Kai Gondlach

Kai Gondlach was born and grew up in the far north of Germany, where sheep and hedgehogs say good night to each other. Very close by: the west coast of Schleswig-Holstein, the deepest part of Germany, where once a year the biggest metal festival in the world is taking place.

Kai Gondlach is nordish by nature

After graduating from high school in 2007, he soon moved to the east of the republic: Potsdam and Berlin were his centers of life for a good seven years. Since 2015 Leipzig has been his adopted home. The charm of the city is unique, „Leibzsch“ is for Kai Gondlach the better Hamburg, with better weather and more compact gastronomy offers.

Lecture topics Kai Gondlach

Our world in 10 years: Life, work and innovation Which social, technological and economic trends will change our world in the coming decade? Futurologist Kai Gondlach knows the most important trends, drivers and signals that will change the world. Political, ecological and regulatory influences are often overlooked or misjudged by companies. But the complexity of the world becomes particularly apparent when we move into the future in our thoughts. As a scientific futurologist, Kai Gondlach presents the latest findings from research, presents tangible examples from your industry as well as your everyday life and is a guarantee for entertaining punch lines that make you think.

Artificial Intelligence What is behind the hype about artificial intelligence? How do machine learning, deep learning and neural networks change current business models? What can it do, what can’t – and will we be replaced by robots and algorithms in a few years? No, says future researcher Kai Gondlach. Drawing on the experience of US and Chinese pioneers, the technology-oriented sociologist and political scientist sums up the most important developments. Many activities will change significantly, but paradoxically, despite all the automation, the importance of interpersonal qualities is increasing. It is time to check your own business models for automation potential and make your employees fit for the jobs of the future!

Sustainability The sustainable development goals of the United Nations set out clear objectives, yet states, organizations and private individuals have problems implementing them. What are the links between human activity and climate change, global warming, rising sea levels and the mass extinction of species? Which solutions in industry are promising and what does the success of civilization have to do with individual perspectives? Without raising an index finger, but with entertaining anecdotes and encouraging examples, futurologist Kai Gondlach whets the appetite for sustainable living and doing business.

Generational (in)justice Generation Z and Alpha against Generation X. This is how conflicts in society, economy and politics are often seen. Pensions are secure, official publications still claim – despite the obvious demographic change. What is behind the conflict and responsibility vacuum between generations? Even the oldest documents of mankind show that the younger generations were accused of the loss of reality by the older ones. Age discrimination is still prevalent in all institutions today, and often it is not the best argument that wins the argument, but the most experienced person – with the help of social pressure. Whether in relation to the climate crisis, in which FridaysForFuture activists are reprimanded, or in the political arena, in which young politicians like Kevin Kühnert first have to assert themselves against the resentment of the power elite: Only across generations can companies, authorities or political bodies create a world that is fair for all concerned. Follow futurologist Kai Gondlach as he talks about historical contexts, scientific findings of economic and social psychology and receive exclusive recommendations for your future organization.

Gigatrend: The mother of megatrends What is a gigatrend? Anyone who is concerned with the future is familiar with the concept of megatrends: globalization, female shift, connectivity, urbanization, individualization, new work and a few more. Megatrends are among these constructs that are incredibly well suited to making change visible and, above all, communicable.  The future is a question of perspective. The familiar megatrends fall short when it comes to being able to better classify changes and plan strategies for the longer term. Gigatrends, on the other hand, include significantly more signals and trends in their description and thus have a broader, scientific foundation.

Kai Gondlach invites you to broaden your perspective. Because in his studies over the past few years, he has increasingly noticed that there are even larger patterns that span several centuries.

Because he could think of nothing better, Kai Gondlach studied sociology and political/administrative science. Then he could think of something better, which is why he did a master’s degree in futurology. And he finally found out and it was suddenly crystal clear: Kai Gondlach is a futurist.

After several professional stations, including four years at the 2b AHEAD think tank, a major German trend research institute, Kai Gondlach has worked on research and strategy projects for a wide range of industries and companies. In the course of this, he began to share his theoretical and practical insights at numerous keynotes. Furthermore, he is involved in the community of future researchers.

Uncertainty arises from ignorance about the future. His impulses and inspirations fascinate the audience and at the same time give them security. Kai Gondlach motivates people to critically and passionately shape the future. He is particularly interested in the younger generations and their issues of climate, labor market, mobility and health.