Germany is undergoing change and one thing is clear: things should not continue as they are. What do we need? New ideas. New paths. And people who think differently. This is where creative minds come into play.
Designers, copywriters, filmmakers, artists, cultural entrepreneurs - they all bring something to the table that is often lacking in traditional business structures: the ability to rethink the status quo, make the complex mouldable and develop positive visions for the future. Not just as a nice-to-have, but as real progress in innovation. And as a contribution to really tackling things that are not going so well. This creative power is needed at a time when companies are often focussing on their core business. This is an understandable reaction to the uncertainties. But those who do not break new ground now are in danger of being left behind and risk losing their future competitiveness.Becoming resilient and future-proof is a good plan. And this requires innovative strength in order to keep pace with the rapid changes or even benefit from them.
If you want to shape the future, you need more than Excel spreadsheets and change plans. Transformation is (also) emotional. It needs stories, visions and a change of perspective. And this is precisely the playing field of the creative experts in the Cross Innovation Hub's programmes. Creative minds are characterised by the ability to think outside the box and question traditional structures. They work efficiently with a wealth of ideas and are able to transform them into concrete solutions. Their interdisciplinary way of working with creative methods often leads to disruptive ideas that can lay the foundations for far-reaching innovations. In a market environment characterised by dynamism and complexity, such impulses provide an innovation boost that makes new paths visible and, for example, makes processes more efficient and customer-oriented.
Professional creatives have a decisive competitive advantage: They combine creative problem-solving expertise with sound specialist knowledge in order to develop future-proof and sustainable business models. After all, as worn out as the term "sustainability" may be, it is clear that there is an urgent need for action. The fact remains that the transformation towards a sustainable economy is not a luxury, but essential and requires integrative approaches in which economic, ecological and social aspects are taken into account in a balanced relationship. In this context, creative experts contribute a deep understanding of current trends and social needs. This enables them to develop concepts that are not only economically viable, but also ecologically sound and socially just. This creates added value that goes far beyond short-term profits and rewards pioneers.
And how exactly does this work?
Agile working methods, design thinking and a co-creative innovation process play a central role in the Cross Innovation Hub. We show what this looks like in practice: At our Cross Innovation Day on 12 June in Hamburg's Oberhafen, you can get to know the hub team, our creative experts and other interested companies and experience cross innovation up close. It's about real collaboration, new ideas - and answers to the question: How can we make the economy fit for the future together?
As knowledge manager at the Cross Innovation Hub, Dr Susanne Eigenmann is responsible for all questions relating to the theory of innovation, cross-industry collaboration, creativity, futurology and trends. She develops topics, provides background information and decision-making aids, and organises discussion and communication events on all issues relating to cross innovation.
