State of Brandenburg and Studio Babelsberg strategically expand the MediaTech Hub Potsdam
● Strategic Partnership: Studio Babelsberg and MediaTech Hub Potsdam are jointly driving the further development of the location
● Site management as a strategic initiative funded by the State of Brandenburg
● Clear Vision: Babelsberg is becoming a center of excellence for media technologies, where international TV series and feature films are produced
“Our industry is facing one of the greatest technological and economic upheavals in its history. In Babelsberg, we are actively shaping this transformation and focusing on new business models and the sustainable future of the location,” says Felix Briegel, co-managing director of the MediaTech Hub Potsdam.
Site management as a new strategic mission
Since its founding in 2017, MTH Potsdam has been Germany’s only digital hub for media technologies and, since March 2025, one of six startup centers in Brandenburg—currently supporting more than 20 MediaTech startups.
Since March 2026, MTH Potsdam has also taken on a central role in the site management of the Media City Babelsberg. This is made possible by funding from the Ministry of Economics, Energy, Climate Protection, and Europe (MWEKE) of the State of Brandenburg, co-financed by the European Union and the state capital Potsdam. In this context, Potsdam Economic Development has been continuously accompanying and supporting the hub’s management and marketing activities since it was designated a Digital Hub. The goal is to strategically advance the Media City in collaboration with all stakeholders on site and to expand it as a leading center of excellence for media technologies.
“By further developing the MediaTech Hub Potsdam and providing targeted support for the startup community and site management, we are strengthening Babelsberg as a driver of innovation for the media and creative industries,” emphasizes Martina Klement, Minister for Economy, Energy, Climate Protection, and Europe of the State of Brandenburg. “The close connection between technology, research, and production is a key building block for increasingly positioning Brandenburg as a key region for media technologies both nationally and internationally.”
“From the very beginning, the state capital of Potsdam has supported this place where startup innovation, media production, and technological development come together directly. This proximity creates exactly the momentum needed to bring new ideas into practice more quickly. Together with the local stakeholders, we are thereby strengthening Babelsberg as a hub for media innovation and laying the groundwork for the next generation of media technology developments,” adds Noosha Aubel, Mayor of the state capital Potsdam.
The strategic vision is being supported by additional structural and personnel resources for its implementation. Peter Effenberg and Felix Briegel will take on joint management.
Strategic Partnership: Studio Babelsberg and MediaTech Hub Potsdam are jointly driving the further development of the location
A key component of MTH Potsdam’s work is the strategic partnership with Studio Babelsberg. The newly agreed cooperation agreement aims to further intensify practical exchange on future technologies such as virtual production, artificial intelligence, and extended reality. Joint media technology projects are planned, as well as specialist events and workshops that promote knowledge transfer between industry, startups, and research. Startups are also to be directly connected with local companies to initiate joint projects and translate innovative technologies directly into production practice.
“The cooperation with MediaTech Hub Potsdam opens up new opportunities for us to directly integrate technological innovation with the practical realities of German and international film and series productions, as well as forward-looking projects centered on AI and virtual production – with clear added value for our clients. Babelsberg has always been a place of innovation. With this partnership, we are taking the next logical step toward the future of media production,” says Joerg Bachmaier, CEO of Studio Babelsberg AG.
Innovation Meets Production
The concrete implications of this collaboration are already evident at the site: Companies like Arkanum Pictures are working on virtual production and real-time workflows that have the potential to fundamentally transform film production. seven200. AI Studios is developing AI-powered processes for scalable international series production. And Mimic Minds is creating photorealistic AI avatars that can be used in everything from web applications to XR environments and live formats.
These technologies aren’t being developed in a lab, but rather through direct interaction with real-world productions. They can be tested, adapted, and refined immediately. Innovation becomes an integral part of the production process itself.
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About MediaTech Hub Potsdam
MediaTech Hub Potsdam (MTH Potsdam) has been Germany’s only Digital Hub within the de:hub initiative focused on media technologies since 2017 and has served as Brandenburg’s official startup centre since 2025. At its new location at Studio Babelsberg in Potsdam, the Hub operates at the intersection of creativity, media technologies and science.
Within Babelsberg’s unique ecosystem, the Hub connects young technology companies directly with players from film, television, streaming and production, supporting the transfer of new solutions into real-world applications.
With its MTH Accelerator for early-stage startups, founded in 2019, curated events and the annual MediaTech Hub Conference (MTHCON), MediaTech Hub Potsdam provides market orientation, enables knowledge transfer, accelerates innovation processes and makes a lasting contribution to the development of the MediaTech ecosystem in Brandenburg and the DACH region, with international reach.
The Managing Directors of MTH Potsdam are Peter Effenberg and Felix Briegel.
About Studio Babelsberg, part of Cinespace Studios
Founded in 1912, Studio Babelsberg is the oldest large-scale studio complex in the world and the birthplace of German cinema. Today, Studio Babelsberg is one of Europe’s leading production hubs for film, television, and streaming. With 21 state-of-the-art sound stages, various backlots and exterior sets on a 42-acre lot, Europe’s largest prop shop, a first-class set construction department, unique production services and internationally experienced crews, the studio offers ideal conditions for any production need. Studio Babelsberg is home to acclaimed international productions that include INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL, UNCHARTED, JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 and THE HUNGER GAMES franchise.
Since 2022, Studio Babelsberg has been part of Cinespace Studios, a global platform of premium film and television soundstages, operating in major production centers across North America and Europe. With more than 4.3 million square feet of space and 116 active stages, Cinespace is dedicated to delivering best-in-class infrastructure, service, and long-term partnership to the creative community.
