In his keynotes, Max is clear, up-to-date, sharp, positive – and, above all, entertaining!
His signature talks include: 🎤 “The Future Doesn’t Just Happen – We Create It!” 🎤 “The Future Thinks Differently!” 🎤 “More Excellence – Less Panic!”
From current geopolitical developments to everyday life, he shows companies, regions, and individuals how our daily routines—originally designed for industrialization—can be reshaped in the age of digitality. He provides a holistic understanding of our time and demonstrates how we can actively shape the future now.
Max also delivers keynotes on current topics and tailors his presentations to specific industries or regions, working closely with clients to address their unique needs.
As a generalist, Max has worked in around 100 regions across Europe, collaborating with various industries, organizations, and communities. He doesn’t just understand technology—he knows how structures must be shaped around it to ensure meaningful and human-centered applications in real-life situations.
His unique professionalism and ability to engage with his audience stem, among other things, from eight years of acting training—as well as the fact that most of his stories come from his own real-life experiences. This authenticity makes him relatable and allows him to explain insights that only those who have been deeply involved in real-world implementations can truly understand.
A keynote with Max is a powerful source of motivation, leaving the audience with a new awareness of their opportunities—empowering them to think and act differently to shape their own future. 🚀
Book a Keynote with Max Thinius! 🎤🚀
Customized Keynotes – Tailored to Your Needs 🎤🌍
Max Thinius offers a wide range of keynote topics, whether from the 18 key life areas, your industry, region, or global trends.
His broad expertise comes from working with a diverse team that continuously monitors the future and its opportunities—ensuring each talk is insightful, relevant, and impactful.
📌 Possible focus areas:
✔️ Industry-specific insights
✔️ Regional development & transformation
✔️ Digitalization, AI & societal change
✔️ The 18 life areas & their impact on the future
📩 Interested? Let’s talk!
📩 Get in touch to book a keynote or discuss possibilities:
📧 anfragen@maxthinius.de
📞 Voice box: 030-6130 90 41
With Max, Keynotes Are Always Simple & Uncomplicated! 🎤🚀
No complex processes, no unnecessary formalities—just inspiring, engaging, and tailored talks that fit your needs.
✅ Flexible formats – live, digital, hybrid
✅ Customized topics – industry, region, global trends
✅ Easy booking & coordination
📩 Book a keynote hassle-free:
📧 anfragen@maxthinius.de
📞 Voice box: 030-6130 90 41
Future thinking – made easy! 🚀
Get in Touch – Let’s Shape the Future Together! 🚀
Ready to think differently and actively shape the future?
📌 Max’s keynotes offer:
✔️ Inspiration & motivation – fresh perspectives on the future
✔️ Clarity & entertainment – engaging, positive, and thought-provoking
✔️ Real-world insights – based on deep experience across industries & regions
📩 Get in touch to book a keynote or discuss possibilities:
📧 anfragen@maxthinius.de
📞 Voice box: 030-6130 90 41The future doesn’t just happen – we create it! 🚀
Welcome to the future! 🚀✨
A Small Glimpse into the Life Areas Where We Can Shape the Future 🚀
Future development happens in many areas of life—always with a direct connection to your industry or region.
📌 Key life areas include:
✔️ Work & business models
✔️ Education & lifelong learning
✔️ Health & well-being
✔️ Mobility & infrastructure
✔️ Sustainability & energy
✔️ Digitalization & AI
✔️ Society & community development
Every industry and region has unique opportunities—let’s discover and shape them together!
“The future doesn’t just happen – we create it!”
Available as a workshop for individuals in companies and regions. Max’s focus is on helping people find their own solutions, because every organization and region has different opportunities.
When Max met Anita Roddick (founder of The Body Shop) in the 1990s, he learned a simple yet powerful perspective from her:
“Life knows more possibilities than you do. Have values, have a vision, and then let life show you the opportunities it offers—whether through technology, structures, or new ways of thinking.”
Max has structured this simple core idea to accelerate the future process for individuals, businesses, and regions.
By aligning with their unique opportunities, ideas, and challenges, he draws from his extensive experience across various industries and aspects of life. He delivers precisely the future knowledge needed to create the right shift in direction.
Max’s goal is not to generate the theoretically perfect solution, but rather a solution that excites and is embraced by the people within the project, company, or region.Optimization comes from life itself—as long as we remain open to new possibilities.
Max’s workshops usually don’t end when the session is over. Instead, they continue with a kind of “Future as a Service”—offering participants the opportunity to check in on their next steps and ideas during implementation.
This ongoing support helps them gain confidence in using the new opportunities of the future effectively.
Depending on the task, Max leads the workshops either alone or together with other amazing experts from his team.
Shape the future with a workshop?
f you’d like to book a workshop or first explore the future opportunities in your industry, region, or personal journey, feel free to send a message to:
📧 anfragen@maxthinius.de
📞 Or leave a message on the voice box: 030-6130 90 41
How the Future Shapes Our Lives – and How Our Lives Shape the Future.
64 pages in a pocket-sized format. That’s all it takes to explain the possibilities of the future—and how we can shape them.
Or as Max puts it:
“Sure, you could write 640 pages on the topic. But my idea was to create a book that everyone can carry in their pocket, read a few lines at a time, and then look at their own personal and professional life to see what new opportunities they have—and what they can do now to shape the future!”
Order the book here – and in this case, the entire book price will be used to fund talks for students who otherwise couldn’t afford them. https://betterlivinggroup.sumupstore.com
Max Thinius is Europe’s leading futurologist, and in this book, he illustrates how we shaped structural change during industrialization—and what we can learn from it to meaningfully shape the age of digitalization.
He emphasizes the importance of positive thinking because only then can we transform the vast array of new possibilities into a high quality of life and economy that makes the future livable for as many people as possible.
Using AI as an example, he shows how technology—when used correctly—can amplify our positive human impulses. Because as always:
The future doesn’t just happen – we create it!
And we will certainly shape it better if we use technology wisely.
The book is available everywhere in stores – or you can order it directly here from our partner company, BetterLivingGroup.
The book is also available as a keynote talk.
Hier bestellen bei unserem Partner BetterLivingGroup:
f we want to shape the future, we must think of it in a positive way—focusing on possibilities rather than pessimistic probabilities. And suddenly, we realize that retail, craftsmanship, and a new ethical framework in our society are the #NextBigThing.
We realize that small and medium-sized cities and regions have enormous growth potential and that we can free ourselves from today’s industrial norms. Instead, we can redefine business and life models for a sustainable and forward-thinking future.
With digitalization, we gain countless new opportunities to shape our daily lives, society, and economy. In Europe, we are known not for developing meta-technologies like electricity or AI but, thanks to our diversity, for creating integrated applications that bring these innovations into everyday life. Germany and Europe are not lagging behind—we are simply positioned at a different point in the innovation cycle. The real challenge arises when we fail to recognize this and instead try to be “like others.”
That’s why we should embrace the possibilities of digitalization to shape our future positively. Beyond technology, we must also drive societal innovation and create a new role model for living in a collectively envisioned society.
As I said, this is only possible with positive scenarios—because that’s where the creativity lies for reshaping our entire society.
30 minutes of ideas for a future we can look forward to—in the video on this page, and even better, live in a keynote on-site!
The future doesn’t just happen – we create it.
Click here for the video!
Future scenarios are available for various industries, regions, and, of course, for individuals—both live and in digital keynote formats.
If you’re interested, just ask!
“I really enjoyed the event overall. The presentation by Mr. Thinius was particularly exciting and interesting.”
“The future thinks differently – awesome!”
“The talk about the future really resonated with me. The fact that it largely depends on how we actively shape it—and that people will once again be at the center—speaks to all of us.”
“I especially enjoyed Mr. Thinius’ part—it gave me new confidence that the industry will not disappear. His perspectives were also very interesting and personally made me reflect.”
There is only one moment in which we can shape the future: Now.
This workshop reveals how the future works—and why it’s not just about technology but also about redefining structures.
During industrialization, we didn’t just shape our industries; we redefined entire economies, societies, politics, finance, mobility, education, healthcare, and all 18 key life areas.
For these life areas to function perfectly together, industries must integrate and interact with them. In the industrial era, this led to specific business models. Now, in the digital age, these structures are evolving. Car manufacturers are becoming infrastructure providers, drugstores and opticians are shaping a new healthcare system, and so on.
Step 2 of this workshop
We develop concrete strategies for your business or region to position itself optimally in the new digital landscape. To do this, we must think differently than we did during industrialization and, possibly, develop new competencies—for our teams and ourselves. (This is an optional module.)
Step 3
We move from strategy to action. We work together to define how we can bring our new opportunities and perspectives into reality—and continuously develop them further.
Workshop Structure
🔹 Duration: 3 modules (each 2–6 hours, depending on format) 🔹 Format: Live / Digital / Hybrid 🔹 Goal: Develop an individual future strategy—from analysis to new perspectives to concrete implementation
🌍 Module 1: Future – What is the Future Anyway?
Goal: Understand how the world is changing and what this means for your industry.
Topics:
🌀 What is the future, really?
The future is not predictable, but it is shapeable.
The future as a process: From industrialization to digitalization.
🌀 How is our environment changing?
The evolution of structures, markets, and societies.
Why the future is not linear and how this opens up new opportunities.
🌀 Industries in transition: Examples & best practices
How are comparable or completely different industries evolving?
How can successful future strategies be applied to your own industry?
🌀 Understanding the transformation of your market
Trends, drivers, and new structures.
First insights: Where do I stand, and where can I go?
📌 Outcome: First insights into the future of your industry & your individual opportunities.
🔗 Module 2: Perspectives – Connecting the Future with the 18 Life Areas
Goal: Develop new perspectives by integrating your industry with life areas & digital opportunities.
Topics:
🔭 How does my industry interact with the 18 life areas?
Connecting economy, society, and technology.
Future scenarios: From healthcare to mobility.
🔭 Digitalization as an opportunity: New business models & structures
How can my industry leverage digitalization?
Automation vs. humanity—finding the right balance.
🔭 Innovations & trends that will impact my industry
Identifying relevant opportunities for your business.
🔭 Developing new future perspectives for your business
Which new markets & target groups are emerging?
Where are new value chains being created?
What does a long-term vision look like?
📌 Outcome: Personalized future perspectives for your industry & potential new business models.
🎯 Module 3: Now – The Future Can Only Be Shaped in the Present!
Goal: Develop concrete steps to bring future opportunities into action.
Topics:
🚀 Why the future always starts now
The future is not a distant goal—it’s a continuous process.
Small changes can lead to big transformations.
🚀 From knowledge to implementation: My next concrete steps
Developing implementation paths: What can be done immediately, what is mid-/long-term?
Innovation roadmap: Milestones for the coming months.
🚀 What do I need for implementation?
Identifying resources & partners.
Adjusting technologies or processes.
Moving mindset & corporate culture toward the future.
🚀 Future as a Service: Making the future a continuous process
How can I develop a system that helps me continuously shape the future?
Ongoing support & exchange through the Max Thinius network.
📌 Outcome: A concrete action plan with clear next steps to implement the future.
Workshop Format & Execution
✅ Available live or digitally ✅ Individually tailored to companies, industries & regions ✅ Optional: Ongoing consulting & follow-ups as “Future as a Service”
📩 Interested? Ready to actively shape the future? 📧 Email:anfragen@maxthinius.de 📞 Voice box: 030-6130 90 41
🔹 The future doesn’t just happen – we create it! 🚀
Max is Europe’s leading futurologist and future designer. He helps individuals, businesses, and regions identify and shape their future opportunities. He lives in Berlin and Denmark and operates across Europe.
He advises individuals and businesses (from DAX-listed corporations to SMEs), as well as regions and organizations(associations), on actively shaping their own future.
Max is also a bestselling author, a regular contributor to public media, and co-founder of the Futurneo Institute for Future Design. He has served as a guest member on scientific advisory boards of the German government, various ministries, and co-founded the international #SlowFuture movement in Flødstrup, Denmark. This initiative focuses on integrating values, technology, and new structures across all 18 life areas to create meaningful benefits for society and organizations.
Keynotes
Max’s keynotes are clear, relevant, sharp, positive – and above all, entertaining!
His most popular talks include: 🎤 The Future Doesn’t Just Happen – We Create It! 🎤 The Future Thinks Differently! 🎤 More Excellence – Less Panic!
From geopolitical developments to daily life, Max shows companies, regions, and individuals how our everyday routines—originally designed for industrialization—can be reimagined for the digital age. He provides a holistic perspective on our time and demonstrates how we can start shaping the future today.
Beyond his classics, Max frequently gives talks on current topics and tailors his keynotes to various industries in coordination with clients.
Why Max?
🔹 He has worked in 100+ regions across Europe, collaborating with diverse industries, organizations, and communities. 🔹 He doesn’t just understand technology—he knows how structures need to be designed around it to make it meaningful for people in different real-life situations. 🔹 His unique professionalism and audience engagement stem from eight years of acting training—and the fact that most of his stories are based on his own experiences. His authenticity makes him relatable and enables him to explain deeper insights that only those who have worked hands-on in future projects can share.
What to Expect?
A keynote with Max is a powerful motivator. His goal? That every listener walks away with a new awareness, enabling them to reevaluate their own opportunities and start thinking and acting differently.
Workshops
The future doesn’t just happen – we create it! A workshop designed for people in companies and regions to develop their own future solutions. Because every organization and region has unique opportunities.
What’s the Approach?
In the 1990s, Max met Anita Roddick (founder of The Body Shop) and adopted her simple yet profound mindset:
“Life knows more possibilities than you do. Have values, have an idea, and then let life show you the opportunities—through technology, structures, and new ways of thinking.”
He structured this core idea into a future process that accelerates innovation for individuals, businesses, and regions. Drawing from his broad experience across industries and life areas, Max provides exactly the right future knowledge needed to make the decisive shift in the right direction.
His goal isn’t to create theoretically perfect solutions—but rather, practical solutions that excite and engage the people within the project, company, or region. Optimization comes from life itself—when we stay open to new opportunities.
Workshops That Continue Beyond the Session
Max’s workshops don’t just end when the session is over. They are followed by a kind of “Future as a Service”—allowing participants to check in on their next steps and gain continuous confidence in using new opportunities.
Depending on the task, Max leads workshops alone or with his team of brilliant experts.
Moderation
Max is a rare combination of scientist and entertainer—with extensive hands-on experience in business, media, associations, politics, research, and academia.
With eight years of acting and entertainment training (ask him about the story—it’s worth hearing!), combined with practical entrepreneurial and scientific expertise, he brings authenticity, spontaneity, and subject-matter depth to his moderation.
As a moderator, he doesn’t just facilitate discussions—he can explain complex scientific and technological contexts, weaving together different themes and speakers into a coherent story throughout the day.
And on request: After the event, he provides a video summary of the key takeaways.
Books
Max’s latest books are available in bookstores or through the special online store, BetterLivingGroup.
📌 Special Initiative: Every purchase through BetterLivingGroupfunds keynote talks at schools and institutions that otherwise couldn’t afford them.
Shows
Max also takes the stage for high-energy, entertaining shows about the future: 🎭 “Future Unplugged!”
The premiere show was held in the legendary Jahrhunderthalle in Bochum, in the heart of Germany’s Ruhr region. Why there? 🔹 Because Max grew up in the Ruhr area and loves its people. 🔹 Because this region is home to many of the future shapers of Europe.
“All the talks were interesting, but the futurologist’s keynote was my favorite.”
“Max Thinius gave me new confidence that the banking industry won’t disappear. His insights were eye-opening and made me rethink the future.”
“Exceptional keynotes—but the outlook on the future topped everything!”
“Max Thinius’ talk showed me how open we need to be to future trends.”
“His talk was incredibly inspiring—it provided a holistic vision for the future in all aspects of life.”
Some of Max’s Career Highlights
🔹 Inspired by Anita Roddick (The Body Shop) in 1988, learning how small mindset shifts can positively shape the future for many. 🔹 Worked for agencies like Springer & Jacoby and various media houses—always with the goal of creating a positive future for people, businesses, and regions. 🔹 Held the Chair for Innovation and Future Studies at IMK Institute in Berlin and Wiesbaden for over 10 years, with guest lectures in Miami and London. 🔹 Co-founded a sustainable investment house with 3M, Fred Kogel, and others. 🔹 Developed the first international sustainability rating agency for financial products for the government of Liechtenstein. 🔹 Co-founded the #SlowFuture movement in Denmark. 🔹 Helped Deutsche Post pioneer online grocery shopping and advised many businesses and regions on future perspectives. 🔹 Initiated the Federal Association for Online Food Retail (BVLO) and chaired it for 8 years. 🔹 His mission: Helping people develop the sensitivity to recognize and leverage new opportunities.
Together with expert strategist Thomas Schmidt, Max co-founded the Futurneo Institute for Future Design.
With mind architect Mareike Fell, he hosts “Bettgeflüster”—arguably the most unusual future talk show in the world.
For “everyone,” as Max likes to say, his show “ZUKUNFT unplugged!” at the Jahrhunderthalle in Bochum is designed to be a grand spectacle of the future. As the largest future show of all time (there is no other like it), Max entertains and inspires people, businesses, and regions by showing them how they can actively shape their own future.
References (Selection)
📌 Business: Deutsche Post, Lufthansa, Microsoft, IBM, Coca-Cola, Unilever, Allianz, Volkswagen, PwC, and more. 📌 Politics: German Federal Ministries, CDU, FDP, City of Berlin, State of North Rhine-Westphalia, Liechtenstein. 📌 Institutions: Free University of Berlin, University of St. Gallen, Deutsche Umweltstiftung, Bitkom, and more.
🚀 The future doesn’t just happen – we create it! 🚀
References Max Thinius
Business: Axel Springer, AllyouneedFresh, BioCompany, Burda, Chupa-Chups, Coca-Cola, Christ Juweliere, Diageo, Deutsche Post, Douglas Holding, Dow, Heineken, GASAG, Lufthansa, MAMA AG, Mercedes Benz, Merck Pharma, MLP, PWC, STEAG, Sparkassen, Togal-Werk-AG, Vattenfall, Voeslauer, Volkswagen.
Politics: Bitkom, Bundesverband E-Commerce und Versandhandel Deutschland e.V. (bevh), Deutscher Bauernverband, Forum nachhaltige Geldanlagen, BMWi, Wissenschaftlicher Beirat der Bundesregierung, UVWM – Unternehmensverband Westfalen Mitte, Konzernrepräsentanz der Deutschen Post, VFI – Verband der Fertigwarenimporteure.
Institutions: Schule im Aufbruch, Rock it Biz – Stiftungsgesellschaft für Unternehmertum, Deutsche Umweltstiftung, Earthrise Foundation, IMK – Institut für Marketing und Kommunikation, Freie Universität Berlin, Universität St. Gallen, Die Tafel, Miami Ad School, Wirtschaftsförderung Brandenburg, Wirtschaftsförderung Düsseldorf, Mitglied im Rat der Gesellschaft.
Comments on Max shows
“That was the best, most comprehensive and insightful talk I have ever heard on the subject of the future.”
Dr. Luling Lo / Uni Bremen, Lehrstuhl Logistik
“He is one of Germany’s most famous futurologists.”
BILD online
“Pretty cool performance yesterday – Merci!”
Ute Welty / Moderatorin, Journalistin
“At last a sound and positive contribution to the topic of digitization and the future.”
Petra Ohlmeyer / Wesco
“Super keynote!”
Uwe Riechel / Regional Director Fashion Europe bei Hellmann Worldwide Logistics
“This ranges from enthusiasm to euphoria!”
Dr. Michael Arretz / VFI – Verband der Fertigwarenimporteure
“Thank you – your lecture makes me feel good about the future.”
Hans Martin Pleiss / ABN AMRO
“Your lecture has given me much to think about in a positive sense.”
Jens Kaß / Geschäftsführer C. Mackprang jr. GmbH & CO. KG
Futurologists are not the same as future researchers! Future researchers try to predict the future using data, statistics, and forecasting models.
Futurologists, on the other hand, come from practice and include far more parameters in their considerations. They analyze which narratives have shaped past developments and why. They compare this with current societal culture and geopolitical dynamics—and instead of probabilities, they analyze possibilities.
In other words, they explore how we can actively shape the future:
What technologies are available?
What meaningful solutions and structures are already forming?
What systemic changes are needed to develop a sustainable economic and social future?
This approach is also known as hermeneutic future research.
For those who want to dive deeper: The Scientific Approach of Hermeneutic Future Research
Future as an Interpretable Narrative Field
1. Max’s Core Idea
Traditional future research often works with data models, trends, and forecasts. However, the future is not just a linear projection of data—it emerges from cultural, social, and psychological meaning systems (also called narratives or stories).
Hermeneutic future research takes a different approach: It interprets the future as a narrative field shaped by history, values, symbols, and societal discourse—combined with current possibilities.
2. Principles of Hermeneutic Future Research
📌 Future as Narrative The future is not just a collection of facts but a woven tapestry of ideas, perceptions, societal culture, and human expectations.
📌 Meaning over Calculation The future is not predicted but interpreted—by analyzing the present, myths, metaphors, stories, and cultural patterns—and their potential transformation into the future.
📌 Circularity of Understanding Similar to the hermeneutic circle, future research acknowledges that we can only understand where we are going if we recognize where we come from—while at the same time defining where we want to go and what possibilities exist.
📌 Historical Influence on Future Visions Every vision of the future is rooted in a tradition and a future trajectory—whether through progress myths, utopian or dystopian narratives, technological advancements, or their integration into daily life.
📌 Interpretation as a Tool for Shaping the Future Those who understand the future can actively shape it through narratives—by pairing storytelling with technology, individual opportunities, and systemic implementations.
3. Methodology – How Max Explores the Future Using Hermeneutic Science
🔍 Analyzing Narratives & Discourses
What key future concepts dominate public debate? (Sustainability, AI, post-growth economy, deindustrialization, data sovereignty, etc.)
Which narratives are being reproduced?
Which new narratives can be developed based on individual and collective opportunities?
Are there recurring patterns, myths, or unconscious opportunities?
🔍 Historical & Present-Day Deep Analysis
How do past interpretations shape current visions of the future?
How are present narratives used in different sectors or cultural contexts?
Are there cyclical developments or recurring paradigms?
🔍 Decoding Symbolic Meanings
What symbols represent the future? (Spaceship vs. treehouse, robots vs. humanity, AI vs. intuition, etc.)
How are current technologies and societal (economic, political) structures culturally embedded?
What developmental potential lies within these parameters?
How have these symbols influenced our past, present, and future actions?
🔍 Interactive Future Interpretation
Workshops & discourse formats where people reflect on and refine their visions of the future.
Storytelling methods to make alternative futures tangible through narratives.
4. Applications of Hermeneutic Future Research
📌 For Businesses & Organizations:
Developing future visions not just as strategies but as cultural narratives.
Creating broad integration networks that connect employees, industries, and communities.
📌 For Cities & Regions:
Merging historical identity with future-oriented interpretation.
Developing new economic and social models from current possibilities.
📌 For Societal Transformation:
How can change become tangible and participatory rather than forced?
Which narratives, technologies, and personal opportunities make transformation feel natural rather than artificial?
What stories do we tell ourselves about change—and what new stories could we tell?
5. A Practical Example: AI Through a Hermeneutic Lens
📌 Traditional Data-Driven Future Research Asks:
How will AI impact the economy?
Which jobs will disappear?
📌 Hermeneutic Future Research Asks:
What myths underlie the AI debate?
Is it the old story of “the servant who becomes a threat” (Frankenstein)?
Or is it the utopian vision of absolute efficiency (rationalism of the Enlightenment)?
How can AI enhance our culture, life, and economy?
What values must we establish for AI to be seamlessly integrated into our societal systems?
💡 This approach reveals a key insight: Our visions of the future are never neutral predictions—they are culturally shaped narratives. And this is where true future design begins—through interpretation and storytelling.
And That’s Exactly What a Futurologist Does! 🚀
For inquiries about lectures, scenarios please contact via:
Business: Axel Springer, AllyouneedFresh, BioCompany, Burda, Chupa-Chups, Coca-Cola, Christ Juweliere, Diageo, Deutsche Post, Douglas Holding, Dow, Heineken, GASAG, Lufthansa, MAMA AG, Mercedes Benz, Merck Pharma, MLP, PWC, STEAG, Sparkassen, Togal-Werk-AG, Vattenfall, Voeslauer, Volkswagen.
Politics: Bitkom, Bundesverband E-Commerce und Versandhandel Deutschland e.V. (bevh), Deutscher Bauernverband, Forum nachhaltige Geldanlagen, BMWi, Wissenschaftlicher Beirat der Bundesregierung, UVWM – Unternehmensverband Westfalen Mitte, Konzernrepräsentanz der Deutschen Post, VFI – Verband der Fertigwarenimporteure.
Institutions: Schule im Aufbruch, Rock it Biz – Stiftungsgesellschaft für Unternehmertum, Deutsche Umweltstiftung, Earthrise Foundation, IMK – Institut für Marketing und Kommunikation, Freie Universität Berlin, Universität St. Gallen, Die Tafel, Miami Ad School, Wirtschaftsförderung Brandenburg, Wirtschaftsförderung Düsseldorf, Mitglied im Rat der Gesellschaft.
Comments on Max Keynotes
“That was the best, most comprehensive and insightful talk I have ever heard on the subject of the future.”
Dr. Luling Lo / Uni Bremen, Lehrstuhl Logistik
“He is one of Germany’s most famous futurologists.”
BILD online
“Pretty cool performance yesterday – Merci!”
Ute Welty / Moderatorin, Journalistin
“At last a sound and positive contribution to the topic of digitization and the future.”
Petra Ohlmeyer / Wesco
“Super keynote!”
Uwe Riechel / Regional Director Fashion Europe bei Hellmann Worldwide Logistics
“This ranges from enthusiasm to euphoria!”
Dr. Michael Arretz / VFI – Verband der Fertigwarenimporteure
“Thank you – your lecture makes me feel good about the future.”
Hans Martin Pleiss / ABN AMRO
“Your lecture has given me much to think about in a positive sense.”
Jens Kaß / Geschäftsführer C. Mackprang jr. GmbH & CO. KG
How the Future Shapes Our Lives – and How We Shape the Future.
🌏 A look at the world today shows that shaping the future requires more than just technological innovation. It demands a geopolitical perspective, an understanding of technology’s real role, an awareness of which trends we truly need (if any), and answers to key questions:
Where do we stand?
Are we leading? Falling behind? Left out?
Or are we actually right in the middle—if we simply look at things differently?
We have the chance to embrace excellence—a strategic approach that considers both our environment and global developments—and to reduce panic simply by understanding how our present and future connect across different life areas and on a global scale.
🎙️ Seeing the world not in black and white, but in possibilities. Even when the topics are deep, this keynote is highly entertaining. Because great stories are easier to remember—and easier to apply to everyday life, business, or regional development.
The Future Doesn’t Just Happen – We Create It.
🔹 The Keynote: More Excellence, Less Panic.
This talk provides essential insights, removes fears, and presents new possibilities—tailored to various industries and regions. And above all: it’s fun!
How geopolitics, technology, and innovation shape our economy and society— and how we can actively participate.
How do we use new forms of human and artificial intelligence?
What new structures will emerge in business, politics, and daily life?
The future of our economy and society is built on different structures than those of industrialization. That means we must let go of the past—and at the same time, think differently about the future.
Topics We’ll Discuss:
🔹 How does the future actually emerge? 🔹 What influence do current geopolitical developments have on our future? 🔹 What common misconceptions exist? 🔹 What role does technology really play? 🔹 Will technology overtake us? 🔹 What about innovations—not just in technology, but also in society? 🔹 Is Germany/Europe really falling behind? 🔹 How can we connect geopolitics and local opportunities to create a winning strategy for our economy, society, and quality of life in Germany/Europe?
In Short: How Can We Actively Shape the Future?
What’s happening globally—and how does it affect us?
I guarantee a highly engaging, yet deep dive into everything that’s coming—and how we can shape it together.
Because the future doesn’t just happen – we create it.
And I look forward to doing so together with all of you!
Booking & Inquiries
📩 Simply email the team:anfragen@maxthinius.de 📞 Or leave a voicemail: +49 30 6130 90 41
🚀 More Excellence, Less Panic—let’s shape the future together!
Starting today, digitization will transform our entire everyday life within the next 5-15 years. City centres will look different. Villages and smaller towns will have the chance to grow again, as more and more people will want to move to rural areas or small-/midsized towns. New digital metropolises may emerge in places that nobody thought possible. Of course, all this does not work automatically, but only if you do something about it.
First of all, it is important to remember that the future thinks differently! Our industrial way of thinking is only making limited progress, and above all we are leaving many opportunities and possibilities out of the equation from the outset. This is all the more important because over 80% of our everyday life will change. That is again over 80% chances to improve it. You can’t do that with your head in the sand. But with networking of possibilities, of business, science, society, politics and their joint innovation.
So let us concern ourselves with the new quality of life that digitization can bring to our everyday lives. Not with blockchain and artificial intelligence as such, but with meaningful solutions on this basis that are actually relevant to our everyday lives. The future does not just come – it is made. And it is made by us! The more we have clear ideas about where we want to go, the more we can get started today to get there. And perhaps that is why we are facing the greatest future of all time in our region!
Max Thinius shows in vivid and very entertaining examples and scenarios how we will experience everyday life … and even more important: how we can shape it. From now on.
For enquires on seminars, coachings etc. please contact Max
Why Europe Should Leverage Its Own Strengths – Instead of Copying Others.
📲 Every day, we see headlines like:
“Europe is falling behind in digitalization!”
“Deindustrialization! Major companies are moving abroad!”
“We are the last in line!”
💡 But what if this is all a misunderstanding?
What if we are focusing on the wrong problems – or comparing apples to oranges? Europe and Germany have a different role than massive monocultural nations like the USA or China. Our mistake? Trying to copy them.
That’s like making a penguin compete against a kangaroo in the Australian outback. We’re running – but often in the wrong direction.
1. Innovation Is Not Just One Thing
🚀 When we talk about innovation, we often look to the USA and China.
They developed the Internet, AI, and other meta-technologies—the “electricity” of our time.
We hear: “We need this too—otherwise, we’re behind!”
And we think: “Europe needs its own Google, OpenAI, cloud servers, and more.”
But are we really seeing the big picture?
❌ We measure financial size, not economic impact. ❌ We try to fit structures into our society that don’t belong there. ❌ We ignore that Europe is in a different phase of the innovation cycle.
2. Europe’s Real Strength: Everyday Innovation
Europe has always been the master of integrating technology into daily life. 💡 We don’t invent “electricity” – we invent the light switch!
Why? Because our diverse cultures, economies, and work models force us to translate innovations into real human applications. 👉 Not just technological innovation, but societal innovation. 👉 Not just efficiency – but quality of life.
📌 Historical Examples:
The steam engine, railroads, electricity → only became widely useful through social and labor innovations.
Taylorism (assembly line production) was developed in the USA, but in Europe, it was adapted with worker protections and social benefits.
💡 Once again, we face the same choice: Do we just copy technology—or integrate it into new models of work and society?
3. From Global Competition to Our Own Innovation Strength
Our mistakes over the past decades: ⚠️ We adopted US-style management methods and short-term profit goals. ⚠️ We prioritized shareholder value over social value. ⚠️ We focused on global rankings where we could never lead.
🎯 But real innovation isn’t just about numbers – it’s about impact. 🎯 The key question is: How can we use technology to improve life?
What if we: ✅ Use AI to develop real societal solutions—not just chase the next unicorn startup? ✅ See work as part of innovation—not just a tool for profit maximization? ✅ View deindustrialization not as a crisis, but as an opportunity?
4. Why Deindustrialization Is Not the Problem – But Can Be the Solution
📌 Digitalization does not mean we are “losing industry” – it means industry is transforming. 📌 Industrialization once replaced agriculture – now digitality is reshaping industry. 📌 Companies move where industrial structures still make sense – while we can create new models.
🔥 The real question is:
Do we let these open spaces remain empty?
Or do we proactively design new economic and social structures?
🚀 Europe has the chance to apply the “light switch principle” to AI: AI doesn’t just have to dominate globally—it can work locally. 🔹 Moving away from centralized servers—toward decentralized, secure AI on our own devices. 🔹 Instead of relying on global corporations, we create local, adaptable solutions.
5. Future Innovations from Europe – If We Choose to Make It Happen!
🎯 Europe will never be a second Silicon Valley or Shenzhen. 🎯 And that’s a good thing!
Our innovation power doesn’t come from global monopolies—it comes from localized, networked solutions that improve real lives.
💡 The future is about new work models, decentralized technologies, and social innovation. 💡 It’s about creating value, not just measuring corporate valuation.
Conclusion: Our Innovation Cycle Is Different – and That’s Our Strength!
📌 Europe doesn’t need to be the USA or China – it needs to be Europe. 📌 We are not behind – we are at a different point in the innovation cycle. 📌 Technology is not just an economic tool – it is a means of societal transformation. 📌 We have the knowledge, diversity, and structure to turn AI and other technologies into real, human-centered value.
🚀 If we stop measuring ourselves by the wrong standards, we can rethink the future – and actively shape it.
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