Society has overcome its overwhelming dependence on information consumption and has learned to use AI solutions effectively, controlling environmental impacts and social equity. Advances in medicine and health monitoring have made it possible to avoid the emergence of unplanned epidemics and the spread of infections. All forms of energy are increasingly being generated through safe technological solutions in the fields of nuclear energy and chemical fusion. This significantly reduces the need for industrial-intensive energy production, which has a major impact on the planet's ecological health. Humanity has begun active exploration and exploration of solar system objects.

Business leadership is constantly changing and in the future it will be more digital, agile and people-centric. As technology evolves, leadership will become more data-driven and automated, and more about making decisions. This will enable faster and more accurate strategic decisions, as analytics and AI help anticipate trends and customer needs. Future leadership will also emphasise flexibility. Traditional hierarchies may give way to lower organisational structures, where teams can operate more autonomously and react quickly to change. Agile ways of working, such as scrum and agile, are becoming more common. People management will remain important, but the focus will shift more towards employee well-being and continuous development. Empathy, interpersonal skills and the ability to inspire will become increasingly valued qualities in leaders. With the rise of teleworking and global teams, management also requires new ways of connecting and creating a sense of community in a teleworking environment.

I hope that peace will finally return in 2040. The parties and politicians should pull together and finally focus on Germany and the needs of the population again. People are talking to each other more again and technology is helpful and saves time, but it also makes social interaction possible again. Europe has grown closer together again. There is a multi-cultural society that sticks together and complements each other well. Climate targets are being achieved together and nature is becoming more diverse again. People no longer travel by normal airplane, but have other methods of climate-neutral travel. Occupations will become more personalized. More skilled workers are needed. There are modern trains that enable climate-neutral travel.

In 2040, only organic food will be available. There will be no more animal suffering caused by humans, neither for food production nor for animal testing. The meadows will be colorful again and many insects and other animals will live on them because chemical pesticides will no longer be used. The waters are clean and the air is pure. Only really necessary items of clothing are bought and these are produced in an ecologically sustainable way and then disposed of in the same way. The same applies to furniture, crockery and all consumer goods. Electric cars are used in car sharing, all other cars are off the market. Public transport is closely timed so that hardly anyone still needs a car. Instead, there is a cheap ticket for all areas of public transport. Income disparities are low. The health and care systems are first-class and equally accessible to all. The educational institutions are in the best condition, the teachers are motivated and respected. And most importantly, there is peace and freedom everywhere in the world, so no more money needs to be spent on defense.