The cliches of environmentalism have long given way to acceptance that it does offer value to the economy and society
In the 1980s, sustainability – especially environmental sustainability – was often considered tantamount to making sacrifices. Views have changed considerably …
The Multifaceted Nature of Sustainable Development
“Costs don’t rise – if anything, the opposite tends to happen”
An interview with Steinbeis Entrepreneur and logistics expert Jens-Jochen Roth
In logistics, there are often only two things that really count: speed and low costs. Can this doctrine, despite everything, take us along a path of sustainability? In an interview …
How the Circular Economy Boosts Innovation and Sustainability
Introducing circular flow concepts to the economy
Sustainability, digitalization, and resilience play a pivotal role in driving transformation – not only in the economy, but in society overall. If anything, the current pandemic has accelerated this process. The issue of …
Sustainable Supply Chains – A Key Prerequisite for Success
Steinbeis experts support the European Climate Initiative (EUKI)
Developments on an EU and national level regarding sustainability issues are unsettling for companies, who can only ask themselves what will happen next – will we still be able to run our …
“A holistic digitalization strategy is needed”
An interview with Andreas Owen, founder and managing director of wirsindhandwerk
When you hear the terms construction and skilled craftsmen, you inevitably think of the analog world of construction machines. But even the construction industry cannot avoid the topic of …
The Many Things the Economy and Society Can Learn from Evolution
Collaboration, adaptive radiation, and occupying niches offer the potential to improve sustainability and fairness
Learn from evolution – and make economic and social processes more sustainable and fair. If we look back at how living systems have developed over time, …
Sustainability Must Be Lived Out and Believed In
The importance of sustainable development for the future of companies
Sustainable development means holding on to a future that is worth living. It is therefore more than just a mega-trend of the 21st century. It will secure the very survival …
Less Friction, More Efficiency
Steinbeis testing system helps companies optimize energy efficiency
Funded by the German federal government, the PROMETHEUS project aims to reduce friction caused by tribological contact in engines. Experts at the Steinbeis Innovation Center for Materials and Surface Technology in Friedrichshafen …
Smart and Climate-Friendly Cities in a World of Change
Steinbeis experts support the European Climate Initiative (EUKI)
The “smart city” concept offers a vision of urban life in the future. Based on this concept, an increasing number of cities are now developing and testing “smart” solutions, which they later …
Sector Coupling: The Next Step in the Green Energy Transition (“Energiewende”)
Viable concepts of the future necessitate a holistic approach to energy markets
Although many are unaware of this, in Germany the energy system transition to alternative energy sources “Energiewende” began as a solution to climate issues more than 30 years …
VEELIX – From Concept to Successful Implementation
Steinbeis experts provide advice on innovative education platform developed by IT startup
Education is a central factor in long-term development, not only in the economy but also in society in general. It is also key to safeguarding the competitiveness of …
A Sustainable Approach to Application-Based Material Testing
Materials make a key contribution to the energy-efficiency of products
Materials are an important stepping stone on the journey to more sustainable process chains. Ceramics in particular are often underestimated, mainly because they are “invisible, but indispensable.” Experts at the …
A Regional and Local Approach to Sustainability
Steinbeis experts develop a regional concept for the state of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania
Global economies currently face challenges on three fronts – two megatrends (globalization and urbanization), plus the impacts of climate change. In many countries, business and housing infrastructures are …
Systematic Recycling
Systemic methods of resource-efficient management
The Green Deal marks an important move by the EU to do more in terms of sustainability: The EU Member States want to be climate-neutral by 2050. One important element of this is the circular …
Cybersecurity: Digital First Aid and Expertise in System Incidents
Steinbeis experts offer specialist training to SMEs
Whereas large companies and corporations have internal security experts to turn to in the event of an IT security incident, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have to fend for themselves. But without the …
The Path to Sustainability – Challenging, But There’s No Alternative
The future of our planet depends on structural, technological, and geopolitical change
In 1992, the Brundtland Commission, named after its chair, former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland, created a term that is still very much in trend today. It …
“We need to build a bridge between the gloomy and the good.”
An interview with Professor Dr. Torsten Schäfer, Steinbeis entrepreneur and an expert in sustainability and climate communication
There is broad consensus among politicians, the business community, and society in general that sustainability is an important issue. But noble words should …
The Path to Sustainable Leadership
Why leadership needs rethinking today – from the bottom up
The issues dealt with by managers have become more demanding over the years – leadership is now more time-consuming, increasingly challenging, and overall: more important. But instead of questioning outdated …
“We’ll need a different kind of currency for transportation infrastructure”
An interview with Professor Dr.-Ing. Markus Stöckner, Professor Dr.-Ing. Thorsten Cypra, and Professor Dr.-Ing. Christian Holldorb, Steinbeis Entrepreneurs at the Steinbeis Transfer Center for Infrastructure Management in Transportation (IMV)
Being able to move around is freedom – something we are …
Safeguarding Municipal Authorities by Establishing More Digital Presence
Syntos, the Steinbeis Consulting Center, provides support with the development of a regional networking platform
As the Covid-19 pandemic has shown us, many small and medium-sized enterprises dependent on physical presence – stores or offices – can quickly run into …
“Until now, we’ve marketed the Southwest of Germany as a region rather than talking about the topics that will be important in the future”
An interview with Dr. Christian Herzog, CEO of Baden-Württemberg International
In April, the 2020 Innovation Index once again confirmed that Baden-Wuerttemberg achieved the highest innovation performance in the EU, an accomplishment Dr. Christian Herzog – who originally hails from Berlin …
The Early Innovators Business Plan Competition
Steinbeis experts promote entrepreneurship among young people by running a business plan competition for young Romanians
Biodegradable protective masks, wooden bicycle frames, telemedicine – just three examples of the multitude of business concepts developed by young Romanians as part of …
Coaching support program helps small businesses get off to a fresh start
Tackling realignment and business development with the help of Steinbeis expertise
In June 2021, the Baden-Wuerttemberg Ministry for Economic Affairs, Labor, and Tourism launched a new funding program under the title Coaching on the Realignment of Business Models for Small …
QualityCircle – A Conversation turns into an in-demand Software Solution
Two Steinbeis Enterprises support the successful development of a software-based planning tool
It all started with a conversation between Reiner Lohse, Steinbeis entrepreneur at the Göppingen-based Steinbeis Transfer Center for Technology and Innovation Management as well as Managing Director of …
Loss of Control During the Digital Transformation Process Factors influencing and shaping technology acceptance in Baden-Wuerttemberg
As part of a study, the Ferdinand Steinbeis Institute investigates the impact of loss of Control on attitudes toward new technology among the general public
In 2018, the Ferdinand Steinbeis Institute (FSTI) launched its #techourfuture initiative with the aim of …
How a Strong Corporate Culture Helps Firms Succeed with Digital Transformation
Steinbeis experts examine agile teams at SMEs as part of a pilot project
The Ferdinand Steinbeis Institute (FSTI), Steinbeis 2i, and bwcon have joined forces with a variety of business partners as part of a project called Agile Teams – …
#Techourfuture: Understanding New Technology – A Social Issue Central to Future Trends
Results of an assessment of the Technologie*Begreifen macro testbed funding project
On June 10, 2021, five external evaluators traveled to the Steinbeis House for Management and Technology (SHMT) in the Stuttgart district of Hohenheim to meet up with the #techourfuture …
The ecosystems of the future – a major challenge
It could hardly be more challenging to meet the requirements of future ecosystems – not just environmental, but also business ecosystems, which will need to be sustainable for generations to come and make the future a ‘livable’ place for all. …
#techourfuture – Interactivity Council Makes Technology Easier to Understand
Twelve experts with one goal: to make future technology relevant for the whole of society
In November 2018, the Ferdinand Steinbeis Institute launched its #techourfuture initiative with the aim of giving fellow citizens a chance to find out everything they …
“In essence, the idea is to fundamentally move forward with your company competences”
An interview with Professor Dr. Christoph Zanker, Steinbeis Entrepreneur at the Steinbeis Transfer Center Industrial Innovation and Transformation Management
Some companies are taking the current recession as an opportunity to reorient themselves. The famous German Mittelstand is particularly likely to …
“We’ll have to get to a post-fossil world in the foreseeable future”
An interview with Steinbeis Entrepreneur Markus Klätte
A circular economy makes maximum use of products and raw materials over time, based on the role model provided to us by nature. TRANSFER Magazine spoke to Markus Klätte about the role played …
The EFQM Model – A Signpost to Success
The benefit to SMEs of monitoring the economic ecosystem
The term “ecosystem” was coined by the British ecologist A. G. Tanslye in 1935. It has undergone a number of changes since then and acquired a variety of new facets [1], …
Every Change Begins with A Vision
An exposé of the future of ecosystems and the ecosystems of the future
The unnatural separation between humans and the world’s ecosystems is a key cause of the steadily worsening biodiversity crisis and the degradation of so many natural habitats …