In recent years, that has become IMPACT FESTIVAL one of the leading platforms for sustainable transformation Since its founding in 2021, it has brought together thousands of participants from around the world every year to find innovative solutions to the most pressing challenges of our time and to actively drive change in business and society.
On the occasion of fourth edition of the event, which will take place this year from October 30 to 31, 2024 at the exhibition center in Frankfurt, we spoke to Fabian Demuth, the initiator of the festival, and Project Lead Mara Steinbrenner. In the interview, they share their vision of how sustainable innovations can bring about real change. They also reveal which highlights visitors can expect this year and how the IMPACT FESTIVAL is constantly evolving itself to give society and industry concrete impulses for a greener future.
"My original vision was to provide a platform for all technologies and innovations that contribute sustainably to the transformation of the economy and society and to make them accessible in particular to German and European medium-sized businesses - as well as to politicians, students and the general public."
- Fabian Demuth –
Source & Copyright by IMPACT FESTIVAL
Fabian, can you tell us something about your background?
Fabian Demuth: I studied dual Business Administration and found my place in project management early on. In recent years, I have tried out all the areas that interested me - for example, venture development in fintech, a management consultancy and a development center for electric vehicles. I have always been particularly interested in sustainable technologies and innovations.
Mara, how did you come to the IMPACT FESTIVAL?
Mara Steinbrenner: My background is in economics, innovation and global sustainable development. I studied internationally and worked in sustainability research and in a tech start-up before the IMPACT FESTIVAL. The IMPACT FESTIVAL brings these two worlds together: I get to work on numerous sustainable innovations at a higher level and create a lever for start-ups and innovations. The agile and fast-paced environment of the IMPACT FESTIVAL is simply exciting and I really enjoy working as a project manager.
Source & Copyright by IMPACT FESTIVAL
Fabian, what was your original vision when you started the IMPACT FESTIVAL and how has this vision evolved since 2021?
Fabian Demuth: My original vision was to provide a platform for all technologies and innovations that make a lasting contribution to the transformation of the economy and society, and to make them accessible to German and European SMEs in particular - as well as politicians, students and the general public. And all of this in a very modern, refreshing setting, without dusty conference rooms and filter coffee, but with innovative exhibitors from all sectors, hands-on technologies, art and music. It was particularly important to me to have an authentic overall concept in which we set above-average standards everywhere through our partners, travel and catering and show how sustainability can be cool and delicious at the same time. Since 2021, the vision has grown stronger and we have professionalized many things. I am particularly proud that we quickly managed to grow beyond our original bubble and now understand much better how we can reach our target groups, such as SMEs, and what solutions they really need.
Who are your role models?
Fabian Demuth: I hardly have any individual role models anymore. The big, well-known “stars” are so far away that you don’t even know them personally and often don’t even know their dark sides. I am inspired by many small success stories, especially those that achieve a lot of impact with little capital. I am particularly impressed by the positive attitude and the non-stop commitment of the Green tech scene.
Mara Steinbrenner: Through the IMPACT FESTIVAL you get to know a lot of incredibly exciting people - be they start-up founders, entrepreneurs, investors or politicians. You learn a lot from these conversations and take something with you everywhere. I have been following Prof. Dr. Maja Göpel very actively since I was a student and I am fascinated by her knowledge and the way she makes it accessible. Ultimately, I am particularly inspired by other women who create impact and initiate change in industries that are often very male-dominated. In order to focus on precisely such role models, we launched our Impact Women Art exhibition this year.
Source & Copyright by IMPACT FESTIVAL
Mara, what criteria do you use to select the topics and speakers for the IMPACT FESTIVAL?
Mara Steinbrenner: diversity is key, I would say. Both in the compilation of perspectives and in relation to "classic criteria" such as gender, age, ethnic and cultural background and professional background. We want to bring different viewpoints together and thus shape the discourse of tomorrow. Of course, there is a lot of research and many personal conversations behind this. We try to understand exactly which topics concern our target groups - from green tech and impact start-ups to entrepreneurs and investors. These groups have very different pain points. It's about understanding and presenting high-level tech trends, making regulations understandable and addressing the current funding environment. In the end, it should of course be about informative added value, but also about discussing the problems of our time with cutting-edge topics and working as solution-oriented as possible. Conflict can also be beneficial here. The aim is not to pat each other on the back and celebrate after a panel, but to encourage both the panelists and the listeners to think and act.
Mara, how can the IMPACT FESTIVAL initiate concrete changes in industry and society?
Mara Steinbrenner: We are pursuing three main approaches here: Firstly, the presentation of solution providers. We implement this in our Solution Exhibition, in which Start-ups and SMEs present their sustainable innovations. This exhibition is divided into different innovation areas and focuses on B2B solutions. Secondly, educational knowledge transfer: On our various stages and in master classes, we offer the chance to learn from top-class speakers and to clearly present best practices. Thirdly, our networking formats: We want the right people to meet at the festival. There are various formats for this, such as automated matchmaking via app, topic-based network meetings and the SDG 17 Area, which is about networking people.
Source & Copyright by IMPACT FESTIVAL
Mara, are there examples of sustainable innovations that were directly promoted by the festival?
Mara Steinbrenner: One example is BetterVenture's investment in Magnotherm. BetterVenture's investment manager met the start-up Magnotherm again at the IMPACT FESTIVAL. Based on this meeting, an investment was made in the start-up. In addition, many collaborations have developed in which the right people came together to work on important issues.
Mara, to what extent is the IMPACT FESTIVAL itself sustainable?
Mara Steinbrenner: On-site events, regardless of size, are never sustainable per se. The travel of visitors alone causes 90% of all CO2 emissions. For example, we cooperate with Train, have had an electric bus shuttle for the last few years and now go to the Frankfurt Trade Fair because the connection to public transport is much more professional and easier there. In addition, we pursue a vegan, regional and as far as possible seasonal food conceptOur service providers undergo an ESG assessment in which we consider which materials are used, how far they are from our event location and how social measures are implemented. In addition, everything at Messe Frankfurt runs on green electricity and we have developed a comprehensive waste and return concept with the location. All measures can be found on our website. Our concept is based on "measure, reduce, contribute". We measure our negative impact, try to reduce it as much as possible and at the end make a donation to climate projects via our climate partner. This year we are working with Klimate.co, which I am particularly pleased about! Our hypothesis is that so many solutions will be implemented or received investments through the festival that the positive impact will outweigh the negative.
Source & Copyright by IMPACT FESTIVAL
Fabian, what highlights are you particularly looking forward to at the IMPACT FESTIVAL 2024?
Fabian Demuth: I'm especially excited about the new dimension we'll reach. We've grown a lot every year, but this year we're taking another big leap! I'm also looking forward to a completely new line-up of top speakers and the honor of recording some video podcasts with the most exciting ones. As always, there will also be a few little surprises and topic areas that we plan independently.
Fabian, which technological innovations do you think will shape the next decade?
Fabian Demuth: There will be many new technologies, especially numerous software solutions that improve transparency, communication and efficiency. Hardware solutions such as recyclable materials and renewable resources, which can be increasingly used in industry, as well as improvements in the area of renewable energies, are crucial. However, it is much more important that we do not rely solely on technology. The greatest leverage lies in our awareness of consumption, economics and behavior, as well as in global cooperation. Technology and innovation will help us in this, but our further development as a society is more crucial.
Source & Copyright by IMPACT FESTIVAL
Mara, what changes would you like to see in our society in the future?
Mara Steinbrenner: To be honest, the shift to the right that we are seeing in Germany and Europe scares me. I hope that people will continue to stand up against it and speak out. It's not just about my personal values, but also about the future of our business location. When you think about remigration, leaving the EU and returning to traditional role models, you quickly realise that this would mean radical changes to our current lives and economic system. I hope that we can work together to combat this shift to the right and understand how things got to this point in 2024. It's an incredibly complex issue, but in the end it's all connected and we can't think in silos.
