A unique institution has characterised the Schweinfurt marketplace since July 2023. It invites people to have coffee there and linger, yet it is not a café. You can see people of every age working at laptops, yet it is not an office. What is hidden behind these large shop windows?
Published on 13 May 2024
Is it a shop? An office? A café? No, it is the StudyFAB of THWS and the city of Schweinfurt! Most pedestrians do not know what to make of the stylish room at first glance. It took some time until the first dared enter the FAB. In the meantime, many of these initially curious visitors have now turned into users - among them students, entrepreneurs, employees, or simply citizens of the city of Schweinfurt who are looking for a comfy place to spend their lunch break. That way, the StudyFAB has a very mixed crowd.
This diversity is intended: The centrally located StudyFAB is a meeting place for students, founders, entrepreneurs, and all Schweinfurt citizens passionate about innovations. It offers project and creative spaces, meeting and event locations. The project aims to promote the connection of students and THWS with the city society and increase the visibility of student life in Schweinfurt's city centre. The objective is to invigorate the city centre for the long term and demonstrate new ways of utilisation.
The meeting place aims to especially lower barriers and reservations that emerged during the corona pandemic. The StudyFAB is a place for being human. For cooperation, engaging socially, or for relaxing. "We are simply providing a space to meet and exchange," Professor Dr. Volker Bräutigam sums up the THWS-part of the project.
Part of the "Schweinfurt Fabulous"-project
The comfy atmosphere at the StudyFAB is partly due to the cooperation with the KunstFABrik. They have provided some of the pictures for the meeting place in Schweinfurt's city centre. The StudyFAB also cooperates with the other initiatives under the coordination of THWS. Among them are the start-up organisations Startbahn-27 and the 97-Club, as well as the Wirtschaftsjunioren Schweinfurt (young economists Schweinfurt), to name just a few. Cooperation and networking are the main focuses of the StudyFAB.
In cooperation with the city of Schweinfurt, the StudyFAB recently also became the location for a light bulb trade-in. During this event, citizens could trade in their old but working light bulbs or halogen spotlights against the same amount of energy-saving LED lamps of a brand manufacturer. The event was supported by the Schweinfurt-based DIY-stores Globus and Bauhaus.
"Business, Beats & Beer"
Once a month the lights are dimmed at the StudyFAB and the doors stay open beyond the regular opening hours. The after-work party "Business, Beats & Beer" welcomes students, founders, innovation-enthusiasts, and everyone who wants to come by to network, relax, and have fun.
The after-work parties are organised in cooperation with local bars and pubs. The StudyFAB also has a regional focus when it comes to drinks: Soft drinks are supplied by the brewery Ullrich Martin from Hausen (municipality of Schweinfurt), the coffee by a Schweinfurt-based coffee roaster.
After the first persons passing the StudyFAB had initially mistaken it for a shop or a café, the meeting place has now established itself in Schweinfurt's city centre. "We have about 40 visitors per day," Bräutigam says. On the 73 opening days in 2023 nearly 2,700 people made use of the offer by the city and the higher education institution. And the numbers keep rising. This may also be due to the extended opening hours. Since late November, the StudyFAB has been open on Mondays and Tuesdays, too. Without advertising these extended opening hours, 30 people showed up in these two days.
Yet, some advertisement is still needed. This is why, among others, a telecommunication robot has been bought. Equipped with a tablet, the robot moves across the Schweinfurt marketplace near the StudyFAB and offers the chance to get into contact with pedestrians via video call. "I went outside myself and told people to come in and check it out themselves as we warmly welcome everyone," Professor Dr. Bräutigam says. The StudyFAB is also advertised through posters. In future, the advertisement measures at the front of the StudyFAB are planned to be extended.
What are the future plans for the StudyFAB?
For Professor Dr. Bräutigam now is the time to "enjoy the success". The basic financing of the project was limited to an initial two years, and follow-up projects require a certain time period in advance. The overall goal is to continue the StudyFAB with the support of the city and THWS. A second objective is to talk to the landlords in order to keep the current location. The excellent location in the heart of the city centre comes at a cost. The staff or the rent could be financed by moderately charging for spaces at the StudyFAB. Both, however, would not be possible without funding.
So, for those looking for a quiet working space, or simply needing to get out of their home office for a change, the StudyFAB in Schweinfurt might just be the right address. And for those who still need to be convinced, Professor Dr. Volker Bräutigam has two indisputable arguments: "The WIFI is great, and the coffee is too".
