In the past, we thought we knew how things would evolve: the Future. We thought we knew where the Future would take us. But today we know that there is no ONE future. There are many. There is a plurality of futures. We might even say that possibilities are born out of the lack of certainties: possibilities to imagine the future as we would like it to be. We start to imagine different futures, to dream about how they might look. Thinking about the future becomes exciting – it starts to shine with its own light, it becomes present and participative. We alone shape the future – together, in the here and now.

How do we want to live as a society, how do we want to work, how do we want to consume, move around and communicate? Can we build innovative futures without further harming the planet? These are the big questions about the future, the answers to which are acquiring ever increasing urgency at a time marked by a global pandemic and growing environmental awareness. They spur us to action. But we can only act properly if we conceive the future properly. And to do that, we have to discuss the future, challenge it, argue about it – together as a society. Only then will new collective priorities for the future emerge, which we can rally behind and to which everyone is committed with their respective strengths.

An open exchange

Industry would like to give a further impulse to this promising process for shaping the future by inviting politicians, business and environmental associations, trade unions, climate actors, science and civil society to talk about the future. The upcoming processes of change are highly complex. They reach into all areas of society and their social burdens and consequences are not necessarily distributed fairly. As is often the case, the difficulty lies in reconciling innovation and technological developments with a high and sustainable standard of living and employment for all. An open exchange about the Future and the various possible futures can help reconcile different interests and creatively combine economic, ecological and social demands.

• How can alliances be forged to launch the major transformation processes in a way that spans systems?
• What contribution can industry, as an inclusive part of society, make in this collective journey towards a digital, resilient and fair future?
• Under what conditions can the climate-neutral and digital renewal of the economy provide innovative and effective solutions that benefit all?

Germany as a place of the future

One of the most important basic assumptions for thinking about the future is the positive interaction between prosperity, growth and sustainability. The interplay of these economic leitmotifs can give rise to a successful, competitive and climate-neutral future. Innovation and technology are the central levers of this future and they are the driving force for industry, politics and society. They make it possible to replace fossil raw materials, secure our livelihoods and assert ourselves in the global balance of power. They enable advancement, new educational opportunities, new working conditions, new forms of political mobilisation and much more. In order to promote this innovative shaping of the future, we must all ask ourselves how we want to invest in Germany as a place of the future. How can we encourage young innovative companies to develop their new technologies in Germany and make the best possible investment decisions? How can we align innovation and technological development for the good of people and the planet?

Learning and trying out

We must think about the future together and be inspired by it: by the innovative spirit of Germany as a business location, by world-changing ideas, smart perspectives and bold policies. We must open ourselves to the ambitions and commitment of different social groups, share our successes and failures, learn from past transformation processes, challenge ourselves again and again and make room for cooperative experiences and decentralised initiatives – for futures.