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Kickstarting businesses and development in !!!emerging!!! markets

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The lot programme

Find out how sustainable and profitable business models are created in lab of tomorrow programme and where you can get involved.

Development challenge
A local development challenge with business potential is the starting point of any lab of tomorrow programme.
Understand local needs
Unmet needs of the local population and business opportunities are discovered.
Ideate solutions
Products and services that tackle unmet needs are co-created by interdisciplinary teams.
Incubate business
Market-ready products and services are developed through the newly established joint ventures.
Sustainable business
Impact-driven ventures owned and driven by the private sector.

News and stories

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News and stories

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Invest

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Join a process

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How it works

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How it works

Ventures

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The lab of tomorrow

An unique tool for customized business solutions.

The mission of the lab of tomorrow (lot) process is to turn business opportunities in developing countries into profitable businesses. We are convinced that only viable businesses will have a long-term impact on sustainable development.

More Info

  1. The lot drives business
    We bring access to new markets, local expertise and business opportunities in developing countries
  2. The lot builds relevant networks
    We match businesses, non-profits and political decision makers from the EU and developing countries to co-create and co-own products
  3. The lot creates social impact
    The new products and services contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Our track record

The lab of tomorrow has been the programme of choice by GIZ projects, the Austrian and the Swiss Development Agencies as well as companies to solve specific development challenges all over the world.

29
Running & completed programmes
461
Companies participated
70
Promising Concepts
24
Ventures preparing market entry
15
Businesses active in the market
Siemens
Fopo–Bayer
TÜV Rheinland
Tui
Merck
Boehringer Ingelheim
Bayer
SAP
Roche
Africa Works
DHL
ibes

Your opportunities

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Develop 
your business 
in emerging markets

Solve your development
challenge


Initiate a lab of
tomorrow process to:

  • Generate innovative and viable business solutions addressing a challenge.
  • Join forces with actors from the EU and local emerging markets, from the private sector but also politics and science.
  • Profit from their expertise, access to markets & technologies as well as available resources.

Develop 
your business 
in emerging markets

Solve your development
challenge


Initiate a lab of
tomorrow process to:

  • Generate innovative and viable business solutions addressing a challenge.
  • Join forces with actors from the EU and local emerging markets, from the private sector but also politics and science.

Invest in solutions and support innovations

Solve your development
challenge


Initiate a lab of
tomorrow process to:

  • Generate innovative and viable business solutions addressing a challenge.

How it works

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How it works

Any questions?

Become a partner or mentor

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Ready to create impact?

Toolkit

Conducting your own lab of tomorrow process and needing the right tools?

The toolkit supports you in conducting your own lab of tomorrow process by giving you all the materials you need.

Currently running challenges

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Colombia | Innovation | Joint-venture
LOT
27

lot X Impact Week Colombia 2025

This challenge is in phase: Incubate business

lot X Impact Week Colombia 2025 – What is it all about?  

The lab of tomorrow X Impact Week Colombia 2025 is a transformative, intercultural Design Thinking experience organized by the Universidad Autónoma de Occidente and the German non-profit organization Impact Week gUG, the AHK, and GIZ's lab of tomorrow which took place from 11th-19th of June at the Universidad Autónoma de Occidente in Cali. The Impact Week focuses on empowering young people, enterprises and start-ups in developing sustainable solutions to real-world challenges.

Companies have the chance to take part in the initiative by sending their employees to become trained as ‘Junior Design Thinking Coaches’ by internationally renowned Design Thinking experts, benefitting from the unique structure of the 3-day Train-the Coach (11th-13th of June) and the direct application with a team of young minds during the Innovation Challenge (16th-19th of June) for a training fee that is reinvested into the event. Moreover, we are still looking for like-minded sponsors who are willing to support our mission and want to drive change in the region!  

Co-Initiators

Partners

01

Understand

Benefits of participating:

  • Be part of an initiative which aims to create new insights, ideas, and solutions for problems in Colombia and explore new ways to innovation.  

  • Access to validated business opportunities, access to new markets, and product and business development. 

  • Access to business incubation and market piloting services for winning ideas. 

  • Networking opportunities with innovative companies, public sector actors and academia.  

  • Become part of a global community that is practicing the Design Thinking methodology, alongside certified mentors and international experts.  

  • Learn how to understand any challenge in a user-centric manner and create design-based solutions with rapid prototyping.  

What are the focus areas and challenge scenarios?  

  • Energy Efficiency  

  • Waste Management  

  • Renewable Energies  

  • Water Scarcity/Water Efficiency 

  • Sustainable Logistics

02

Ideate Solutions

During the first phase - a 3-day Train-the-Coach workshop - 29 Junior Coaches were trained.
In the following 4-day Design Thinking Challenge, these Junior Coaches guided 46 participants, organized into 11 teams, through a series of innovation challenges. The goal: to foster the creation of business solutions in Cali through a structured innovation process followed by a mentoring phase.

Using Design Thinking and user-centered design toolkits, the teams developed impactful, market-oriented solutions and strategies.

This initiative offered a unique opportunity for bright minds and motivated companies to access new markets in collaboration with relevant partners — co-creating solutions to some of the most pressing challenges facing Cali today.

Winning ideas are now being supported through tailored mentorship to help bring these solutions to life in the local economy and society.
This incubation phase is where the teams are now.

Date: June 16–19

03

Incubate business

During the incubation phase of Impact Week Cali 2025, the teams have the opportunity to take their first steps toward implementation - supported by experienced mentors from the industry.

Through the Impact Week community platform, they can access virtual learning content to help them develop a business plan and refine their product ideas.

In addition, the incubation phase offers further opportunities for exchange through locally organized events and guest sessions led by experienced entrepreneurs.

With a total of 41 company representatives ready to support the teams, ventures from previous Impact Weeks have also been brought in to maximize the available mentoring capacity.
In total, 15 ventures are currently participating in the incubation phase.

Colombia | Innovation | Joint-venture
LOT
27

lot X Impact Week Colombia 2025

This challenge is in phase: Incubate business

lot X Impact Week Colombia 2025 – What is it all about?  

The lab of tomorrow X Impact Week Colombia 2025 is a transformative, intercultural Design Thinking experience organized by the Universidad Autónoma de Occidente and the German non-profit organization Impact Week gUG, the AHK, and GIZ's lab of tomorrow which took place from 11th-19th of June at the Universidad Autónoma de Occidente in Cali. The Impact Week focuses on empowering young people, enterprises and start-ups in developing sustainable solutions to real-world challenges.

Companies have the chance to take part in the initiative by sending their employees to become trained as ‘Junior Design Thinking Coaches’ by internationally renowned Design Thinking experts, benefitting from the unique structure of the 3-day Train-the Coach (11th-13th of June) and the direct application with a team of young minds during the Innovation Challenge (16th-19th of June) for a training fee that is reinvested into the event. Moreover, we are still looking for like-minded sponsors who are willing to support our mission and want to drive change in the region!  

Co-Initiators

Partners

01

Understand

Benefits of participating:

  • Be part of an initiative which aims to create new insights, ideas, and solutions for problems in Colombia and explore new ways to innovation.  

  • Access to validated business opportunities, access to new markets, and product and business development. 

  • Access to business incubation and market piloting services for winning ideas. 

  • Networking opportunities with innovative companies, public sector actors and academia.  

  • Become part of a global community that is practicing the Design Thinking methodology, alongside certified mentors and international experts.  

  • Learn how to understand any challenge in a user-centric manner and create design-based solutions with rapid prototyping.  

What are the focus areas and challenge scenarios?  

  • Energy Efficiency  

  • Waste Management  

  • Renewable Energies  

  • Water Scarcity/Water Efficiency 

  • Sustainable Logistics

02

Ideate Solutions

During the first phase - a 3-day Train-the-Coach workshop - 29 Junior Coaches were trained.
In the following 4-day Design Thinking Challenge, these Junior Coaches guided 46 participants, organized into 11 teams, through a series of innovation challenges. The goal: to foster the creation of business solutions in Cali through a structured innovation process followed by a mentoring phase.

Using Design Thinking and user-centered design toolkits, the teams developed impactful, market-oriented solutions and strategies.

This initiative offered a unique opportunity for bright minds and motivated companies to access new markets in collaboration with relevant partners — co-creating solutions to some of the most pressing challenges facing Cali today.

Winning ideas are now being supported through tailored mentorship to help bring these solutions to life in the local economy and society.
This incubation phase is where the teams are now.

Date: June 16–19

03

Incubate business

During the incubation phase of Impact Week Cali 2025, the teams have the opportunity to take their first steps toward implementation - supported by experienced mentors from the industry.

Through the Impact Week community platform, they can access virtual learning content to help them develop a business plan and refine their product ideas.

In addition, the incubation phase offers further opportunities for exchange through locally organized events and guest sessions led by experienced entrepreneurs.

With a total of 41 company representatives ready to support the teams, ventures from previous Impact Weeks have also been brought in to maximize the available mentoring capacity.
In total, 15 ventures are currently participating in the incubation phase.

Colombia | Innovation | Joint-venture
LOT
27

lot X Impact Week Colombia 2025

This challenge is in phase: Incubate business

lot X Impact Week Colombia 2025 – What is it all about?  

The lab of tomorrow X Impact Week Colombia 2025 is a transformative, intercultural Design Thinking experience organized by the Universidad Autónoma de Occidente and the German non-profit organization Impact Week gUG, the AHK, and GIZ's lab of tomorrow which took place from 11th-19th of June at the Universidad Autónoma de Occidente in Cali. The Impact Week focuses on empowering young people, enterprises and start-ups in developing sustainable solutions to real-world challenges.

Companies have the chance to take part in the initiative by sending their employees to become trained as ‘Junior Design Thinking Coaches’ by internationally renowned Design Thinking experts, benefitting from the unique structure of the 3-day Train-the Coach (11th-13th of June) and the direct application with a team of young minds during the Innovation Challenge (16th-19th of June) for a training fee that is reinvested into the event. Moreover, we are still looking for like-minded sponsors who are willing to support our mission and want to drive change in the region!  

Co-Initiators

Partners

01

Understand

Benefits of participating:

  • Be part of an initiative which aims to create new insights, ideas, and solutions for problems in Colombia and explore new ways to innovation.  

  • Access to validated business opportunities, access to new markets, and product and business development. 

  • Access to business incubation and market piloting services for winning ideas. 

  • Networking opportunities with innovative companies, public sector actors and academia.  

  • Become part of a global community that is practicing the Design Thinking methodology, alongside certified mentors and international experts.  

  • Learn how to understand any challenge in a user-centric manner and create design-based solutions with rapid prototyping.  

What are the focus areas and challenge scenarios?  

  • Energy Efficiency  

  • Waste Management  

  • Renewable Energies  

  • Water Scarcity/Water Efficiency 

  • Sustainable Logistics

02

Ideate Solutions

During the first phase - a 3-day Train-the-Coach workshop - 29 Junior Coaches were trained.
In the following 4-day Design Thinking Challenge, these Junior Coaches guided 46 participants, organized into 11 teams, through a series of innovation challenges. The goal: to foster the creation of business solutions in Cali through a structured innovation process followed by a mentoring phase.

Using Design Thinking and user-centered design toolkits, the teams developed impactful, market-oriented solutions and strategies.

This initiative offered a unique opportunity for bright minds and motivated companies to access new markets in collaboration with relevant partners — co-creating solutions to some of the most pressing challenges facing Cali today.

Winning ideas are now being supported through tailored mentorship to help bring these solutions to life in the local economy and society.
This incubation phase is where the teams are now.

Date: June 16–19

03

Incubate business

During the incubation phase of Impact Week Cali 2025, the teams have the opportunity to take their first steps toward implementation - supported by experienced mentors from the industry.

Through the Impact Week community platform, they can access virtual learning content to help them develop a business plan and refine their product ideas.

In addition, the incubation phase offers further opportunities for exchange through locally organized events and guest sessions led by experienced entrepreneurs.

With a total of 41 company representatives ready to support the teams, ventures from previous Impact Weeks have also been brought in to maximize the available mentoring capacity.
In total, 15 ventures are currently participating in the incubation phase.

Challenge in spotlight

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LOT
27
colombia | innovation | joint-venture

lot X Impact Week Colombia 2025