Germany: Urban Farming as an Innovation and Application Environment of an Agile Start-Up Mindset

Taking the future field of urban farming as an example, the chapter deals with the question of how start-ups and companies can open up new markets through innovative capability in the face of massive social challenges. The focus is on urban farming as an innovative business model for the food sector and possible criteria for sustainable urban development. On the basis of current practical examples, the urban farming market will be made tangible and the interface of the topic area with sustainability will be discussed. Thus, potentials for emerging markets will be made visible as well as the broad spectrum of stakeholders involved. At the same time, the challenges for sustainability-oriented innovations are described. The chapter gives an outlook on how the different stakeholders (clients, companies, initiatives, city administrations), driven by a specific “start-up mindset” and supported by the open innovation approach, can be involved in the development of sustainable urban farming.