Collaboration is Key!

After two years of visionary ideas and future scenarios, the ebx.lab community shifted its focus to the here and now: building real-world collaboration and execution skills. Around 50 participants gathered in Frankfurt on September 11–12 to explore just that.

Under the theme “Collaboration is Key,” this strategic innovation lab blended solid theoretical insights with hands-on use cases and prototypes from previous ebx.lab editions.

Day 1 kicked off with two intensive masterclasses led by renowned collaboration experts. Peter Baeck, Co-Founder and Director of the Centre for Collective Intelligence Design (CCID) in London, introduced the principles and real-world applications of Collective Intelligence Design—a method that taps into the knowledge and experience of many, often powered by technology, to solve today’s challenges.

Dr. Marie Heidingsfelder, Research Manager at the Center for Responsible Research and Innovation (CeRRI) at Fraunhofer IAO in Berlin, explored two dimensions of collaboration: external and internal. Her session asked how we can identify collaboration opportunities, shape them into win-win scenarios, and embed collaborative thinking into the values, structures, and culture of our organizations.

Day 2 was all about action. In the ebx.workbenches, participants split into small groups based on their chosen topics and applied insights from the masterclasses—alongside their own experience—to evolve real use cases from the business events world. Their toolkit? The curated “Book of Keys”—a collection of 14 interdisciplinary methods that unlock the conditions for successful collaboration.

Among the use cases from the 2023 and 2024 ebx.lab editions that were further developed using these keys:

• Event IQX: A GPT-style AI platform prototype that helps attendees discover highly personalized, specialized events.
• CO₂ Budgeting for Business Events: A framework aimed at boosting sustainability in travel and logistics.
• Knowledge Transfer as a Guiding Principle: A cultural approach that embraces experience-sharing, diverse values, and organizational needs.

The discussions didn’t stop at ideas—they dove into implementation: What resources are needed? Which stakeholders should be involved? What could first steps look like?

The key outcomes from ebx.lab 2025, along with the Book of Keys, will be published by the end of the year. And mark your calendars: the ebx.lab will return in 2026!