2023 Luxury Innovation Bootcamp: creating a launch pad for students and innovative start-up companies

Luxury and innovation have always been close companions. Pursuing the highest level of quality and harnessing the near-unlimited possibilities of outstanding craftsmanship, masters of their trade have always explored the limits of what is possible, creating the seemingly impossible in the process. Innovation and creativity are naturally found in the DNA of brands, designers, products and services in the luxury sector. Always in flux, they challenge themselves and surprise their fans and customer base with fantastic product creations, unusual materials, arresting designs, unique experiences and innovative manufacturing processes.

Geneva-based Luxury Venture Group (LVG) is now bringing together start-ups, investors and the luxury sector in a new ecosystem: “Regardless of heritage, businesses thrive on adapting to the challenges and capturing the opportunities of tomorrow. With the carefully selected and most promising start-ups from the industry, LVG uses the full power of its unique ecosystem to support its portfolio companies in their journey towards success,” says founder Deependra Pandey. As a global platform for the exchange of new ideas and to showcase the luxury start-up scene, LVG has been hosting the Luxury Innovation Summit since 2019, where the annual Luxury Innovation Awards are presented to the world’s most innovative luxury start-ups in several categories. Representing academia, Prof. Sebastian Huber from the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts connects this community with the innovative resources he draws from conducting research and teaching in the Luxury Innovation Lab, which was created for the purpose, for example in a student project for Jaswant, the 2021 winner of the Luxury Innovation Award.

Now, the two partners LVG and the Lucerne School of Business (HSLU) are moving together even closer by connecting start-ups from the luxury industry with Bachelor’s students at a “Luxury Innovation Bootcamp” hosted on the HSLU’s Lucerne campus.

The students will collaborate with the start-up founders in developing their business ideas, advancing their existing business plans, formulating sales strategies or securing funding for their projects. It allows them to give the participating start-ups an innovative boost while at the same time gaining valuable insight into the luxury industry and its start-up scene.

Prof. Sebastian Huber

More than 40 students have already registered for the week from February 13 to 17 2023. In teams and supported by experts from the HSLU, The programme also features keynote speeches by seasoned industry experts, company visits and concludes with a final “pitch round” for the start-ups.

Nominees and winners in this year’s and previous instalments of the Luxury Innovation Awards are already confirmed for the Innovation Bootcamp 2023. At the same time, the format is open to additional start-up companies in the luxury sector and to established brands and companies that would like to challenge HSLU students with an innovative business idea.