A compelling vision of the future and optimism about the future ensure competitiveness

A man is standing in a lecture hall in front of a large group of people seated in their seats — The numerous participants listened with interest to Pero Mićić's keynote address.

About 140 entrepreneurs, innovation leaders, and experts from Germany, France, and Switzerland accepted the invitation from the Zukunft.Raum.Schwarzwald network to participate in a discussion at Hochschule Offenburg. The 3rd trinational innovation conference “Zukunft.Mission.Schwarzwald” focused on key questions about the future for regional small and medium-sized enterprises: How can companies in the Black Forest ensure their competitiveness? What role do innovation, technology, and cross-border cooperation play in the border triangle?

Prof. Dr. Thomas Eisele, Prorector for Research and Transfer at Hochschule Offenburg, and Michael Löffler, Head of the Innovation and Digitalization Division at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) for the Southern Upper Rhine and Managing Director of Zukunft.Raum.Schwarzwald, welcomed the visitors and presented the university’s innovation ecosystem as well as the achievements of Zukunft.Raum.Schwarzwald to date. Keynote speaker Prof. Dr. Pero Mićić, a leading international expert in future management, founder of FutureManagementGroup AG, and professor of Foresight & Strategy, then presented “The Eight Characteristics of Future-Proof Companies.” According to Pero Mićić, companies must sustainably improve the quality of life for many people and work toward major, achievable future opportunities. In addition, they must ensure that many customers are happy to buy frequently and at profitable prices, and that excellent employees join, stay, and are eager to contribute. Productivity must be at the top of the industry, and it must be difficult for competitors to copy them. And they must protect themselves against technical and strategic disruption and be a source of joy for shareholders. “It’s essential to develop a compelling vision of the future and bring it to life as a team. We need a sense of excitement about the future,” the expert emphasized repeatedly.

The subsequent panel discussion demonstrated how such a compelling vision of the future and a sense of excitement about the future can emerge. Moderator Franziska Hoferer from Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik und Messe GmbH & Co. KG (FWTM) spoke with Pero Mićić, Thomas Eisele, Melissa Firat, managing director of Franz Wild Öltechnik GmbH, and Peter Meissner, commercial managing director of helpcode.ai/KOCH Freiburg GmbH, about how their respective visions for the future were implemented in the two companies. The discussion also covered support options along the way—for example, through Zukunft.Raum.Schwarzwald or Hochschule Offenburg.

During the networking session that followed, regional and trinational stakeholders from Germany, France, and Switzerland presented their future-oriented offerings at themed booths.

A man stands in front of a screen in a lecture hall filled with seated listeners

Five people are standing between two roll-up banners at bar tables in a lecture hall in front of people who are seated

Three men are standing at a booth, talking

Four women are standing at a booth, chatting

Two men are standing at a booth, talking

A view from above of people and booths in the foyer