On 20 October, a new edition of the Series Lab Hamburg - This time with a Mediterranean flair: the European talent factory for series development is moving to the Lake Como. There come 21 project teams from all over Europe to further develop their drama series, fine-tune scripts and find international partners.
Creative diversity and European cooperation
The three-day lab offers writers, producers and showrunners intensive workshops with experienced script consultants. They work in small groups on plots, characters and dramaturgy - with the aim of strengthening material that can survive on the European market. Finally, the teams are allowed to present their projects in short pitch sessions to representatives from broadcasters, streaming platforms and distributors.
The format is organised jointly by the Creative Europe Desk Hamburgthe Media Desk Suisse and the Creative Europe Desk Italy - supported by numerous other partners from over ten European countries. For the first time, the Lab is an equal co-operation between Germany, Italy and Switzerland. The venue is the impressive Villa Vigoni in Menaggiowhich, with its location on Lake Como, stands for creative concentration and exchange in equal measure.
Europe's changing series landscape
Although global series production fell by around 25 % between 2022 and 2024, interest in high-quality, original content remains high. Around 600 series projects per quarter are still being developed - increasingly with a European flavour. As US productions are being held back by economic restrictions, the focus is shifting more towards Europe. Co-productions with public broadcasters in particular are gaining in importance, while many streamers are scaling back their investments.
"European creatives today are producing an enormous range of original, diverse and relevant stories," explains Christiane Siemen from the Creative Europe Desk Hamburg. "The Series Lab shows how strong the European series landscape has become - and that cooperation across national borders is the key to the future."
Voices from the industry
Also Corinna Marschall from Media Desk Suisse emphasises the value of cross-border exchange: "For us as a multilingual country, collaboration is part of our DNA. We are particularly pleased that the lab is taking place so close to Switzerland this time - it emphasises how important international networking is for the development of new series."
Silvia Sandrone from the Creative Europe Desk in Turin emphasises the role of the Italian partners: "We have been supporting the Series Lab since the first edition. The consistently positive feedback shows that the format works - and Lake Como now offers a particularly inspiring backdrop."
For Producer Andrea Schütte (Tamtam Film, Hamburg), participation has almost become a tradition: "The Series Lab has become an integral part of the production year for us. The open, trusting atmosphere and the intensive collaboration with decision-makers and creative teams are invaluable. In the retreat situation on Lake Como, we can work on our series in an even more focussed way this time."
Networking, exchange, future
For two days, participants work with five renowned screenwriting experts before networking takes centre stage on the third day. Here, series makers meet international broadcasters, distributors and platforms - and make contacts that often last far beyond the lab.
The Series Lab is supported by a strong European network: in addition to the Creative Europe Desks from Germany, Italy and Switzerland, partners from Austria, Denmark, Finland, Flanders, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Spain and Wallonia-Bruxelles are also involved. The programme is supported by MOIN Film Funding, Letterbox Film Production, NDR, SRG SSR and the Lombardy Film Commission.
Conclusion: Europe's series future is being created together
With the new edition at Lake Como, the Series Lab Hamburg shows how strong the European series landscape has become. Instead of competition, the focus is on cooperation, exchange and creative diversity - and proves that the most exciting stories in Europe do not end at borders, but rather begin there.