14 students on the Master's degree programme in Innovation and Change Management focused on innovations in the service sector in the summer semester of 2017. In addition to theoretical content, there are always practical projects to put what has been learnt directly into practice. This summer, Verkehrsbetriebe Nordhausen GmbH and Jugendsozialwerk Nordhausen e. V. were our practical partners. Under the guidance of lecturer Dr Kareen Schlangen, innovative service concepts were developed between June and August 2017.

The objectives of Verkehrsbetriebe Nordhausen GmbH are to attract new target groups to local public transport and to further develop the digitalisation of mobility services. With this in mind, six innovative service approaches were developed, such as "Touch&Travel". The management was surprised by the large number of creative and forward-looking ideas: "I am delighted with the project results," said Gabriele Schuchardt, Managing Director of Nordhäuser Verkehrsbetriebe. The students had no information on the future direction of the company, which made it all the more astonishing that the project group's innovative ideas were so closely aligned with the strategic goals of the Nordhausen transport company.

Jugendsozialwerk Nordhausen e. V. is also thinking about services that target the future demand for childcare in Nordhausen. A 24/7 daycare centre, as is already the norm in some European countries and is already being tried out in some German cities, was the focal point of the project. A team of five students developed various innovative concept modules for this vision. They also asked the opinions of almost 30 mothers and fathers in the region. "Just the information about other cities that have implemented a new daycare centre format was extremely helpful. The balancing act between what is desirable and what is permitted is and remains problematic," said Normann Kühn from Jugendsozialwerk Nordhausen e. V.

"Such projects are a win-win situation for everyone involved: The students gain a practical insight into what it means to develop feasible innovations, and the institutions get to see the bigger picture, far removed from their day-to-day business. Thinking outside the box creates the freedom that innovations need - the students have this freedom and inspire the project partners," emphasises Dr Kareen Schlangen.