A meeting place for creative types

Innovation hubs are springing up all over the world. They are an important port of call for people who have good ideas but don’t have the infrastructure, knowledge, courage or financial resources necessary to realize them. They can find all they need in the hubs. “The hubs are a pleasant space in which to sit and drink coffee while sharing ideas and opinions with other people – and most importantly, they offer an Internet connection”, explains Christian Gmelin, senior project manager at GIZ, the German Society for Interna­tional Cooperation. The aim of the hubs is to boost the technology and business scene and to drive innovation. GIZ has established three such hubs in Africa. “In total, there are now around 100 hubs across 
Africa. Our job is to interconnect them all”, explains Gmelin – not only in Africa, but worldwide. For the first time, GIZ staged a Global Innovation Lounge as part of the “re:publica” conference in May 2013, allowing innovation hub managers from all over the world to engage in an exchange. ▪