Education meets innovation at the Twin City Hub
On 22 May 2025, an inspiring workshop took place at the Grand Garage in Linz as part of the Twin City Future Innovation Manufacturing Hub (2C FIMH). The focus was on how education, action-oriented learning and innovative infrastructure can be more closely linked to the objectives of Work Package 3 (WP3: Education & Skills Development) in the future.
Venue: Grand Garage, Linz
The Grand Garage – a flagship project in the Austrian innovation landscape – celebrated its sixth anniversary on this day. Participants gained exclusive insights into the newly expanded MakerSpace, ongoing educational formats and the philosophy of open, accessible access to technology and creativity.
A total of around 100 people attended the event.
Exchange & potential for cooperation
A key part of the visit was the discussion with Hildegard Greco and Ruth Arrich, representatives of Grand Garage. Together with the Twin City Hub team, possible contributions to the implementation of WP3 were explored – particularly in the areas of youth development, applied STEM skills and new learning formats.
Impressions
Among other things, the following topics were discussed:
- Existing offerings such as Open MakerSpace, PLASTIC GARAGE and the textile workshop
- The role of Grand Garage as a bridge builder between talent, technology and practical education
- Ways to specifically link the regional innovation landscape in Linz with the Twin City Hub Vision
Synergy with the Future Wings Challenge:
A particularly promising point of contact arose during a conversation with Dominik Hejzak from the Future Wings Challenge Vienna. His work on innovative youth education formats in Vienna offers great potential for interregional networking within WP3 and for developing new educational approaches between Linz and Vienna.
Next steps:
The workshop led to a mutual declaration of intent to work together on a formal cooperation model within the framework of WP3. Next step:
- Design of an inter-city educational pilot project in collaboration with Grand Garage and Future Wings Challenge
- Bilateral exchange with Dominik Hejzak and the WP3 project management team to clarify roles and specify the programme modules
Conclusion
The Grand Garage proves that education, creativity and technology can interact perfectly in an open environment. The workshop was an important milestone on the path towards a cross-border educational approach that promotes young talent in the SK-AT region and enables practical innovation.
