and structural changes in society – All these aspects are uncertainties and challenges to be faced by the health care sector. It is of major importance in this respect not to rely on prognoses and trend models alone but also incorporate future-open thinking into the process.

385.000 employees and €24,8 Billion annual performance in goods and services make the health care sector one of the most important economic factors in Lower Saxony. The Centre for Innovation of Lower Saxony (IZN) –a think tank supporting the local government- adressed the possible futures of this promising business field in an interdisciplinary scenario process. The results of this process have now been documented in a scenario study and published in collaboration with the ScMI AG.

The external scenarios covered by that report, however, only represent the first step of a complex, strategic scenario process. Dr. Stefan Franzke –executive director of IZN- emphazises: “These scenarios provide a common ground for the development of our own strategy for a self-contained, consistent health care policy in Lower Saxony”. The study, consequently, not only pictures possible external environments but also points out adequate proceedings to make use of them.

The ScMI AG already published a report with regard to the future of the German health care system in 2003 and accompagnied a multitude of related projects since then. Dr. Alexander Fink –board member of ScMI AG- joyfully stated: “We are happy to draw the attention to future changes in the health care sector and at the same time promote an open dialog with respect to the distinct alternatives for development”.

Both IZN and the ScMI AG understand the elaborated perspectives of the german health care system as impulses for further discussion. For more information with respect to the scenario study or any other queries, please do not hesitate to contact us.