Tuesday, November 18, 2025
In an industry often characterised by tradition and long development cycles, the CLASSEN Group, a leading German manufacturer of floor coverings, took an unprecedented leap into the realm of rapid, interdisciplinary innovation. On November 5th and 6th, 2025, the company hosted a “Hackathon”—a format typically associated with fast-paced tech start-ups—to tackle real-world challenges in its manufacturing core: the advanced Digital Printing Technology used for its laminate and design flooring products. This event, hailed as possibly the first of its kind in the flooring industry, marks a significant cultural and technological shift, underscoring the vital role of digital transformation even in mature manufacturing sectors.
Céline Quervel, CEO of the CLASSEN Group, championed the initiative, drawing on her experience in the tech sector. “I brought hackathon experience from my first professional experience in a tech start-up and always found this format incredibly valuable for developing unconventional ideas quickly,” Quervel explains.
The audacious goal for the 48-hour event was to develop functional prototypes that specifically integrated Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance CLASSEN’s digital printing capabilities. This was made possible through close collaboration with external AI experts, who provided the crucial advice: “Let the AI work for you.” This approach enabled the teams to generate functional prototypes in just two days—a process that typically consumes weeks or months within standard development cycles.
The Hackathon’s innovative structure was as crucial as its technological focus. Participants were intentionally drawn from a wide spectrum of internal departments: Product Management, the Design Center, Marketing, Prepress, Production, and Digital Printing, augmented by external AI experts and UX/UI specialists. This mix forced individuals who rarely interact in their daily work to collaborate intensively.
Organised into three mixed teams, participants spent the two days rapidly brainstorming, developing user interfaces, coding, and testing new tools. Their collective mission was to actively shape the future of digital printing at CLASSEN. The result was a dynamic, high-pressure environment that successfully dissolved internal silos and fostered holistic problem-solving.
The most surprising outcome of the Hackathon was the direction the teams ultimately took. While digital printing is typically highlighted for its potential to deliver limitless design variety and customisation for customers, the three final concepts focused overwhelmingly on streamlining and simplifying internal manufacturing and design processes through intelligent automation.
The prototypes presented centered on AI-powered assistants, automated dashboards, and various forms of automation designed to increase the efficiency of production workflows. This outcome highlighted the latent need for intelligent process support within the company’s operational backbone.
Timo Linnenbrügger, Head of Digital Printing and Lamination, reflected on this shift: “In our daily work in digital printing, we often think in production flows. But these two days were about seeing the big picture. The exchange with other departments opened up completely new technical and conceptual perspectives for us. I would not have believed that something so concrete and well-thought-out could emerge in just two days.”
This emphasis on process optimisation aligns with global trends in advanced manufacturing, where AI in manufacturing is increasingly used for quality control, predictive maintenance, and supply chain optimisation, often yielding significant cost savings and sustainability benefits.
The final presentations were pitched before a high-caliber jury, including key strategic customers, members of the owning family, and the top management of the CLASSEN Group.
Although an official winner was declared, the audience voting proved to be extremely close, with all three concepts receiving an almost equal number of votes. This immediate, high-level enthusiasm ensured that the Hackathon was not merely a theoretical exercise.
Céline Quervel confirmed the immediate next steps: “All teams have decided to further develop their ideas. We are now systematically bundling the competencies from these interdisciplinary groups to bring the prototypes to market readiness together. An innovation project will emerge from this—with genuine solutions for real challenges.”
The Hackathon was more than just a new format; it was a powerful cultural signal. It demonstrated that innovation in a long-established industry can be effectively cultivated outside of traditional, lengthy development cycles. It was a testament to the value of open-mindedness, the breakdown of departmental boundaries, and the managerial courage to simply try new things. By embracing the rapid, high-intensity model of a hackathon, the CLASSEN Group has positioned itself as an unexpected but determined pioneer in the digital transformation of the German manufacturing and flooring sector, signaling a commitment to a more efficient, AI-driven future.
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Tags: AI in manufacturing, Classen Group, digital printing technology, flooring industry innovation, flooring production efficiency, industrial hackathon, Laminate Flooring, sustainable innovation
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