Eckart von Hirschhausen: "Sustainability is not a fashionable topic, but the task of our time"

A clear appeal for sustainable entrepreneurship from doctor and science journalist Eckart von Hirschhausen was the highlight of the 25th Congress for Family Businesses at Witten/Herdecke University: "We need more celebrities, more professionals, more networks and unusual alliances that prioritise the preservation of our livelihoods. Because the past has a strong lobby, the future needs one," explained the founder of the "Healthy Earth - Healthy People" foundation on stage in front of more than 200 participants. Family businesses play an important role in preserving the basis of life in times of climate crisis, Hirschhausen continued: "We need many more entrepreneurs who say: sustainability is not a fashionable topic, but the task of our time by which future generations will measure us."

Blogger, influencer and managing director Vanessa Weber also spoke in favour of a sustainable course and a stronger public presence for SMEs: Family entrepreneurs and their successors should dare to step into the limelight and help shape the public discourse, Weber said: "The best way to predict the future is to shape the future. And we entrepreneurs can do that." Her plea was followed by banker Dirk Kannacher, who, as CEO of GLS Bank, advocated a sensible approach to money.

On Saturday, Prof Dr Harald Welzer reported on the "effect of letting go" and explained why a change of perspective is necessary to tackle the climate crisis. The sociologist and social psychologist is co-founder and director of "FUTURZWEI. Stiftung Zukunftsfähigkeit", spokesman for the Council for Digital Ecology and a visiting professor of social psychology at the University of Sankt Gallen.

Major event organised entirely by students

The Congress for Family Businesses (FUK) at Witten/Herdecke University has been the largest event of its kind in Europe for 25 years. In Germany, family businesses bear a significant economic responsibility, as over 60 per cent of employees subject to social insurance contributions work in family businesses. The Witten/Herdecke University has always been linked to the goals of family businesses by the aspiration to create and shape sustainable change and has led to some of the greatest entrepreneurial visionaries, such as Berthold Beitz or Reinhard Mohn, actively utilising the discourse space of the UW/H. In doing so, they have fuelled the growth of this large network of responsible entrepreneurs.

What makes it special: Every year, the FUK is organised entirely by students and graduates. For this year's FUK, the five-member organisation team developed a concept under the motto "ErfahrungsWissen - Reflexion verbindet" (ExperienceKnowledge - Reflection Connects) that links knowledge and experience and picks up on the 40th anniversary of Witten/Herdecke University: "It was important to us that the FUK reflects what makes Witten/Herdecke University so special in its anniversary year," explains Benjamin Waldow, a graduate from Witten and a member of the organisation team. "That's why we opted for an interactive, systemically orientated format in which participants don't just listen to experts, but actively help shape the congress, contribute their own knowledge and gain new experiences."

Questioning your own role through encounters with horses

The special concept was reflected in unusual workshop formats, among other things: Together with the actress Marie Bäumer, the participants learnt how they determine, occupy and hold their own space and how they define themselves as family entrepreneurs by interacting with horses. Under the guidance of Prof Dr Heiko Kleve, they tried to balance the ambivalent challenges between family and business. In addition to the workshops at the main congress, there was, as every year, a succession academy aimed specifically at successors in family businesses.

"For me as a successor in a family business, the congress is always a great enrichment in terms of content. Helping to organise it has not only been incredibly fun, but has also had a lasting impact on my entrepreneurial skills," sums up Witten Master's student Johanna Horsch.

Next Congress for Family Businesses on 15/16 March 2024

The congress is supported by the Witten Institute for Family Businesses (WIFU) at UW/H. The WIFU has been operating as Germany's first university competence and research centre for family businesses since 1998. It analyses family businesses and business families, finds practical solutions to their problems and is committed to continuous and transdisciplinary communication at eye level. WIFU is thus regarded as a pioneer and trailblazer. The patron of the congress is Dr Timm Mittelsten Scheid, Advisory Board member and family shareholder at Vorwerk & Co. Gitta Neuhaus-Galladé, successor to the J.D. Neuhaus Group, accompanied the Succession Academy as patron, together with Prof. Dr Anne Heider from the Witten Institute for Family Businesses.

The FUK was organised by students and graduates Benjamin Waldow, Moritz Köhn, Johanna Horsch, Jonas Redecker and Rafael Dietzel. With the successful conclusion of the congress, they are now handing over the baton to the next generation of students. The next Congress for Family Businesses will take place on 15-16 March 2024 at Witten/Herdecke University.