HERZOGENAURACH, GERMANY -- Sports company PUMA has opened Studio48, a new creative hub at its headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany, where its designers and creatives can come together to freely develop new ideas and create concepts for new performance and Sportstyle products as well as campaigns. Studio48 is part of the company’s strategy to create sustainable growth by elevating the brand.

Spanning more than 500 square metres (5,300 square feet), Studio48 will feature a 3D printing facility, leather and textile sewing machines, a set up for printing and embroidering, a product testing area, a photo studio and a meeting space to connect designers across different departments and welcome external creatives to work on new products and campaigns.

As part of PUMA’s brand elevation strategy, the company will strengthen its sports performance credibility by developing products that perform at the highest level but also distill this sports DNA into its Sportstyle offering with a unique design language.

“With the new Studio48 we are creating a significant tool to enhance the excellence of our designs and elevate the brand,” said PUMA’s Vice President Creative Direction & Innovation Heiko Desens. “While many of our products are created digitally, Studio48 will be a space for a different kind of creativity, where our designers from different departments can brainstorm together, exchange best practices, experience new materials and touch and feel the products they want to make.”

While Studio48 can be used by the company’s designers and creatives all year round, the space will also play an important part when hosting external partners or bringing PUMA’s global design community together for workshops and events.

As part of the opening event in December, PUMA hosted a workshop at Studio48 by US-based upcycler Nicole McLaughlin, who shared her vision on circularity. The event was joined by PUMA designers across all product categories from several of the company’s worldwide locations.

Earlier this year, PUMA announced that it would also open a creative space in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles to inspire products and campaigns for the strategically important US market.