High Level Group

A group of high-ranking representatives from politics, industry, science, and civil society will discuss on the one hand the main relations between the poles of competitiveness, innovation and sustainable development within the framework of conCISEnet; on the other hand, the fundamental consequences with regard to current political action in the European Union shall be discussed. The following questions are important in this context:

  • How do competitiveness, innovation and sustainability influence one another?
  • What general conditions are necessary to harmonise sustainability and competitiveness by means of innovation?
  • Where do the boundaries of the Lisbon Strategy lie in view of adverse impact on global sustainable development („boundaries of competitiveness“)?


    • The positions and perspectives of the different actors with regard to key challenges and potential solutions are elucidated with the help of methods and findings of socio-environmental research. The objective of the high level group is to promote discourse and networking on these issues with a view to an integrated European sustainability strategy – as a pre-requisite of and opportunity for new focuses and activities.