I’ve brought this topic to corporate events including Erste Group, Google, WTS Advisory and the Otto Group. Watch the recording.

The Potential of the Future
Fear of the unknown is human. But the future isn’t a threat — it’s a space full of possibility. In this keynote, Carina Stöttner examines the thought patterns that cloud how we see the future, how they narrow our strategic planning, and what we can do to regain our ability to shape what comes next. Drawing on psychology, sociology and foresight research, she shows how companies can take ownership of their future again — precisely when crisis and uncertainty make it hardest. She offers a look inside scenario thinking, historical examples of scenario work in action, and the methods she uses with business leaders to move them from strategic thinking to futures thinking.

Instead of asking “What might happen?”, we should be asking “What do we want to create?” — because the future isn’t predetermined. It’s in our hands.

In this keynote, the audience will learn:

• Which thought patterns block us when we try to think about the future
• What scenario planning is really worth, and how anyone can build it into day-to-day business to approach the future strategically
• What becomes possible when you shape the future actively rather than react to it

This keynote leaves audiences motivated and inspired to shape the future for themselves.

What people say: “Thank you again for a fantastic keynote. The feedback on your slot was outstanding.” — Otto Group

“Carina Stöttner made a compelling case for questioning established ways of thinking and seeing the future as a space full of opportunity.” — WTS

Note: This keynote focuses on European — and specifically German — manufacturing. It’s designed for audiences in industry, and is available in German and English.

I’ve presented this topic at the Handelsblatt conference Zukunft Stahl (The Future of Steel), at industry associations including the German Employers’ Association, Südwestmetall and Qesar, and at leadership events for major industrial groups.

The Future of German Industry and Industrial Work: Four Scenarios
German industry is at a turning point. Rising energy costs, geopolitical uncertainty, disruptive technology and enormous pressure to decarbonize demand more than adaptability from companies — they demand foresight. But what might the industrial landscape actually look like in the decades ahead? Which risks need to be anticipated, and which opportunities could be unlocked?

Carina Stöttner spent twelve months researching exactly that. Drawing on in-depth analysis and close collaboration with leading industry figures and academics, she developed four rigorous scenarios for the future. Each one traces a possible path for German industry, offering valuable orientation for decision-makers at manufacturers, suppliers and industrial service providers.

In this keynote, the audience will learn:

• Which industrial sectors come under pressure and which grow in each scenario — and where that makes a case for adapting the business model or investing in new fields
• How to position the company strategically between local production, global value creation and technological specialization in order to stay competitive
• How the demands on industrial workers shift from scenario to scenario, and what that means for workforce strategy and skills programs

Note for international audiences: This keynote is rooted in European society and politics. Available in German and English.

An Era of Change? Try a Society in Change.
In 2022, Germany’s then-Chancellor coined the term Zeitenwende — a turning point in history — in response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine. But the real shift we’re living through runs deeper, and it began long before. What we’re in the middle of is a transformation of society itself.

We’ve all felt it in recent years: the slow retreat of old certainties, of trust in institutions, of shared value systems. Generational conflict and polarization are the words of the moment. The world looks like it’s falling apart. And yet — what many are quick to read as collapse is, in truth, a transformation. One that is long overdue.

In this keynote, Carina Stöttner explores how a positive future can emerge from that transformation. She looks at which institutions we need to rethink, why it’s time to break a few taboos, and how artificial intelligence — of all things — might lead us back to something we’d lost: real human emotion and genuine connection.

Alongside my core expertise in the future, years of client projects, research and book work have taught me a great deal about neighboring fields. I’m always glad to take part in panels that connect futures thinking with topics like:

• The future
• European manufacturing
• Consumer and societal trends
• Macro trends
• Innovation
• Artificial intelligence
• Digital transformation