Themes

71% of the Earth is covered by water, in the human body the percentage is even higher. Water is life. This simple truth is explored in this theme.

Inventing agriculture was one of the biggest leaps in the history of human kind. From providing growing and increasingly complex societies with food, current ​ farming practices also contribute to distribution injustices across the globe today. If we still want to rely on agriculture as the main source for our livelihoods tomorrow, we need to rethink the way we grow our food in the future.

The pace at which technologies and economic structures have changed in recent decades challenges political systems around the globe. Democracies often struggle to adapt to changes in the environment they seek to govern. Yet, as Winston Churchill famously said: “Democracy is the worst form of government – except for all the others that have been tried.” This theme encourages us to discuss forms of participation, innovative democratic methods, the foundations of democracy, and the necessities of international cooperation.

Our lives are shaped by both, threats and opportunities. Taking care of our own bodies and the health of others is a central aspect of our existence, and fighting disease and ailment has been part of our history, our presence and will doubtlessly shape our future, too. Then, there is the question: what else do we need for a healthy, fulfilled life?

Social challenges arise from differences in opportunities, monetary means, or societal status. Focusing on tackling these challenges is one (important) way of looking into the future. Another is to focus on what constitutes our social strength and how we can nurse what brings us together rather than what separates us. This theme looks at both – the challenges and the opportunities which lie in the future of our social systems.

Climate change is real and largely human made. Greenhouse gas emission is the main driver of climate change. This theme looks at the factors, backgrounds, contexts, and solutions to contribute to tackling this Grand Challenge.

Shaping the economic conditions of tomorrow and beyond is a central task of policy-makers. Defining paths for more responsible businesses, and thus a sustainable economy, should therefore be at the core of future-oriented policy processes. Join us in identifying these paths!

This is about the interrelationships that make life on earth sustainable – between humans, animals, plants and all elements that the Earth needs. The biodiversity of life is something that we can connect with naturally, that needs to be preserved and that we know so much about. Or so you’d think…

More than ever, we worry about the Earth we, alongside so many other forms of life, inhabit. We have realised that our planet’s resources aren’t infinite and that we have to apply substantial changes if we want to preserve it. This theme includes empirical analyses, wishes, ideas, lines of conflict and bringing together approaches to solutions.

Goods, people and rockets – everything moves. Some questions to be asked include: who moves where and why? Who can afford what kind of transportation? Which movements do we support and which directions do we exclude? And what goals do we pursue when exploring new paths?

Technological hypes are dynamic. Yesterday, the technological future was blockchain, today it's ChatGPT - and tomorrow? Here, we collect a wide range of technologies at different stages of the hype cycle and openly discuss their threats and opportunities.

Uncertainty often feels unsettling. But uncertainty is also a powerful factor in relation to emerging structures, change and progress. This theme explores issues which may leave us feeling insecure about the future. But let’s view tomorrow as a space of possibilities where things can get better – even if we don’t always define how the sun will rise in the morning.