beyond economy is a Movement for the economy of tomorrow

beyond economy is a platform and a year-round Movement for actively shaping a future-fit economy. In a time of profound change, beyond economy brings together companies, decision-makers, start-ups, science, politics, and multipliers to provide orientation, open new perspectives, and develop concrete solutions for economic transformation.

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What is beyond economy?

At its core lies the conviction that future-fitness can only succeed when economic success, societal responsibility, and ecological resilience are thought of and implemented together. beyond economy connects future thinking with the power to deliver, creating spaces in which dialogue, inspiration, and collaboration give rise to real value, new partnerships, and viable projects.

Through People, Profit, and Planet.

The Movement unfolds through a curated interplay of year-round formats such as Salons, Digital Sessions, partner and co-creation formats.
The annual beyond economy Festival is the central meeting point: it bundles impulses from the year, makes best practices visible, and initiates new alliances between Mittelstand, corporates, start-ups, and thought leaders.

Learn more about our formats

Future perspectives meet the power to deliver

beyond economy connects vision with action – so that future thinking creates
real value.

beyond – Future Perspectives

“beyond” stands for orientation, confidence, and tangible images of the future in times of profound change. We show that transformation is possible – with role models from business, technology, and regions. In dialogue and vision rooms, decision-makers and shapers develop perspectives together, question assumptions, and find realistic paths to a future-fit economy. People, Profit, and Planet are the benchmark, not a conflict of goals.

economy – Execution Power

“economy” stands for the power to deliver. We bring decision-makers to the table and focus on concrete fields of action such as structural change, energy and resource security, technological disruption, or new markets. Ecosystems and coopetition are our way of working: knowledge, infrastructure, and resources are shared; pilot projects and exemplary initiatives make collaboration tangible. New markets, secured value creation, and effective transformation emerge – practical and crisis-resilient.

We don’t transform the economy alone – we do it together.
‍
be better – be part of the Movement.

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Our Community

The actors of the beyond economy Movement are people and organizations actively working on a future-fit economy. They combine responsibility, an innovative spirit, and economic success – and engage with topics like circular economy, digitalization, regeneration, inclusion, and competitiveness.

Together, they see themselves as shapers of a new economy in which People, Profit, and Planet are brought into harmony – through innovative business models, targeted investments, and concrete solutions to the challenges of our time. They feel connected to the Movement through stance, values, and topics.

‍The actors can become active in the Movement through different roles and partnerships:

Ambassador

Ambassadors are thought leaders and personalities of high credibility who represent either a key topic of beyond economy or the Movement as a whole. They act as personal envoys, strengthen the substance of our work, increase the Movement’s visibility, and actively contribute their networks. The role is not for sale; it is based on professional excellence, integrity, and a long-term substantive closeness to beyond economy. The aim is to build credibility, reach, and depth of content.

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Ecosystem Partner

Ecosystem Partners are organizations with strong reach and pronounced collaborative potential. They bring their own networks, programs, and competencies and work with beyond economy at the systems level over the long term. The focus is on joint programs, pilot projects, and formats that address real transformation questions. These partnerships aim at co-creation and concrete implementation rather than short-term visibility.

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Business Partner

Business Partners are companies that support the Movement financially and substantively and want to actively help shape it. This includes especially Mittelstand companies, corporates, and consultancies. They make the Festival and the year-round program possible and, in return, gain visibility, curated participation opportunities, content slots, and access to the community, talents, and innovation networks.

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Academic Partner

Academic Partners are universities, colleges, and research institutes that contribute scientific perspectives, research projects, and talents to the Movement. They build the bridge between science and business and promote the transfer of research findings into practice by systematically connecting students, scientists, and companies.

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Community & Media Partner

Community and media partners are networks, initiatives, and media outlets that disseminate content, increase reach, and open up new target groups. They support communication, enable content and media cooperations, and help make the Movement’s topics visible beyond their own platform.

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Co-Creation Partner

These partners are companies, start-ups, and organizations that act as practice partners for concrete lighthouse projects, pilot initiatives, or joint events.
Real use cases, cooperations, and joint formats such as salons or working sessions take center stage. The goal is to implement transformation together and create visible impact.

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Impact Partner

Impact Partners are non-profit organizations, initiatives, or engaged individuals who bring societal perspectives, diversity, and relevant practical experience into the beyond economy Movement. They are an important part of the discourse, broaden the view on economic transformation, and help make social and ecological impact visible.

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Open Collaboration

You want to be part of the Movement but don’t see yourself in the roles above?

Then tell us how you’d like to contribute.
We look forward to ideas, suggestions, and perspectives!

Get in touch now

Our Formats

beyond economy is set up as a year-round Movement that systematically connects dialogue, learning, and implementation. It creates continuous occasions for exchange, co-creation, and joint project development, and is aimed at actors who want to actively shape the economy. beyond economy deliberately understands itself not as a single event but as a living platform that provides orientation, enables participation, and makes transformation tangible in practice.

At the core of the Movement is a clearly structured format and product architecture. beyond economy bundles different event and exchange formats within a common framework, offers its own event calendar, content guidance for events, and a communication space for the community. In this way, knowledge, energy, and networks are brought together, and concrete projects and cooperations become possible.

The beyond economy Festival

The beyond economy Festival is the flagship event and the annual highlight of the Movement.
As the central meeting point, it offers space for inspiration, networking, and active collaboration. New projects, cooperations, and business models emerge here from the interplay of Mittelstand, corporates, start-ups, research, and other ecosystem actors. The Festival makes the future of the economy tangible and provides orientation for your own transformation initiatives.

Learn more about our Festival

Other formats of the beyond economy Movement

In addition to the Festival, beyond economy comprises a range of further formats with different depths of participation and points of access, implemented in person, digitally, or hybrid.

beyond economy Salon

The beyond economy Salon is a curated, focused, and interactive format with 50 to 70 participants. Each Salon is dedicated to a clearly defined future topic, considered along People, Profit, and Planet. The goal is to strengthen regional connections and create concrete starting points for joint projects.

Want to host a Salon?

beyond economy Digital Session

The beyond economy Digital Session is a compact online format of 60 to 90 minutes for deep dives into specific transformation questions. It connects regional and international knowledge, fosters co-creation, and initiates first cooperations.

Want to host a Digital Session?

beyond economy Stammtisch

The beyond economy Stammtisch is an informal, local exchange format with no fixed program. It offers a low-threshold entry into the Movement and strengthens the local community.

Want to host the next Stammtisch?

Ecosystem Knowledge Session

The Ecosystem Knowledge Session is aimed at organizations that want to strategically further their role in ecosystems. In this invitation-only format, Sym shares knowledge using an open-innovation approach and works with participants to develop concrete shaping approaches.

Interested in a Knowledge Session?

beyond economy Partner Forum

The beyond economy Partner Forum is a curated co-creation and networking format for 75 to 250 participants. It brings together companies, start-ups, science, investors, politics, and talents to work on real transformation questions and initiate concrete next steps together.

Want to host a Partner Forum?

Our Focus Topics

The content of beyond economy is structured along central future topics that are decisive for entrepreneurial transformation. All topic areas are consistently considered through the interplay of People, Planet, and Profit. Economic success, ecological resilience, and societal responsibility are not opposites but integral parts of future-fit value creation. The topics serve as a content frame for the Festival, the year-round formats, and concrete projects in the Movement, and are continuously developed and refined throughout the year:

Developing visions on the big questions of our time, such as AI and the next era, with concrete steps toward a future-fit economy.

Fostering scalable business models through pitches, Co-Creation Labs, and collaboration with start-ups and established companies.

Supporting the integration of AI, big data, and platform economics through innovation labs and automation approaches.

Facilitating access to investors and networks through hands-on workshops and matchmaking formats.

Implementing the circular economy with tools, best practices, and examples of regenerative business models.

beyond AI, Data & Trust

So that AI moves into practice, data becomes strategically usable, and trust as well as responsibility are secured.
This topic area addresses how companies can effectively deploy artificial intelligence and data-based systems – organizationally, regulatorily, and culturally. Governance, transparency, data sovereignty, security, and ethical responsibility are at the center, as preconditions for scalable applications and societal acceptance.

beyond Ecosystems & Industries

So that value creation in networks succeeds, coopetition works, and shared standards, infrastructures, and offerings emerge.
This topic area examines how companies collaborate across organizational and industry boundaries, develop innovation jointly, and open up new markets. Successful ecosystems, cooperation models, and cross-industry case studies show how collaboration becomes a competitive advantage.

beyond Resources & Energy

So that energy, raw materials, and locations are secured, supply chains remain stable, and industrial cycles can be built.
At the center are energy supply, resource efficiency, circular economy, industrial scaling, and location questions.
The topic area connects economic resilience with ecological responsibility and shows how profitability and the planet can be considered and implemented together.

beyond Capital & Ownership

So that capital is mobilized, risks become manageable, and financing, participation, and ownership are set up to be future-fit.
This topic area addresses new financing models, investment logics, and ownership structures that enable transformation. It’s about the strategic use of capital, long-term value creation, and the responsible handling of risk and return.

beyond Workforce & (Un-)Learning

So that competencies grow, leadership and culture renew themselves, and new things are learned while old things are deliberately let go.
The topic area focuses on learning as a central future competency of organizations, on new leadership models, cultural development, reskilling, and the future of work. The central question: how can companies enable people to actively shape change.

beyond Growth

So that new value creation emerges, regenerative logics become economically viable, and innovation pays off.
This topic area questions classical growth thinking and shows alternatives that are economically viable. Repair & Reuse, circular models, regional value creation, and regenerative business models are at the center – with the goal of redefining growth in a future-fit way.

beyond Markets & Consumption

So that companies recognize market shifts early and can scale new categories.
This topic area analyzes changing consumption patterns, new customer expectations, and emerging markets. It’s about understanding demand better, developing new value propositions, and positioning strategically in dynamic markets.

beyond Resilience & Safety

So that companies navigate safely through crises, anticipate risks, and build cyber resilience as well as geopolitical robustness.
This topic area bundles questions around crisis-readiness, security, supply chains, cyber risks, and geopolitical developments. The aim is to support companies in remaining able to act and building long-term stability.

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beyond electronics in the beyond economy Movement

The future of electronics is a central component of the beyond economy Movement. As a key technology for energy, industry, mobility, and digitalization, electronics plays a decisive role in resilient and future-fit value creation. Under the leitmotif beyond electronics, these topics are addressed in a focused way at the Festival and in the year-round program.

At the beyond economy Festival, beyond electronics is anchored in the topic area beyond Resources & Energy and is co-shaped substantively by Symtronics. On stage, questions of energy efficiency, resource use, industrial scaling, and resilient value chains are in focus, complemented by practical examples and concrete use cases.

In-depth formats such as workshops and thematic sessions allow transformation approaches to be developed further together.

Beyond the Festival, the future topics of electronics are continuously deepened in the Movement – for example, in joint Salons with Symtronics as well as in further partner formats and industry events. The aim is to make the future of electronics visible, unlock new value-creation potentials, and provide concrete innovation impulses for companies and ecosystems.

Learn more about beyond electronics

beyond economy is a Movement for entrepreneurial future-fitness

We curate encounter and implementation: we put decision-makers on the stage and at the table, show role-model and vision projects, and build the fitness and the courage for the economy of the future.

be better – be part of the Movement.

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