A keynote presentation by Christiane Kilian and Dr. Sven Günther
MINTmachtag – Discover, explore, be free!
The MINTmachtage – this year at Vessra Monastery
Date
Unexpected
WHEN I THINK OF EASTERN GERMANY.
Christiane Kilian and Dr. Sven Günther are visionaries, innovation leaders, and the executive team of one of the largest foundations in eastern Germany: the Foundation for Innovation in Thuringia. Only 7% of all foundations are based in eastern Germany. If we count only those foundations that focus their activities on the east, the number becomes even smaller.
The board team tells the story of this extraordinary work, the foundation’s past and future, and its own history shaped by the East and Star Trek in the anthology “ When I think of East Germany: Impulses for a shared future “.
“Our East is not just a chapter in the post-reunification era. It is […] a place full of possibilities—if we have the courage to chart our own course.”
The Thuringia Foundation for Technology, Innovation, and Research serves as a catalyst, hub, and strategic architect of Thuringia’s innovation ecosystem. But we don’t just shape Eastern Germany—Eastern Germany shapes us. The Foundation’s work is guided by a charter deeply rooted in a spirit of renewal and entrepreneurial courage. One of our core beliefs is that change is not merely a stroke of fate, but a necessary prerequisite for survival in our complex world. Innovation is a mindset—a constant rethinking of one’s own business model and a belief in change.
"Our mission: To strengthen Thuringia as a real-world laboratory for innovation, entrepreneurship, and optimism about the future."
The article in this anthology shows how this confidence is used to develop products and build bridges.
In *When I Think of East Germany*, prominent figures from, within, and—above all—dedicated to East Germany highlight opportunities, but they also do not shy away from identifying challenges. These thought leaders share stories and describe situations that enlighten and inspire.
This anthology helps readers understand East Germany’s past and present and look toward the future.
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