Connect with key players in industry and the social sector who can actively support your startup.
Our experts offer in-depth insights across a wide range of fields and are there for you with advice and hands-on support.
Meet the heart of the Impact Factory: our dedicated team. We support you and guide you on your journey through every stage of building your startup.
Equipment & infrastructure:
- Small workshop with 3D printer, laser cutter, etc.
- Access to the university’s funding programs (e.g., EXIST), mostly for students or alumni
- The EXIST Women call for applications is currently open
Target group & support:
- Focus on early-stage startups
- Support in the pre-founding phase: prototyping, ideation, and more
- After founding, referrals to the right contacts
Coworking:
- Free for HNU-affiliated startups that haven’t been founded yet
- External users can book for a fee
Opening hours:
Mon: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Tue: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Wed: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Thu: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Fri: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Appointments and coworking by arrangement.
Usage:
- Access to all machines (some require advance booking or additional training)
What’s included:
- Weekly trainings, workshops, meetups, events & parties
- Access to the community & Slack
- Your own locker
Opening hours:
- Mon–Fri 2:00 pm – 8:00 pm, Sat 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Membership:
- Monthly membership: €59 + VAT
- Includes all of the services listed above
Usage limits (sample values in the new booking system):
- Laser cutter: approx. 30 hours
- 3D printer: approx. 120 hours
Possibilities:
- A wide range of creative projects
- Rapid prototyping with 3D printing and laser cutting
Usage:
- Work independently right away after a short initial briefing
Opening hours:
Wednesdays 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
Equipment:
- CNC milling center & CNC mill
- Waterjet cutter
- FDM, SLS & SLA 3D printers
- CO₂ and diode laser cutters
- 3D scanner, scanning electron microscope, vacuum forming machine
- Electronics workshop & welding equipment
- Wood and metal working
What’s offered:
- Workshops & introductions to laser cutting, 3D printing, CNC
- Team workshops & events
Access for external users:
- Visit during regular hours or by appointment (with supervision)
Opening hours:
- Tuesday 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
- Wednesday 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Booking & costs:
- Register by email or phone
- Prices listed in the fee schedule
Conditions:
- Use only under supervision and in line with the lab rules
Equipment:
- 3D printer, laser cutter, CNC mill, vinyl cutter
- Embroidery machine, soldering iron, hot air station
- Spare components, power supplies, measuring devices
Workshop areas:
- Wood & metal working
- Drill press, small table saw
Opening hours (Open Lab):
- Monday: 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
- Thursday: 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Membership:
- Fee: €120
- Optional: half fee possible
3D printing:
- Ultimaker 2, RepRap Mendel, Prusa i3, DLP printer
Cutting / plotting:
- Laser cutter
- Craft Robo vinyl cutter
- Eggbot / Spherebot
Milling & turning:
- DIY 3-axis CNC (with rotary axis)
- Roland iModela CNC mill
- Metal lathe & wood lathe
Electronics:
- Arduinos
- Soldering stations
- Reflow oven
- SMD rework station (Atten ST-862D)
Open Lab Day:
every Thursday from 5:00 pm
Ways to use the space:
- Open workshop with a wide range of basic equipment
- Exhibition area
Machines & areas:
- 3D printing & 3D scanning
- CNC mill
- Laser cutter (GS 100160 PU)
- Microelectronics, robotics & IoT
- Virtual & augmented reality
- Textile workshop
- Artificial intelligence area
Opening hours:
The rooms are open free of charge at the times shown in the calendar: https://makerspace-giessen.de/zeit/
Equipment:
- Comprehensive tools for prototyping: metal & wood working, electrical engineering, 3D printing, CNC, laser, assembly tools
More info:
- A detailed machine list is available on the website
Opening hours (public):
- Tuesday 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Thursday 11:00 am – 8:00 pm
Equipment:
- 3D printing (FDM & SLA), laser cutters, CNC mills
- Electronics workstations, sewing & embroidery machines
- Wood & metal working and much more
Workshops & introductions:
- Regular training on how to operate the machines
- Prototype development, design thinking & rapid prototyping
Work environment:
- Coworking and project spaces for teams at every stage of development
Support:
- Advice on technical and conceptual challenges
Access & booking:
- Open on weekdays
- Bookings via the online system
- External users welcome after registration & a short briefing if needed
Opening hours for startups:
- Monday–Friday, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm (by arrangement)
External use:
- Access after registration and, if required, machine certification
Prices:
- Currently free of charge for non-commercial projects
- For startups, depends on founding status
Extensive equipment:
- FDM & SLA 3D printers
- Several 3D scanners
- CNC mills for wood & metal
- Sewing & electronics workshop
- 2 CO₂ laser cutters, PCB mill
- Poster printer, cutting plotter, sublimation printer
- MOPA fiber laser, UV printer
- Wood and metal workshop with all the key machines
What’s offered:
- Free CAD workshops
- RepairLab every 2 months (get things repaired for free)
Opening hours:
- Weekdays 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Friday 6:00 pm – 10:00 pm (Open Lab)
How it works:
- Everything is digital: book trainings, use the machines, and pay
Trainings:
- Teach you how to use the machines & software safely
- Enough to get started on your own projects right away
What’s offered:
- Right now, the focus is on making our machines available for you to use
Open to everyone:
- Tuesdays 1:00 pm – 7:00 pm (Fab Lab)
Usage:
- Machines can be used for your own projects
- On-site support available
Costs:
- You only pay for materials, since the lab is run on a not-for-profit basis
The Beisheim Stiftung is dedicated to dialogue between generations and to shaping social change. It develops its own programs and funds projects that encourage active participation in society. Its nationwide work focuses on education, health, culture and sports. True to the spirit of its founder Otto Beisheim, the foundation acts entrepreneurially and in partnership.
As a family-owned investment company, Haniel today shapes a diversified portfolio and, as a value developer, pursues a long-term, sustainable investment strategy. Despite its international reach, Haniel has never lost sight of what is close to home: the city of Duisburg and the Ruhr region. Here, the holding company contributes to education and takes responsibility for its home region.
The KfW Stiftung was founded in October 2012 and is an operating nonprofit foundation. It addresses the major challenges facing society – globalization, environmental and climate protection, and demographic change. It supports initiatives that question existing patterns, develops concepts for alternative ways of acting and offers platforms for exchange across borders. With its projects, it aims to inspire others to follow suit. In this way, the KfW Stiftung creates space for different thinking, fosters diversity in the economy, ecology, society and culture, and takes on responsibility.
Anthropia brings together people who believe a different world is possible. It creates spaces for impact for unconventional and independent thinkers who want to tackle and solve today’s social challenges. Together with its partner organizations, Anthropia founded the Impact Factory, the innovation hub for social entrepreneurs.
Around 3,100 social organizations work under the umbrella of Der Paritätische NRW. Many of them grew out of civic engagement and social movements. The association helps them get started, advises them on professional, business and organizational matters, and represents their interests toward policymakers and funding bodies. Its members are as diverse as society itself, and they all share one thing: tolerance, openness and diversity are the foundation of everything they do.
You'll find us at Villa Anthropia on the Haniel Campus in Duisburg-Ruhrort.
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