Cooperation

Crises create the space and time for us to question long-held beliefs and to debate new possibilities. The current crisis shows more clearly than ever before the need for new and previously unimagined – or seemingly impossible – solutions to advance the transformation of our societies towards sustainability. And it needs people with the ability to make these new ideas reality. Little has been made of the potential benefits of cooperation between science and business in such vital areas as mobility and energy transitions. Pooling expertise from science and business, and involving political decision-makers, non-governmental organizations, and the public in relevant debates, could unlock previously untapped potentials for sustainability transformations.

We need new cooperation goals and a new outlook on co-creative cooperation between science and industry if we are to make substantial progress in this transformation process. Companies of all kinds – from established corporations and SMEs to start-ups and self-employed social entrepreneurs – have the know-how, financial resources, practical knowledge and implementation expertise needed to reorient societies towards sustainable development.