Nobody can actually see into the future, but it's still worth thinking about. The innovation and future festival 48forward, which took place on February 7 and 8, 2019 at the Freiheiz in Munich, was aimed at people who would rather actively shape the future than let themselves be surprised by change.
Munich provides an inspiring backdrop for this. It is after all the city that harbours excellent universities and leading enterprises to make it not only an outstanding business and science site but also a sort of workshop for the future. Munich is home to knowledge clusters in the fields of medicine, science, automotive and machine construction, IT and communication.
During the two-day conference programme about 600 attendees from all over Europe and 80 international speakers will be taking a deep look into topics including future technologies, digital transformation, social developments and cultural change. In parallel, in-depth master classes will be held by seasoned experts.
The Freiheiz hall once housed the turbine plant for generating electricity for the railway. The historic brick building has been painstakingly restored and equipped with modern technology. Musicians greatly appreciate the outstanding acoustics of the hall which points to the future with its metamorphosis from industrial building to event location.
48forward started in Munich in 2015 as a one-day conference providing a platform for open and frank discussions about topics concerning the future. This year, for the first time, 48forward will be a two-day festival. Furthermore, the programme includes about another 30 events in different formats throughout the year.