The different participants from bigger and medium- sized enterprises were connected by the common interest in strategic future questions.

Prof. Dr. Tom Sommerlatte, chairman of Arthur D. Little, presented in his opening speech, named “Better management of creativity – Implication of an innovation scorecard for more future ability”, latest approaches concerning holistic considerations and objective evaluations regarding the strength of innovation of enterprises. A multitude of examples made obvious that this is an important requirement for enterprises in order to open up future potentials.

As a highlight of the conference, Karl Rose, strategic leader of Shell International, delighted the participants with an insight on the implication of scenarios into the strategic planning of Shell. An example: With the help of global scenarios, Shell illustrates alternative characteristics of the worldwide economic structure in a very incisive way and gains, by this way, the possibility of making basic changes within the economic structure recognizable. As a globally acting corporation this economic structure is one of the core parameters for Shell and these parameter have to be observed in the long run. Being able to react to discontinuities faster than the market itself is one of the main goals, for which scenarios are applied in all different levels at Shell.

Within intense discussions and with the view from different entrepreneurial perspectives the methodology was examined by the participants: With “Aha- Experiences”, new ‘brainfood’ and several further questions, which are supposed to be further investigated. This is how the 4th international scenario conference ended – but surely not the contention with the future.