Entrepreneurs for a better world

On Friday 15 Oktober 2021, the new Global Entrepreneurship Centre (GEC) was successfully launched. Our one-day event at the Areal Böhler industrial park in Meerbusch was a great way to introduce the GEC.

Dr. Alexander Schroeder-Frerkes, the GEC´s advisory board chairman opened and hosted the event, whilst Hans-Jürgen Petrauschke, Governor of the Rhine County of Neuss, gave the welcoming speech. The keynote speech was given by Professor Andreas Pinkwart, the North Rhine-Westphalian Minister of Economic Affairs, Innovation, Digitalisation and Energy.

After already setting off to a great start the discussions began and gave the audience interesting input regarding sustainability and the urge of improving that matter. Panelists such as Elisabeth Winkelmeier-Becker, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of Economic Affairs and Energy, Viktor Haase, Head of Department Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Environmental Economy at the Ministry of the Environment NRW, Torsten Safarik, President of the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control and, Christian Holzleitner, Head of Unit for Land Use and Finance for Innovation, Directorate-General for Climate Action, European Commission all agreed on one topic: The GEC and its vision and mission are not only wanted, but needed! It is a great basis for an innovation super-cluster of new deep tech companies on sustainability, climate neutrality and circularity and bridging the “Valley of Death”.

The main event agenda then concluded with the launch of the GEC textile award and a fashion show by Tanja Kliewe-Meyer (like a bird) and Oliver Feske (P4 Marketing) which was recognized with great enthusiasm. All in all it was a great success !