Facilitec was founded by Transition Minett, a not for profit active in the south of Luxembourg, and aims to provide a space for alternative innovative local initiatives easing a transition to the circular economy and putting human beings at the heart of their activities.

“There are many incubators in Luxembourg, but they have very specific objectives and target start-ups that can afford paid services, even if they do not yet generate income," project manager Emma Zimer was quoted as saying in a Luxinnovation story published on Paperjam.

Facilitec will be housed in a 300 square metres former carpentry located in Esch-sur-Alzette, close to the train station. The site will be temporary as it belongs to construction firm Tracol which plans to raze and rebuild there in a few year’s time, although it is hoped that once it becomes a vital site for the community, the owners will agree to keep it as it is.

Managed by Emma Zimer, who founded participatory housing project Nouma, the model of the incubator is expected to be defined by its members.

It is initially funded through the “Yes We Care” call for projects through Oeuvre, the Grand Duchess Charlotte national relief foundation, and in its second year it will be financed by the Esch-sur-Alzette local authority. The goal is to eventually become financially autonomous, through revenue-generating activities such as a café or restaurant.

Before then, however, there remains a lot of work to renovate the office space. The ground floor is expected to be used for manual projects, the first floor for coworking and the second for conference and workshops. The incubator is expected to be inaugurated in early 2020.