03.12.2025

Creative After Work

Planet-centred innovation - sustainability as a driver of innovation

Wednesday, 03.12.2025 at 7 pm

Creative After Work is a network meeting for the creative industries at EMMA - Kreativzentrum Pforzheim. Each meeting has a thematic focus. A company, a project or a topic relevant to the creative industries, such as trends in interface design, PR on the social web or the successful market launch of a product, are presented and explained by guest speakers.
At the Creative After Work on Wednesday, 3 December 2025 at 7 pm at EMMA - Kreativzentrum Pforzheim, Steffen Erath will give a presentation on the topic of sustainability as a driver of innovation for companies.

Innovators are problem solvers - and love nothing more than concrete challenges. After 20 years of design thinking and lean start-ups, it's time to tackle the really relevant problems. And we have more than enough of them today. If we see planetary challenges as the starting point of our innovation journey, we can utilise the power of innovation to do good - and at the same time ensure the future viability of our companies. Sustainability thus becomes a strategic field of innovation and the economy becomes the engine of green transformation. This is what Planet-Centered Innovation is all about. Sustainability is much more than CSRD, carbon footprints or climate neutrality. Sustainability is the innovation driver of our time.

Let's Innovate for Sustainability!

Steffen Erath is Head of Innovation & Sustainability at Hansgrohe SE and is responsible for the company's innovation division. He founded the Hansgrohe InnoLab, which was recognised as the best innovation lab in Germany by Capital in 2022 and 2023. As head of the company-wide „Green Company“ programme, he is a key driver of Hansgrohe's green transformation. In 2024, he was named „Top 40 under 40“.
With Erath Ventures, he is also involved in European GreenTech start-ups.
Steffen is a guest lecturer at the University of St. Gallen and Steinbeis Business School, a jury member of the Green Awards and the German Start-up Award - and author of the book Planet Centered Innovation.

Afterwards there will be music from the Sense Collective, snacks and cool drinks.