Growth needs Innovation

Content

1. Innovation requires enabling framework conditions

2. Global challenges

3. Innovation is more than technology

4. Growth and sustainability

5. The social market economy as guiding principle

6. European innovative capacity as a model

7. Our offers and projects on the topic

8. Publications, events and media contributions on the topic

Discuss with us on social media under the hashtag: #KAS4Innovation.

Innovation requires enabling framework conditions

Innovation is not an end in itself. It only unfolds its value when it creates prosperity, enables economic dynamism, and opens up real opportunities for people. For the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), one thing is therefore clear: sustainable growth emerges where innovative ideas, entrepreneurial freedom, and a clear regulatory orientation are present – just as envisioned in the Social Market Economy (“Soziale Marktwirtschaft”).

Especially in times of global upheaval, technological disruptions, and geopolitical uncertainties, the ability to innovate is a decisive factor for competitiveness. The KAS therefore focuses on how innovation can secure growth, competitiveness, and social stability.

Global challenges: growth under new conditions

Economic growth today is shaped by complex conditions. Digitalisation, demographic change, climate change, geopolitical tensions, and global competition for technological leadership define the landscape. We emphasize that Germany and Europe can remain economically strong only if research findings are translated more swiftly into market-ready products and barriers to innovation are dismantled.

While growth used to be driven primarily by capital and labour, today it depends to a much greater extent on knowledge, technology, and entrepreneurial creativity. But these resources do not flourish automatically. They require reliable framework conditions, open markets, legal certainty, and an innovation-friendly culture.

Innovation is more than technology

Technological advances – from artificial intelligence and biotechnology to novel materials – are major drivers of economic growth. These go along with Social Innovations on different levels:

• New business models that reorganize value creation
• Organisational innovation that increases process efficiency
• Political innovation that modernizes regulatory frameworks

Innovation emerges where people are willing to think differently, take risks, and shape change. A society that welcomes innovation therefore needs courage, openness, and trust – along with policies that reinforce these qualities.

Growth and sustainability: future viability through responsible innovation

For the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, sustainable growth means combining economic strength with environmental responsibility and social stability. Modern innovation policy must therefore be resilience-oriented: it must not only enable technological progress, but also ensure that it aligns with natural resources and is understood and accepted by society.

The KAS emphasizes that sustainable development can succeed only when ecological efficiency, resource conservation, and economic competitiveness are considered together. In this way, sustainability becomes a strategic competitive factor: countries and regions that successfully combine ecological transformation with economic dynamism strengthen their competitiveness while assuming international responsibility for future generations.

The social market economy as guiding principle: framework conditions for growth

The regulatory principles of the Social Market Economy (“Soziale Marktwirtschaft”) serve as our guiding framework for innovation-driven growth. These include:

• Freedom and competition as engines of entrepreneurial creativity
• Technology-neutral regulation that does not hinder innovation
• Strengthening research and development, particularly in the European context
• Reducing bureaucratic obstacles that slow down innovation
• Reliable rules that enable long-term investment

In a globalised world, it is crucial that Europe safeguards its economic strength through innovation-friendly framework conditions. It must be clear that innovation and growth ultimately occur only within a competitive economy.

European innovative capacity as a model

Germany and Europe can be global leaders – not only through technological excellence, but also through the ability to translate innovations into marketable products and set global standards. Through events and publications on this topic, we highlight how policymakers, businesses, and academia can work together to strengthen innovation and secure growth.

Innovation is increasingly becoming a key location factor. Countries that offer the best conditions for founders, developers, and businesses will lead in global competition. We advocate for ensuring that Europe meets this ambition – through smart regulation, open markets, and an innovation-friendly society.

Our offers and projects on the topic

Publication, video and website projects

The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung has already developed and implemented numerous projects and campaigns on its priority topic “Growth needs innovation”, a selection of which we would like to present to you here. In addition, our publication series “Monitor Nachhaltigkeit” (Sustainability Monitor) contains articles on various (also innovation-related) aspects of sustainability at irregular intervals.

Sustainability Monitor

Oliver Henze / flickr / CC BY-ND 2.0 / creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/

 

With the publication series “Sustainability Monitor,” we address current sustainability issues from the perspective of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, mostly on an occasion-related basis, to make them accessible to an interested public in politics, science, and civil society, and to contribute to the positioning of the foundation on this important cross-sectional and future issue.

 

Find out more about the Monitor Sustainability series

Quantum Computing and Its Importance for Our Society

Adobe Stock / Bartek Wróblewski

 

Quantum computing has enormous potential. Whether economically or in a societal context, quantum computers represent a very significant future technology. Our publications on quantum computing in the context of digitalization explain the fundamentals and applications, explore the potential, and provide insight into the current state of research.

 

Learn more about Quantum Computing publications

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Kooperation

Um eine markt- und innovationsorientierte Strategie für Klimaneutralität zu fördern, hat die Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung eine Kooperation mit EPICO Klimainnovation – Denkfabrik und Netzwerk für nachhaltige, marktbasierte und innovationsorientierte Klima- und Energiepolitik – geschlossen.

Cooperation with EPICO Climate Innovation

 

The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung entered into a cooperation with EPICO KlimaInnovation in 2021. The network aims to advocate for sustainable, market-based, and innovation-oriented climate and energy policies and develop strategies for climate neutrality from the center of society and contribute to their implementation. The focus of the cooperation is the “Policy Accelerator for Climate Innovation,” a project that has developed clear recommendations for action on key energy policy issues and target images for achieving climate neutrality through an agile design thinking process.

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