A public ideas competition in Hamburg is calling on citizens, businesses, and emerging talent to submit ideas for circular products. Submissions are due by March 31, 2026!
The MAKER CHALLENGE 2026 is launching another open ideas competition in Hamburg for products “that last longer and consume less.” We are looking for product ideas with circular potential—durable, repairable, modular, recyclable, or particularly resource-efficient. The goal is to build momentum together for the circular city of tomorrow.
Who can participate?
The competition is open to all residents of the Hamburg metropolitan region, including school students, apprentices, college students, startups, amateurs and professionals, and businesses. Until March 31, 2026, ideas can be submitted, commented on, and further developed online via the “Fabrication City” (Fab City Hamburg) innovation platform.
Submit your idea now
The Competition at a Glance
The focus is on products that incorporate the principles of the circular economy—such as durability, repairability, modularity, reusability, or recyclability. The Maker Challenge combines open innovation, community participation, and local production infrastructure.
Support & Pricing
- Mentoring to help develop product ideas.
- Material cost subsidies: Up to 10 grants of €1,000 each for prototype or small-batch production.
- Access to local workshops and educational institutions in Hamburg as part of the Fab City network, such as the OpenLabs.
Research Project on Local Value Creation
The MAKER CHALLENGE 2026 is part of the dtec.bw research project “Fab City – Decentralized, Digital Production for Urban Value Creation” at Helmut Schmidt University / University of the Federal Armed Forces in Hamburg. The goal is to strengthen local production, open workshops, and circular business models—and to actively involve citizens in the transformation.
The project, funded by the European Union as part of NextGenerationEU, is supported by a strong network of regional partners—including the Hamburg Chamber of Crafts, the Körber Foundation, Kühne Logistics University, Young Talents Hamburg, Tchibo, and other stakeholders from the fields of research, business, and civil society.
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makerchallenge@fabcity.hamburg
https://makerchallenge.fabcity.hamburg
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More information
New Production Institute c/o
Fab City Haus, Zippelhaus 5a
20457 Hamburg
