How can society be shaped in harmony with nature?
Can humans still or once again live in harmony with nature? What could a society look like that is in a regenerative relationship with our ecosystems? And how can we return to the originality of our presence on this planet?

In this episode, we want to get to the bottom of these profound questions together with Dr Daniel Christian Wahl. The biology graduate is a leading thinker in the field of regenerative transformation - in other words, a deepening of the sustainability debate through new systemic approaches. As an author, educator and consultant, he supports organisations in the field of holistic systems design and regenerative development. His book entitled "Designing Regenerative Cultures" was published in 2016, and today we want to talk in detail about its exciting theses ... and in particular its questions.

Summary of key statements and findings:

Why are we finding it so difficult to get to grips with the climate catastrophe? For Daniel Wahl, the diagnosis is clear: we are simply asking the wrong questions. COVID-19 makes this particularly clear. Through the lens of the corona crisis, not only are social weaknesses and inequalities becoming visible, but also a well-known truth: human health and thus our livelihoods are hugely dependent on the health of ecosystems. the pandemic now offers us an opportunity to fundamentally question our relationship with nature and reshape our presence on this planet.

This necessary metamorphosis of our society can only be achieved through regenerative approaches that contribute to the systemic health of life as a whole. Conventional "sustainable" solutions are very important steps on this path, but they cannot be the only goal. Simply reducing our negative impact to zero is not enough to tackle the climate crisis. Daniel Wahl argues that we must instead create regenerative practices that repair the social and environmental damage of the past.

To do this, however, we need a complete mindshift: Daniel Wahl is clear that a change in behaviour first requires a change in awareness. Because not only the WHAT or HOW but also the question of the WHY is an important basis for a successful transformation. This includes, above all, rediscovering our affiliation to the biosphere's web of life. Cultural products in particular, such as film, theatre and music, can play an important role here in making these abstract insights tangible and thus understandable for all of us.

How banks are becoming enablers of social transformation
Reconciling ecology and finance - can it work? What influence do banks have on the climate crisis? And how can a sustainable financial turnaround succeed after the coronavirus crisis?

To answer these questions, in this episode we talk to Dirk Kannacher, member of the Board of Directors of the socio-ecological GLS Bank and expert in sustainable finance. Dirk Kannacher previously worked for a major conventional bank and climbed the career ladder in the traditional way. But with the financial crisis came a crisis of purpose. That is why he moved to GLS Bank 10 years ago and has been working ever since on formulating positive objectives and financing corresponding projects and companies in a value-orientated way. Because his motto is: bankers need to become enablers again.

Summary of key statements and findings:

When we think of sustainability, we usually think of green electricity, organic food or electric cars. Less often, however, we think of our investments, banks or even the financial system. Dirk Kannacher explains how investment decisions influence social developments and therefore also imbalances - such as climate change or social inequality.

Investments therefore shape our future. And that is precisely why we need a sustainable financial system that specifically channels capital flows towards environmentally friendly and socially responsible projects. Despite the still relatively small market share, Dirk Kannacher sees banks such as GLS as an important point of reference for this change. He also explains the importance of both internal and international standards for sustainable finance.

How innovation in the provinces can bring city dwellers to the countryside
What is the future of rural areas after the coronavirus crisis? How can digitalisation help to reshape the countryside? And what specific concepts, strategies and innovations can sustainably improve the quality of life there?

In this episode, we talk to Silvia Hennig, founder of Neuland21, a think & do tank for social and digital innovation in rural areas. Having worked in Brussels, Boston, Berlin and Paris, Silvia has spent many years researching and promoting digitalisation in the urban jungle. However, having grown up in the countryside herself, she decided that the digital transformation should not stop at our city limits - and therefore returned to her home in Brandenburg in 2017 to found Neuland21.

Summary of key statements and findings:

Rural areas have often been seen as the losers of creeping transformation processes such as globalisation, demographic change, digitalisation or climate and energy change. However, the coronavirus crisis could become a turning point: From home offices in the countryside, to immediate local recreation opportunities and affordable housing, rural areas not only offer a retreat from the city during the pandemic but also a living space of the future. The new rural lifestyle is creating a growing potential for migration - especially among young families and digital natives.

Regions, small towns and villages should now approach this change openly and shape it progressively. Silvia Hennig explains how social and digital innovations can sustainably improve the quality of life in rural areas and why digitalisation should not be misunderstood as a luxury project, but as a service of general interest. In particular, we will discuss how living and working models and mobility systems in rural regions can be designed not only in a new and efficient way, but also in a sustainable and future-proof way.

Finally, we take a look at how a smart innovation policy can close the gap between urban and rural areas and even strengthen interactions. In particular, we talk about how it can be possible to attract the pioneers of digital change from the cities to the countryside and network them better with local and regional administrations and change makers. The discussion concludes with a passionate plea for more optimism and confidence in shaping the future of the province.

Max Bleß from audioBoutique for the music and Andrea Hauer-von Mauschwitz for the intro!

Social transformation begins in the mind and in the heart
Whether it's the coronavirus pandemic, climate change or social polarisation, the need for social transformation has rarely been as tangible as it is today. But how can we make a fresh start in the midst of multiple crises? How can we activate the transformative potential of our society? And why do so many of the change projects to date not seem to be succeeding?

In this episode, we talk to Otto Scharmer, co-founder of the Presencing Institute and senior lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), whose work focuses on the cultural, social and organisational prerequisites for successful system transformation. With "Theory U", Otto Scharmer has developed a new management approach for change processes, which combines the teachings of mindfulness with change management and action research in an unconventional way. The linguistic repertoire of neologisms he uses to describe the desired and necessary cultivation of awareness is particularly noteworthy and proof of the novelty of this approach.

Summary of key statements and findings:

For Otto Scharmer, every crisis has two sides: on the one hand, old patterns and structures that are no longer sustainable become clear. At the same time, however, new opportunities are emerging that we can seize. In order to utilise this potential for transformation, we need to find new ways of working together and coordinating. Movements such as Flatten-the-Curve, Fridays for Future or Black Lives Matter show that such new resonance spaces for collective action are currently emerging and are of crucial importance for overcoming current and future crises.

One of Otto Scharmer's central positions is that the success of transformation processes depends on the inner perception and attitude of the individual. To the extent that we succeed in recognising our personal attention structure and its source, we can change the external system. On the way to his goal of consciousness-based, collective action, Otto Scharmer sees the anchoring of mindfulness and co-creation as central traits.

Finally, we will talk about how this culture of adaptability can be anchored at a societal level. For Otto Scharmer, it is clear that systemic change will not work without an upgrade of the operating systems of our institutions. He sees the prerequisite for this in a shift from "ego-system awareness", from which the crisis symptoms of our time arise, to an "eco-system awareness".

Max Bleß from audioBoutique for the music and Andrea Hauer-von Mauschwitz for the intro!

A resilient path to our shared digital future
In our last interview with Bernhard Kowatsch from the World Food Programme Innovation Accelerator, we discussed the topic of innovation and crisis management in the Global South in detail. This time, we want to build on this and supplement this application-oriented perspective with a systemic view of the interplay between digitalisation, sustainability and development policy. So it's about questions like:

What impact is coronavirus having on digitalisation in the Global South? What opportunities and risks does the digital transformation pose for sustainable development? And how can this upheaval be made fair, environmentally friendly and resilient?

We get to the bottom of these questions together with Kerstin Fritzsche, Head of Research for Digitalisation at the Institute for Futures Studies and Technology Assessment. In her academic work, Kerstin Fritzsche is primarily concerned with the tense relationship between digital change and sustainability and is researching how a digital future can be shaped fairly.

Summary of key statements and findings:

The effects of the coronavirus crisis on digitalisation in the global South are ambivalent. On the one hand, crisis management is driving a surge in innovation in many developing and emerging countries, which is generating new creative and technological solutions to problems. On the other hand, however, the pandemic also threatens to further deepen the global digital divide and thus existing inequality dynamics.

So the conclusion is: digitalisation does not automatically make the world more sustainable. However, we can try to make it as socially, ecologically and resilient as possible. Here, development cooperation in particular is called upon to create framework conditions in favour of disadvantaged people and to link the digital transformation to the UN sustainability goals.

Max Bleß from audioBoutique for the music and Andrea Hauer-von Mauschwitz for the intro!

What are the economic and humanitarian consequences of the coronavirus pandemic for countries in the Global South? How can social innovation help to overcome this and other crises? And what innovation policy is needed to make developing countries more resilient and sustainable?

In this episode, we talk about this with Bernhard Kowatsch, Head of the United Nations World Food Programme Innovation Accelerator and one of the leading experts on innovation and development policy.

DisruptHunger is the motto of Bernhard Kowatsch and his team - because they have been working in Munich since 2016 to realise Sustainable Development Goal 2 - a world without hunger. They are doing this with the help of clever innovations, sensible business models and the latest technologies. The Accelerator has just been recognised once again by Fast Company as one of the best working environments for innovators due to their unique team and the numerous successful projects and developments they have already implemented in countries such as Lebanon, South Sudan and Nigeria.

Summary of key statements and findings:

The poorest population groups in the Global South are currently struggling not only with the effects of climate change, but now also with the unpredictable consequences of the coronavirus. Bernhard Kowatsch explains how the interplay of these multiple crises is affecting the humanitarian situation in the Global South and why poverty in particular makes people vulnerable to their consequences.

Finally, we will talk about the framework conditions under which innovation must be promoted in terms of sustainable development policy. If the aim is to help people to help themselves, then we need to promote projects that are bottom-up, inclusive and locally orientated and not simply further expand the dominance of American and Chinese tech giants.

Max Bleß from audioBoutique for the music and Andrea Hauer-von Mauschwitz for the intro!

What does the future of the global economy look like after coronavirus? How can value chains become more crisis-proof and sustainable? And which technologies can help with this reorientation of the industry?

In this episode, we talk to Lin Kayser, founder and CEO of the Munich-based company Hyperganic and one of the leading experts in the field of additive manufacturing.

Since 2015, Lin Kayser has been working with his company Hyperganic to help 3D printing technology achieve a breakthrough: With the help of adaptive artificial intelligence, the company designs and produces all kinds of objects, from shoes to rocket engines. In doing so, he not only turns traditional production processes on their head, but also creates products that are more efficient and resource-saving than conventional alternatives.

Summary of key statements and findings:

Lin Kayser explains how a switch to so-called physically digital products can help to make the global economy more crisis-proof. The combination of 3D printing and artificial intelligence makes it possible to develop material products completely digitally and manufacture them locally at the same time. This not only makes us more flexible, but also less dependent on centralised production sites and global supply chains.

A successful transformation of our economy also requires greater collaboration between the tech scene and sustainability research. The UN's SDGs are the ideal framework for this, as they offer potential for both social innovation and new business models.

Max Bleß from audioBoutique for the music and Andrea Hauer-von Mauschwitz for the intro!

How global supply chains can become more resilient and sustainable after coronavirus
What impact is the coronavirus crisis having on global supply chains? What role does freight transport play in the basic supply of our society? How can supply networks become more resilient and at the same time more sustainable after the pandemic?

In this episode, we talk to Dr Sigrid Nikutta, CEO of DB Cargo, to get to the bottom of these questions with us. As a member of the Management Board of Deutsche Bahn, she has been responsible for the Freight Transport Division since January 2020. In this role, she set up a task force at the beginning of the pandemic to coordinate operations in times of coronavirus and maintain supply chains for Germany's basic services.

A mammoth task, but also a good opportunity for a manager who loves challenges and who previously spent almost 10 years at the head of Berlin's public transport company, where she was instrumental in shaping the new image of public transport in Berlin.

Summary of key statements and findings:

First, we take a look at the vulnerabilities and weaknesses that the virus has exposed in our globalised supply chains. Sigrid Nikutta explains how rail transport became a strategically important means of transport during the corona crisis to ensure the supply of the economy and the population even under the most adverse circumstances. You could therefore say that freight transport acts as a kind of resilience network in the event of a crisis.

We also talk about how supply chains can become more crisis-proof but also more sustainable after the pandemic. For Sigrid Nikutta, one thing is clear: if we want to achieve the German government's climate targets, there is no alternative to expanding rail transport. At the same time, we need a smart reassessment of the global division of labour after the crisis. Instead of continuing to follow the paradigm of pure profit optimisation, we now need a fair and environmentally conscious form of globalisation in order to become sustainable.

Finally, you will find out how innovative technologies could ensure greater crisis resilience in the future and why more courage is needed for new and visionary projects.

Max Bleß from audioBoutique for the music and Andrea Hauer-von Mauschwitz for the intro!

How radical cooperation and collective intelligence make our society more crisis-proof
Can a hackathon help to overcome the coronavirus crisis? Can participation make administrations and authorities more crisis-proof in the future? And what role do digital tools and an active civil society play in the crisis?

To get to the bottom of these questions, in this episode we talk to Adriana Groh from the Open Knowledge Foundation in Berlin. She heads up the "Code for Germany" network and is also the director of the Protoype Fund, an accelerator for civic innovation projects. In short: civic tech.

Adriana Groh is one of the volunteer initiators of the nationwide hackathon "We vs Virus". Under the patronage of the German government, 43,000 participants networked digitally and worked on solutions to the challenges posed by the coronavirus crisis.

Summary of key statements and findings:

The coronavirus crisis shows that public authorities and administrations are struggling to find quick and creative responses to unforeseen crises. We therefore need new problem-solving approaches that make our society more agile in dealing with change and uncertainty. Formats such as this hackathon prove that digital technology can help to connect people, generate ideas and thus utilise the potential of our collective intelligence in the event of a crisis.

And finally, you can find out why Adriana Groh believes that trust and radical cooperation are the key to successful collaboration between the administration and civil society.

Max Bleß from audioBoutique for the music and Andrea Hauer-von Mauschwitz for the intro!

Learning from the pandemic for the climate crisis
The Paris climate targets are currently under threat of being jeopardised in the name of rapid economic stabilisation after coronavirus. How can we prevent this return to an old normality? How does climate justice fit in with the paradigm of economic growth?

To answer these questions, we are talking to Luisa Neubauer today. She is a climate activist and one of the best-known people in the German Fridays for Future movement. If we want to learn something from the corona crisis for the climate crisis, we need new perspectives and a courageous exposure of the fragilities and uncompromising demands for a more resilient future. This is exactly what Luisa Neubauer stands for.

Summary of key statements and findings:

The mode of crisis management in the coronavirus crisis therefore shows how ready to act we can be as a society in an emergency. Luisa Neubauer is pleased - and surprised - because compared to the climate crisis, we are experiencing an inconsistency - we are seeing that life-threatening crises do not have to be ignored, but can be treated like crises.

Only if we understand that ecological foundations of life are also economic foundations can we become crisis-proof in the long term. The idea of the one-shot from the last episode with Svenja Schulze thus takes on a whole new meaning. Because if we don't set the course for sustainable climate change development now, economic stabilisation after coronavirus will only provide temporary security.

Max Bleß from audioBoutique for the music and Andrea Hauer-von Mauschwitz for the intro!

Sustainable ways out of the economic crisis
In this episode, our Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze is our guest. We want to talk to her about the possibilities for a green restart after the coronavirus crisis. We are probably facing the worst economic slump since the financial crisis of the 1930s. Governments around the world are currently putting together huge economic stimulus packages to help the economy get back on its feet after coronavirus: The big question, of course, is whether we now have to choose between stabilising the economy and the Paris climate targets.

Summary of key statements and findings:

CO2 emissions have fallen significantly since the global outbreak of the coronavirus. For Ms Schulze, however, this is not an all-clear: "Crisis mode cannot be a climate protection concept. Sustainable change does not require a temporary but a structural reduction in emissions.

The coronavirus stimulus packages are tearing a huge hole in our state coffers. The money we are investing now must be channelled into a sustainable update of our society. We only have one free shot, so to speak, and it has to be a good one. Otherwise, we may not have the financial resources to restructure our society in a climate-friendly way for years to come.

One lesson from coronavirus is that economic growth is not sufficient as the sole indicator of social prosperity and stability. Overcoming the crisis has made some things possible that were considered unthinkable until recently. Among other things, Ms Schulze therefore advocates new measurement categories as the basis for a resilient and sustainable society.

Why shaping a resilient working world needs futures
In this episode, we talk to futurologist Johannes Kleske about the impact of the coronavirus crisis on the world of work. Working from home, digital meetings and new work: COVID-19 is catapulting us into the future of work. But are we ready for this leap?

On the one hand, overcoming the crisis is giving a boost to digitalisation, from which many companies and employees are benefiting. On the other hand, existing inequalities in the labour market are being exacerbated, giving new significance to the issue of systemic relevance.

It is clear that the coronavirus crisis will not automatically lead to a better future. For a fairer and more sustainable working world after the crisis, one thing is needed above all: a reflective and self-determined approach to change and uncertainty.

Find out how this important work on the future can succeed in our interview with Johannes Kleske.

Cities at a standstill are cities in transition
In this episode, we talk to Prof Dr Uwe Schneidewind about the prospects for crisis-proof and sustainable cities after the coronavirus pandemic.

Uwe Schneidewind has long been involved in theoretical and practical issues of sustainable urban design. Both as a professor of innovation management and sustainability and as a member of the German government's Scientific Advisory Council for Global Environmental Issues.
We therefore talk to him about how the coronavirus crisis is changing our cities and therefore the lives of the majority of the world's population. We will also look at the prospects for sustainable and resilient urban development after the crisis. Uwe Schneidewind is able to explain like no other how this change can succeed and encourages us all with his very personal enthusiasm to actively shape this transformation as "artists of the future".

The effects of the coronavirus crisis are a double-edged sword: on the one hand, it is challenging the resilience of our society and our cities in particular. On the other hand, overcoming it will trigger processes of change that offer a wide range of opportunities for sustainable urban development. Unintentionally, the coronavirus crisis is thus becoming a kind of real-life laboratory for the city of the future. So what can cities learn from the lockdown? What cornerstones for the resilient post-corona city are already emerging? And how can urban policy specifically promote these positive learning effects and developments?

Answers to these and other questions can be found in our interview with Prof Dr Uwe Schneidewind.

Max Bleß from audioBoutique for the music and Andrea Hauer-von Mauschwitz for the intro!

The corona crisis through the lens of mobility
In this podcast, the Institute for Futures Studies and Technology Assessment from Berlin offers a discussion platform for ideas that have the potential to make our society more robust, but also more adaptable and sustainable.

After all, this is what resilience is all about: the ability to cope with unforeseen events and the art of dealing with constant change in a light-footed and confident manner. To discuss all these topics, Felix Beer and Sebastian Hofer, together with leading thinkers from business, politics and science, dare to take a look into the future for you.

Max Bleß from audioBoutique for the music and Andrea Hauer-von Mauschwitz for the intro!

Learning for the future from the crisis of the crisis
As the initiator of this Resilient Futures podcast, our first guest today is Prof Dr Stephan Rammler from the Institute for Futures Studies and Technology Assessment in Berlin. He is a sociologist of technology and futurologist and is primarily concerned with the connection between digitalisation and sustainability. In this first episode, we want to take a closer look at the concept of resilience and discuss why it is important to think and talk about it now.

"We are challenged with a task, which I think is unprecedented - and that task is to develop an art of living permanently with uncertainty." - Zygmunt Bauman, The Trouble With Being Human These Days

In this podcast, the IZT offers a discussion platform for ideas that have the potential to make our society more robust, but also more adaptable and sustainable.

After all, this is what resilience is all about: the ability to cope with unforeseen events in the future and the art of dealing with constant change with ease and confidence.

To discuss all of these topics, Felix Beer and Sebastian Hofer join leading thinkers from business, politics and science to take a look into the future.