history

Between 2008 and 2010, the Hybrid Plattform originally came into being from one of five work packages of the project “Sustainable revitalization of the creative quarter on and around the Campus Charlottenburg”. It revolved around the important concerns of connecting the sciences and the arts as well as turning the Campus Charlottenburg into an even more attractive location for researchers, companies and creatives.

In 2011 , these aims brought about the Hybrid Platform, an independent project connected to both universities, with a dual directorship representing both universities: Barbara Stark (Head of the Research Department, TU Berlin) and Prof. Dr. Christoph Gengnagel (UdK Berlin, Professor for Structural Design and Technology). The thematic strategy of the Hybrid Plattform was designed by the project leaders as well as scholars and teachers of the TU Berlin and the UdK Berlin.

In cooperation with the Berlin Social Sciences Center (WZB), an accompanying research study was conducted in 2013/2014 regarding the Hybrid Plattform and its projects – carried out by social scientist Dr. Maria Oppen. The results were looped back into the projects and adopted in the Hybrid Plattform’s work program.

First phase funding between April 2011 and June 2015 was provided by the European Fund for Regional Development within the “Project Future” initiative of the Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Technology and Research.

Since 2015/2016, the Hybrid Plattform has been financed with funds from the participating universities. Four project leaders represent the two universities in research, teaching and administration: Barbara Stark and Prof. Dr. Christoph Gengnagel, as well as Prof. Dr. Stefan Weinzierl (TU Berlin, Audio Communication Group) and Prof. Kora Kimpel (UdK Berlin, Professor for New Media Design).

With Hybrid Labs moving in the premises of Villa Bell in July 2017, a separte and neutral space for the Hybrid Plattform got created on the campus charlottenburg.

In 2016, the federal program “Germany – Land of Ideas” awarded the Hybrid Platform as one of the 100 projects among the “Landmarks in the Land of Ideas” in its nationwide contest.