Multidisciplinary perspectives on growth in the context of sustainability

Growth - a term with many facets. While it is often seen as a criterion for success in business, environmental scientists warn of the ecological limits of our planet. What can sustainable growth look like? What alternatives are there? And what can we learn from different disciplines?

This conference brings together experts from the social and natural sciences to discuss the opportunities and challenges of growth in times of climate crisis. Whether economics, politics, ecology or technology - we want to combine perspectives and look for solutions together.

The conference starts on Monday, May 12 at 1.30 pm and ends on Tuesday, May 13 at 3 pm. You can register for the conference via this link.

Program overview

Monday, May 12, 2025
13:30 Arrival & coffee

14:15 Welcome and introduction
(with Dr. Christian Müller, Prof. Doris Fuchs, Dr. Tobias Gumbert, Prof. Dr. Bodo Philipp)

15:00 Panel “Economic perspectives on growth”
(with Prof. Dr. Svenja Flechtner, Prof. Dr. Ulrich Pfister, Prof. Dr. Michael Roos)

16:30 Coffee, tea, cake

17:00 Panel “Scientific perspectives on growth”
(with Prof. Dr. Tillmann Buttschardt, Prof'in. Dr. Christine Lang, Prof. Dr. Christoph Schäfers)

18:30 Dinner

19:30 Panel “Sustainable finance and investments - impact investing as an approach”
(with Victor de la Rey, moderated by Dr. Tobias Gumbert)

from 21:00 Informal exchange

Tuesday, May 13, 2025
from 7:30 Breakfast for overnight guests

9:00 Panel “Growth in the context of (business) start-ups”
(with Prof. Dr. Tobias Brandt, Lea Kipper)

10:30  Coffee break

11:00 Panel “Communication about growth in different fields of action”
(with Dr. Yusif Idies, Prof'in. Dr. Sigrid Kannengießer, Prof. Dr. Niko Paech, Prof. Dr. Bodo Phillip)

12:30 Lunch

13:30 Working groups and workshops

15:00 Outlook and feedback session

15:45 End of conference