und konzentrierte sich dabei auf ökologische Lebensmittelproduktion, die Reduzierung von Lebensmittelabfällen und gesunde Konsumentscheidungen. Ziel des CoLab war es, Lösungen (Ideen, Formen des Engagements, Möglichkeiten, Szenarien oder Geschäftsmodelle) zu entwickeln, die die Akzeptanz von Initiativen wie Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), regionalen, saisonalen oder kleinhandelsbasierten Lebensmitteln sowie Initiativen zur Reduzierung von Lebensmittelabfällen erhöhen und gleichzeitig Maßnahmen und Verhaltensänderungen bei den Verbrauchern fördern, mit dem letztendlichen Ziel, neue Start-ups in diesem Bereich zu gründen.
Hackathon
Der Hackathon setzte an der Schnittstelle zwischen Lebensmittelproduktion und ökologischem Wandel an und umfasst auch soziale Dimensionen. Er befasste sich mit Themen wie Gesundheit und Wohlbefinden, verantwortungsvollem Konsum und verantwortungsvoller Produktion sowie Klimaschutz. In den Workshops wurden Lösungen für gesellschaftliche Herausforderungen erarbeitet - durch Ideenfindung, Entwicklung von Szenarien, Geschäftsmodellen und Prototypen.
Field study
Was sind die Ernährungstrends von morgen und welche Innovationen gibt es in diesem Bereich? Warum ist dies ein wichtiges gesellschaftliches Thema und vor welchen Herausforderungen steht die Branche? Die Exkursion zum „Tomorrow Eats" Festival auf dem Innovationscampus der TH OWL in Lemgo bietete eine hervorragende Gelegenheit, die Campus Foundery OWL – das Gründerzentrum der TH OWL – kennenzulernen, mehr über die neuesten Lebensmittelinnovationen und Start-ups in diesem Bereich zu erfahren und sich mit anderen Messeteilnehmern aus Handel, Industrie und Forschung zu vernetzen.
Wer sollte teilnehmen?
Die Veranstaltung richtete sich an alle Forschenden, Studierenden und Mitarbeitenden der COLOURS-Partneruniversitäten sowie an alle Interessierten aus der Zivilgesellschaft, der Wirtschaft, Politik und der öffentlichen Verwaltung in den COLOURS-Partnerregionen, die an diesem Thema arbeiten und sich mit europäischen Partner*innen zu diesem Thema vernetzen möchten.
Anmeldung
Die Veranstaltung fand auf Englisch statt; die Teilnahme am CoLab „Frugal Innovations in Food Production and Green Transition” war für alle Hackathon-Teilnehmer*innen obligatorisch.
Die Podiumsdiskussion wurde live gestreamt über: https://www.youtube.com/@upbvideo
