In the aera of digitalization, volatile economies ,and project-based working agreements, coworking spaces have emerged as flexible, creative, community-oriented working spaces, where small firms, start-ups, digital natives or freelancer could meet, brainstorm and develop ideas, using existing resources, force new business opportunities, or network.

Until recently, these coworking spaces were mostly designed in urban environments. But new developments show a trend to a more diverse use of possible collaborative spaces. Innovation is being projected, created and tested in many different ways and in many different locations. ‚Creative Regions‘ sprout outsides of big cities and creative metropoles are no longer the main stage. 

Students from opencampus.sh and HTW Berlin explored new Coworking concepts in Europe's Coworking metropole- Berlin, a promising German start-up  town- Kiel, and an incredibly creative and fascinating rural region- Wendland

They have established the idea of ‘ReCoworking’ (regional coworking) or Coworking 2.0 (an updated version of the old concept).

With the work method, tools and principled of ‘Design Thinking’ new models of leverading innovation in rural areas have been developed and impressive findings on rural creativity and business oportunities have been made.

This session is aimed at sharing with you the process and the findings and discussing implications for regional development, regional businesses and rural innovation.