The region of Upper Franconia has been selected as the most innovative place in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and we are proud of the Archive of the Future’s contribution to this recognition of excellence.
Upper Franconia has been awarded the prestigious prize "Innovation Place of the Year 2022" by the information network "The German Economy." Throughout the region, sustainable, long-term projects are being initiated alongside newly developing technologies that are already shaping our future. This passion for forward thinking is also clearly noticeable in Lichtenfels. Historically, the city of Lichtenfels has long been celebrated as one of the pillars of the basket weaving trade. Carrying this renown forward, the city has become an attractive, well-networked hub for small, medium and large-sized businesses.
Thanks to its well-developed infrastructure and rapid development into a modern city, hosting high-tech companies and a highly regarded master's degree program, the city’s attractiveness has spread to an international level. Transformed modes of living and thinking are inspiring fresh creative impulses that continue to generate sustainable projects for regional development, allowing Franconia’s urban and rural areas to enjoy exciting mutual progress. Change and transformation have long since arrived in the famed German wicker basket city, bringing with it an array of challenges but also immense opportunities. The Archive of the Future symbolizes this innovation. It is a haven and a pivot point where knowledge flows into the city. It is a crossroads where questions are raised, and answers and visions are debated and discussed. Global networks are being forged and strengthened, and ideas are not only being actively implemented, but also practiced and experienced at every community level. Our overriding interest in technology and innovation form the foundation for change, making Lichtenfels fit for a multiplicity of vibrant futures.
This award, recognizing our region as the Innovation Place of the Year, motivates us ever more confidently to embrace our visions and goals of helping shape Lichtenfels and the region of Upper Franconia for dynamic regional, national and international partnerships.
The Archive of the Future opens in the summer of 2023.