Innovation Challenge Arena: From Real-World Challenges to New Collaborations – Watch the Film

Innovation Challenge Arena: From Real-World Challenges to New Collaborations – Watch the Film

What happens when real-world challenges from industry and research meet the combined expertise of a strong innovation network? Our new event film from the Innovation Challenge Arena is now online, capturing how direct exchange can turn challenges into new ideas, potential solutions and future collaborations.

On 10 June 2026, the 3rd Hi-Acts Network Meeting brought together around 65 participants from industry, research and innovation organisations at the DESY campus in Hamburg. Following the strategic dialogue of the Helmholtz Tech & Industry Day the day before, the focus shifted from discussion to hands-on collaboration.

At the heart of the day was the Innovation Challenge Arena. Challenge Owners presented concrete challenges to the Hi-Acts network and worked with experts from different disciplines to explore them from new perspectives, develop initial solution pathways and identify opportunities for future joint projects.

This is what makes the format unique: industry meets science, and real-world needs meet technological expertise and research infrastructures. Direct exchange creates opportunities to connect with new partners, combine complementary expertise and turn initial ideas into concrete next steps.

For Hi-Acts, this approach is at the core of our mission. As a gateway to the accelerator-based technologies, expertise and research infrastructures of five Helmholtz Centres, the innovation platform connects partners and creates an environment in which scientific excellence and real-world challenges can lead to new collaborations.

Our new film takes you inside the Innovation Challenge Arena: Experience the Challenge Pitches, the intensive collaboration throughout the sessions and the unique energy of a day dedicated not just to talking about innovation, but to working on it together.

A heartfelt thank you to all Challenge Owners, Challenge Champions, participants, moderators and partners who contributed their challenges, expertise and ideas and brought the Innovation Challenge Arena to life.

And once again, a very special thank you goes to Photothek Media Lab for capturing the energy, exchange and collaborative spirit of the Innovation Challenge Arena in such powerful images. Thank you for the creative and trusted partnership!