STEP at Hertie

Berlin

STEP is a student initiative at the Hertie School of Governance. STEP provides a debate platform to engage policy-makers, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders from the private and third sector in debating technology and sustainability issues and their policy implications.

Technologies – with digital, smart devices and applications at the forefront – have influenced every day's life. They turn our conventional mental and business models upside down. Against the backdrop of this digitalization of our societies, promising technical solutions like smart grids, electric vehicles, location-based and context-aware devices and applications, cloud computing or 3D-printers have emerged. Those technologies also respond to the increasing trend to create more sustainable economies and limit the waste of finite resources: In view of ongoing urbanization around the globe, depletion of natural resources and climate change, there is increasingly a need to align and turn around our current infrastructure, commodity and energy systems. However, the capacity of national states to tackle these challenges has become questionable with time due to inherent global and cross-boundary character of technology diffusion and sustainability issues. Innovative and entrepreneurial models, ideas and solutions from the private and third sector are necessary in order to complement public policies.

STEP organizes panel discussions and roundtables on recent and pressing technology and sustainability policy issues and stresses entrepreneurial solutions, ideas and models. Thereby STEP builds upon Hertie School of Governance's expertise in technology and sustainability policy. STEP's aim is to foster public stewardship as well as to increase entrepreneurial mind setting and approaches to technology and sustainability policy among future public managers.

STEP

  • invites individual stakeholders from all three sectors and the Hertie School community on inspiring and controversial topics in the area of technology and sustainability,
  • explores innovative and entrepreneurial solutions, models and ideas from private and non-profit stakeholders to tackle technology and sustainability issues by highlighting opportunities and limitations, The Students of the MPP Programme 2012-2014
  • discusses public policy implications and measures by calling upon subsidiary capacities and strengths of the public sector