Against the backdrop of climate change and sustainable development goals, experts discuss future-oriented approaches to economic activity.
The event will be opened by Prof. Matthias H. Tschöp,MD, PhD, President of Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich.
Keynotes and panel discussion:
Prof. Dr. Jelena Spanjol (Professor of Innovation Management, Faculty of Business Administration, LMU Munich): "Radical uncertainty, innovation, and sustainable futures"
Prof. Dr. Karen Pittel (Head of the ifo Center for Energy, Climate, and Resources, Department of Economics, LMU Munich): "What interests climate economists? A look at topics beyond growth"
Dr. Sybille Steimen (Managing Director Advisory & Services at Allianz Re): "Aspects of sustainability for an (re)insurer"
Moderator: Prof. Dr. Ralf Ludwig (LMU Munich)
Prof. Dr. Jelena Spanjol (Institute for Innovation Management, LMU Munich)
"Sustainability and innovation are closely linked, as both help shape potential and desirable future scenarios. My presentation highlights the role of radical uncertainty and key challenges and opportunities for companies to drive a more sustainable future through innovation."
Jelena Spanjol (PhD, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) is Professor of Innovation Management at LMU and Spokesperson for the LMU Innovation & Entrepreneurship Centre (IEC). Before joining LMU, Prof. Spanjol taught at the University of Illinois Chicago and Texas A&M University in the USA and was a visiting professor at the University of St. Gallen, the University of Sydney and the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano. From 2019 to 2024, she was editor-in-chief of the leading academic journal Journal of Product Innovation Management.
Prof. Dr. Karen Pittel (ifo Institut, LMU Munich)
© ifo Institut
"Public debate on economics and climate change is often reduced to the question of long-term growth. I take a look at the research topics that climate economists deal with on a daily basis. These cover a wide range of issues – from the benefits and costs of climate protection to the question of the link between climate change and conflict."
Karen Pittel heads the Centre for Energy, Climate and Resources at the ifo Institute and is a professor of economics at LMU Munich. Among other things, she is a member of the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU), the Science Platform on Climate Protection (WPKS) and the Presidium of the German Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech). She has been actively involved in policy advice on energy and climate issues for many years.
Dr. Sybille Steimen (Managing Director Advisory & Services at Allianz SE Reinsurance)
© Quirin Leppert
"I get the impression that many people believe that achieving net zero will somehow magically turn back time and allow us to completely halt the physical effects of climate change. However, when you focus on adaptation, you are already accepting the fact that the world has changed due to our warmer climate, and people find it difficult to come to terms with that."
Sibylle Steimen brings 20 years of experience in the insurance industry and has a strong technical background in natural sciences, including extensive experience in IT transformation projects. She is responsible for numerous initiatives in the area of catastrophe risk management on the board of Allianz SE Reinsurance, with a focus on data collection, modelling, technical pricing, climate change and geodata analysis. She is also responsible for sustainability issues. In addition to her role at Allianz, Sibylle is chair of the boards of OASIS Loss Modelling Framework Ltd. and PERILS AG.