“The Bildungscampus? We went through a learning curve there.”

Larger space, new buildings, more students - the educational campus is growing and Ipai, Europe's future AI center, is also taking shape. An interview with Yvonne Zajontz, Professor of Market and Media Research at the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW) and Reinhold Geilsdörfer, Managing Director of the Dieter Schwarz Foundation, about monotony on campus, prosperity as a drug and why Knorr cooking afternoons are an inspiration.

Heilbronn is developing into a city of knowledge. How do you perceive the pace?

Reinhold Geilsdörfer: The pace is indeed high. It has to be, after all, we want to build one of the largest ecosystems for artificial intelligence in Europe within a few years with Ipai. In the future, the who's who of the AI scene will come together in Heilbronn and produce highly innovative research and development in this field. The aim is to catch up with the major AI centers in Europe, Asia and the USA. And the education campus plays an important role here as a knowledge hub and magnet for young people from all over the world. We urgently want to grow here, from the current 7,500 students to 15,000 or more. That is why we are consistently expanding the campus and I think we are making good progress.

Yvonne Zajontz: That's right, the educational campus is growing at a rapid pace. But we can't just focus on the seemingly hard factors - the number of degree courses, professors and students. When it comes to attracting not only mass but also class to Heilbronn, we must also consider the soft location factors. Improving these often takes longer than getting a building application through and celebrating the topping-out ceremony.

Soft location factors: What does this mean in concrete terms?

Zajontz: Soft location factors ultimately encompass all aspects that make life in a place seem worth living. The quality of life is a city's operating system. When we think of young students, terms such as club scene, cabaret, meeting places where you can have a good time with friends come to mind. There is also a need for freedom to try things out. This is where we very easily touch on questions of mindset in urban society: can we tolerate people partying late into the night on the Neckar? Do we want to be open and offer menus in English, for example? Do we support this as a city by finally operating a night bus service? And, of course, we must also critically examine the campus to see whether it offers enough from the perspective of soft location factors.

Mr. Geilsdörfer, the foundation has always planned and financed the educational campus. What view do you have of it?

Geilsdörfer: We definitely have a learning curve. Although the current campus has high-quality, architecturally magnificent buildings, they only actually house lecture and seminar rooms. We didn't involve the target groups enough in the development at the time. With the campus extension, however, things will be very different. We envisage a mix of student accommodation, teaching, leisure, sport and retail. We want to create a place to live. And if a student from abroad wants to come here, then enthusiasm and a suitcase should be enough as luggage - a bed and room will then be organized.

That really is a new approach. But don't you run the risk of creating an academic enclave?

Geilsdörfer: There is a danger, yes. Our Lord Mayor Harry Mergel always says that the Bildungscampus, the Ipai and everything that goes with it - for many people, that's just stuff from the 20th floor. He's not wrong about that, it's also rooted in the city's history. Heilbronn has always been industrial, and that shapes people's awareness and perception.

Zajontz: If we want to make Heilbronn a place with aura and charisma, then this must of course come first and foremost from the local people. They should be proud of what happens here and ideally identify with it and tell other people about their positive experiences. A positive image allows cities to be perceived from a distance and can have a strong attraction. However, universities, start-ups and the Ipai definitely have a duty to contribute.

What do you mean by debt?

Zajontz: Let's take the example of Ipai. A fantastic place is being created there that should and will shape the future. Okay. At the moment, I don't know what is actually happening there, how the plans are progressing and how the AI ecosystem is developing. For me, it's still more of a black box. If you were to ask me, I would only have a vague answer. What's more, the huge site is on the edge of the city near the highway. Why aren't we already planning to connect the site structurally with the city center, for example with a publicly operated cable car, and vice versa, so that Ipai has a consistent presence in the city center? The newly designed Urban Innovation Hub (uhi!) in the pedestrian zone in Heilbronn, for example, shows how this works. The uih! is a lively meeting place for research, retail, business, education, city administration and the population to exchange ideas on innovative solutions and new concepts for the further development of Heilbronn. That attracts people. Another great example is the KI-Festival der 42, which really tries to reach out to urban society and offer something for the whole family.

Geilsdörfer: I can get a lot out of that and we probably need to focus even more on such aspects, especially as we have a lot to offer. The Ipai topic of artificial intelligence - Heilbronn's industrial history or not - hits the nerve of the times. ChatGPT was almost an awakening for many people at the end of last year. Suddenly AI was no longer just abstract stuff, but was helping me to write a letter - or threatening my livelihood as a journalist and graphic designer. The challenge now is to communicate such an open topic and make it tangible and understandable for a broad target audience. What makes me positive is that we have found really great employees for Ipai, there is a great team at the start - which will be expanded even further in the coming years! In addition, over 70 different companies and numerous universities and research institutes are already involved. This brings together an enormous wealth of knowledge.

Ms. Zajontz, you mentioned the 42. What role does it play for Heilbronn in your view?

Zajontz: 42 is very different from a traditional university. It already has a very special flair. I expect it to contribute even more to the internationalization of the city and also enrich teaching and learning formats throughout the city. The new cooperation between the 42 and Heilbronn University is important news in this respect. Intensifying cooperation with all universities on the educational campus is essential. To achieve this, it must also be possible for students to interact more with the city and with students from other universities.

Geilsdörfer: The 42 is actually the biggest innovation that we as a foundation have established here. The school anchors a completely new way of thinking, for Heilbronn, but also far beyond. Ultimately, it combines the best of two worlds - the old lecture hall world in presence on the one hand, and the digital learning community on the other. Because the term pride came up earlier: Heilbronn can also be very proud of having established the first 42 in Germany.

One more look at politics: how do you feel about the collaboration - and what would you like to see?

Geilsdörfer: Basically, I have to say that we receive really strong support. Be it the federal government, the state or the local authority. In my opinion, the polyphonic political bashing is really inappropriate. But what I would like to see is a little more boldness and ambition. Especially in Heilbronn, people often say to me: “Oh, Reinhold, what do you want again, everything is fine.” And that's true! We are still doing excellently overall. But this prosperity is the worst drug, it makes you passive. And if you look at the prospects for core industries such as chemicals and cars, you know that the economy and labor market, social systems and tax budgets will soon come under extreme pressure - and in case of doubt, social cohesion as well.

Zajontz: That is certainly true. And that's why I'm so strongly in favor of creating framework conditions here that strengthen Heilbronn not only in a regional comparison, but also internationally. That sounds abstract at first, but an incredible number of things can be initiated on a small scale. Let's open up spaces where young people can organize evening programs in self-administration, where cabaret can flourish. Let's stage the Neckar in a completely new way so that we can integrate this wonderful river even better into our leisure activities. So much is possible, but the city also needs to be more proactive and consistently consider such ideas, including in the context of development plans. If we succeed in this, then Heilbronn, this city with this XXL potential, will really blossom - and I am looking forward to it!