Globe Forum 2009

How will innovation save the world? This is a question that was posed during Globe Forum 2009 in the beginning of June. Perhaps we also got closer to the answer.

Business Innovation for Sustainable Growth is the tagline of the seventh Globe Forum – a two-day affair that represents a somewhat refreshing angle to the often black-or-white environmental debate. The prevailing sense is that 1. we need to do something about the way we live our lives, 2. we need to do something now and – importantly – 3. this fundamental change needs innovation and new ideas which lead to 4. tons of interesting business opportunities. This calls for a yearly event of matchmaking between entrepreneurs and investors; seminars, lectures and the exchange of lots of green and “wish-to-be-greener” business cards.

But does profit-making and business ideas belong in a debate regarding the future of our children and grandchildren? Dr. Patrick Dixon from Global Change certainly thinks so.
– We create the future, we’re not just reacting to the past, he says in his inspirational opening speech. We already have the necessary technology in place, and it all boils down to engaging people. The future is about emotion and change depends on passion.

Fluffy words perhaps, but some incredibly concrete examples from Dr. Dixon on how corporate forces can obtain true change, include innovations like heat pumps in Europe, polymer concrete, smart street lights and new energy sources such as solar cells. A few lines of basic legislative lingo, Dixon argues, is enough to create substantial environmental change throughout the world – one small step at the time. If only the political will is there.

Sell yourself in 60 seconds
The main event at the two-day gathering is the so-called Elevator Pitches, where nine Swedish entrepreneurs get two minutes each to explain and pitch their business ideas in front of hundreds of global environmental professionals, attentive journalists and hands-on-wallet investors. The ideas are ranging from the recycling of car tires to instant virus tests; from safe fire retardants to solar water heaters. The audience decides who had the most interesting and promising product idea at hand, and who went on to qualify for a second round.

But there is one idea that stands out from the beginning; a project so mind-bogglingly simple and profoundly insane that it immediately catches the audience’s attention and later also wins their hearts: futuristic, urban, multi-storey greenhouses. In a globe-shaped construction, plants and crops will be put in soil at the bottom, then undergo the growth process while slowly and continuously moving up in circles on the conveyor belt for as many months as the crop needs to bloom. At the top, the crops are automatically reaped and can then be transported immediately out to the city markets and grocery stores.
– We’re trying to show a concrete and simple way of making a difference, says Hans Hassle, CEO of Plantagon, a company owned to 85 percent by Native Americans.

No actual greenhouses are up yet, but according to Hassle it’s only a matter of time.
– We are here at the Globe Forum because we want to get in touch with cities that might be interested in putting up a greenhouse. We already have the funds, and we have a few potential partners. But we know that this concept is going to get copied, so we want to establish ourselves in several cities at the same time. We know there’s going to be a shortage of food down the line, and we believe that moving the production to the market is a natural step.

The road to action
As the two days wear on, some ideological steps are taken towards measurements for a greener planet. Academics, entrepreneurs and politicians all seem to share a lot of the same interests, which eventually creates an almost intoxicating feeling of common goals and collaborative ways of reaching them.
– We see that the corporations today are strongly wanting to engage themselves in sustainable activities, says Johan Gorecki, founder and CEO of Globe Forum on the phone from Poland, where the first Globe Forum is to be held in Gdansk on 28-29th of October 2009.

A frequent traveller in Eastern Europe and Asia, Gorecki got the idea for Globe Forum after having seen both the globalisation and digitalisation processes take place before his eyes. The question of a sustainable future started to occupy his mind, and he wanted to create a marketplace with focus on solutions instead of problems.
– The market doesn’t want negativity. Our future energy situation is frightening, but it’s also full of new opportunities. Right now the paradigm shift comes faster from companies and entrepreneurs that truly see the value of new innovations. It’s more acting and less talking right now.

After Gdansk, Globe Forum will most likely take the trip to Dutch Eindhoven, home of multi-national electronics giant Philips. Berlin is also on Gorecki’s wish list, yet to be confirmed. In the meantime, the Globe Forum group will continue to tour the host countries in search of new, exciting sustainable innovations and energetic entrepreneurs. Auditions are held, similar to a talent contest and the global perspective is natural.
– The international focus is important to us, says Johan Gorecki. These issues are global, and we believe that we as matchmakers can help putting the right people together to make a difference.

A shorter version of this article was published in Swedish Bulletin, fall issue 2009.