Shaping the Future: Dr. Kapteina at the Annual Conference of the Club of Rome

How can sustainability, democracy, and corporate responsibility be brought together?
With this guiding question in mind, Dr. Benedikt D. S. Kapteina, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Chair of Business Administration, especially Responsible Management, at the IHI Zittau, took part in the Annual Conference of the Club of Rome Germany, held in Hamburg on 28–29 October 2025.

As a member of the Think Tank 30 (TT30), the young network of the Club of Rome, Dr. Kapteina joined participants from academia, business, and civil society at the Anglo-German Club and DZ HYP AG to discuss how societal change can be shaped responsibly.

The conference focused on democracy, populism, and polarization, exploring how social institutions and businesses can jointly contribute to strengthening democratic structures. In addition to workshops and panel discussions, participants developed shared positions and perspectives for a values-based societal transformation.

“The discussions within the Club of Rome clearly demonstrated that ecological, economic, and democratic challenges cannot be solved in isolation,” said Dr. Kapteina. “Especially in times of growing polarization, we need places where new ideas for democracy and sustainability can emerge.”

In his research on Corporate Democratic Action, Dr. Kapteina examines how companies can strengthen democratic institutions and help to overcome social polarization. At the Chair of Business Administration, especially Responsible Management, led by Prof. Dr. Markus Scholz, he works with the research team on questions of responsible management, business ethics, and institutional transformation. Their goal is to generate evidence-based insights into how organizations can act responsibly and constructively support societal change in democratically challenging contexts.

The Club of Rome is an international network of scientists, thinkers, and decision-makers that has been advocating for an ecological, social, and economic reorientation of global development since the publication of its report “The Limits to Growth” (1972). The Think Tank 30 is part of this global network and brings together young professionals and researchers who develop solutions for a sustainable and democratic future.

The outcomes of the Hamburg conference will feed into the ongoing work of the TT30. At the IHI Zittau, the insights gained will also inform future research, teaching, and outreach activities.