Interspace-Ou(te)r Campus Living Lab

Interspace — Ou(te)r Campus Living Lab

Interspace — Ou(te)r Campus Living Lab explores new ways of understanding and designing the concept of a university campus in a European context. The initiative invites students, researchers, and stakeholders to rethink campus spaces as open, collaborative environments that extend beyond institutional boundaries. Led by Hochschule Bremen – City University of Applied Sciences (HSB), the Living Lab brings together perspectives from research, education, urban development, and creative disciplines. It was developed through collaboration between researchers from the Living Spaces Thematic Interest Group (TIG – a thematic research group within the STARS EU Alliance) and the Arts & Creative Industries TIG, while remaining open to contributions from all thematic groups and researchers. Through experimental formats and collaborative learning environments, the Living Lab encourages participants to imagine the campus as a shared civic and European learning space, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and transnational cooperation.

Context and Challenge

Universities are increasingly rethinking the role of the campus in response to evolving educational practices, digital learning environments, and the growing importance of international collaboration.Within the framework of the STARS EU Alliance (a European university alliance connecting nine higher education institutions across Europe), the Interspace — Ou(te)r Campus Living Lab explores how the concept of campus can evolve into a transnational and collaborative learning environment.The Living Lab addresses the question “What is a European campus?”, encouraging students and researchers to develop new perspectives on academic spaces, institutional boundaries, and the relationship between universities and their surrounding urban environments.

Mission

The objective of the Interspace — Ou(te)r Campus Living Lab is to reimagine the university campus as an open, collaborative, and European learning environment. By combining design thinking, student-led experimentation, and international collaboration, the Living Lab develops innovative concepts that expand the understanding of campus beyond physical infrastructure and administrative limits. Through its activities, the initiative promotes interdisciplinary cooperation, strengthens dialogue between academia and society, and contributes to new models of transnational learning spaces within European university alliances.

What We Do

Interspace — Ou(te)r Campus Living Lab creates experimental learning environments where students and researchers collaboratively explore new ideas about the future of campuses in Europe.

Student Design Exploration Students from Hochschule Bremen and the Bremen University of the Arts (a public university specialised in arts, design, and music) participated in a design competition exploring the question “What is a European campus?”. Their proposals challenged traditional campus models and suggested new forms of shared learning spaces.

European Campus Dialogue Inspired by HSB’s participation in the STARS EU Alliance, students explored how a European campus could function across national and institutional boundaries. Their proposals included ideas for transnational learning spaces, collaborative teaching formats, and new forms of academic exchange.

Public Engagement and Policy Dialogue Selected outcomes of the Living Lab were presented at the 9th National Conference on Urban Development Policy (a German national conference on urban development and planning) held in Berlin in June 2025. Students engaged with professionals from urban planning, academia, and politics, contributing to discussions on participatory and transformative urban development.

Activities and Impact

The Interspace — Ou(te)r Campus Living Lab generates impact through collaborative activities that connect students, universities, and external stakeholders.

Living Lab Kick-off and Design Competition The Living Lab was launched in July 2025 with the presentation of a student design competition organised by Hochschule Bremen and the Bremen University of the Arts on the theme “What is (a European) Campus?”. An international jury composed of representatives from several STARS EU partner universities evaluated the projects and discussed recommendations for future campus development within the alliance.

International Consultation and Knowledge Exchange Following the kick-off, online consultations were organised with representatives from all nine STARS EU universities, ensuring continued dialogue and collaborative development of the Living Lab concept. The initiative was also presented in plenary sessions at STARS EU meetings and through STARS Talks (online knowledge-sharing sessions within the STARS EU Alliance) in autumn 2025.

Blended Intensive Programme (Spring 2026) To further expand the concept of a European campus, a Blended Intensive Programme (an Erasmus+ format combining online collaboration with short physical mobility) will take place from April to July 2026. The programme will involve participants from all nine STARS EU universities and will include a physical meeting in Bremen from 4–8 May 2026.These activities have generated key outcomes, including the “What is (a European) Campus?” Project Catalogue, which documents the student proposals developed during the design competition. The Living Lab also laid the groundwork for a future European expansion of the format, aiming to create a shared Co-Creation Campus that connects students and institutions across the STARS EU Alliance.