More than 15,000 people pass by one of Friedberg's most prominent vacant properties every day, the "Bierbörse" (Beer Exchange) at the train station. For the city, it's been a long-standing concern; for an organic bakery, an obvious opportunity for expansion; and for students at the Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen (THM), a chance to put their theoretical knowledge into practice.

It all started with a phone call: Friedberg's mayor, Kjetil Dahlhaus, picked up the phone and invited Prof. Holger Rohn to a meeting with "biokaiser," a bakery committed to the common good and ecological principles. Rohn recognized the potential of revitalizing the beer exchange as a practical learning opportunity at the university. In several meetings between Rohn and Volker Schmidt-Sköries, managing director of "biokaiser," a concept was developed outlining how the city, students, and the company could all benefit from the branch.

The practical implementation began with students from all THMcampuses participating in the "Think Summits" shortly before the start of the winter semester. In a five-day workshop, they worked on concrete concepts for repurposing the pub as a location for an organic bakery. At the heart of the project was a challenging question: How can a place be created that combines ecological, social, and economic sustainability and thus serve as an example of community-oriented thinking that extends beyond the region? The students in the workshop, led by Christian Abt Department Business Administration and Engineering , went through all phases of so-called Design Thinking – understanding, observing, defining, ideation, prototyping, and testing – and systematically collected their findings: they conducted interviews with citizens, students, city representatives, and THMstaff, and observed usage patterns in and around the train station.

To explain the background, Mayor Dahlhaus emphasized the importance of the location for Friedberg: "The 'Beer Exchange' immediately catches the eye as soon as travelers emerge from the train station. In our city, characterized by commuting and full of students, a high-quality, long-term revitalization of the location is extremely desirable."

The students got to know the partner company during a field trip: visits to the "biokaiser" headquarters and bakery in Mainz-Kastel with the second managing director, Yasar Sköries; a branch in Frankfurt, where sales manager Rita Sköries-Schmiedel spoke about store design, philosophy, and brand experience; and the grain mill, a long-standing value chain partner of "biokaiser," provided insights into the entire value chain, from grain to bread. Here, the students were able to experience how a socially and ethically responsible company operates in practice. The principles of the so-called Common Good Economy were also explained. "biokaiser" is certified according to its standards – which require that economic success be used for social and environmental purposes.

At a final event, the students presented their ideas to guests from the cultural, scientific, business, and social sectors. Key outcomes include spatial concepts for encounters and exchange, proposals for integrating sustainability and public welfare criteria into business models, and strategies for social and economic impact within the neighborhood. Since the lease for the former "Bierbörse" (Beer Exchange) has now been finalized, the collaboration is being integrated into teaching and study projects at THM (Technical University of Central Hesse): Architecture students from the Department Civil Engineering, under the supervision of engineer Christian Hillgärtner, are working on the architectural planning and have already visited a branch in Frankfurt's Riedberg district this semester, as well as a construction site in Bad Nauheim. The Department Business Administration and Engineering is working on business management and sustainability improvements.

The branch will also play a central role in the newly established, English-language Master's programme in Sustainability Transformation in Engineering and Management (STEM): In the first semester, students will engage with the project, its use as a place for encounters, exchange, and social impact – and thus also with the city and its needs. "Something has been created here that will have an impact far beyond the region," says Mayor Dahlhaus: "The university, businesses, and the city are demonstrating what can be achieved when sustainability, the common good, and entrepreneurship go hand in hand." Yasar Sköries adds: "The students have the opportunity to develop concrete and verifiable approaches from theoretical knowledge, thus connecting theory and practice. As a result, we have been provided with a variety of ideas. This is not just lip service, but work that is to be implemented."

The goal remains to use the project as a pilot for further partnership formats between the university, the city, and industry, with a clear emphasis on student work, empirical validation, and real-world implementation steps. The collaboration was publicly presented in the THM lecture series.