28 August 2026
ZRH Community: Hope as the Fuel for Innovation
How can companies remain capable of taking action when the future seems increasingly unpredictable? In his keynote address, Prof. Dr. Andreas Krafft of the University of St. Gallen explained why hope plays an important role in this context. Together with Coralie Klaus Boecker from the ZRH Innovation Hub and Christian Sutter from Climeworks, he then applied these insights to business practice. The panel discussion was moderated by Lukas Herzog, who is responsible for the ZRH Community’s business events at The Circle.
The future begins in the mind
“The future does not exist and never will.” Krafft opened his keynote with this surprising statement. The future, he explained, is always a conception of what might come. How we think about it therefore influences our decisions in the present.
Krafft distinguishes between two perspectives: Either we experience the future as something that is coming toward us, or we see ourselves as people who are actively moving toward the future. Those who perceive the future primarily as a threat seek protection and security. Those who set out on the journey, on the other hand, open their eyes to possibilities.
According to Krafft’s research, 87 percent of respondents in Switzerland consider a crisis scenario likely over the next 20 years. At the same time, 79 percent would like to see a greener and more harmonious society in which cooperation and community are given greater priority. The crucial question, therefore, is: How does a desired future become a future that people actually believe in and work toward realizing?
Hope is not optimism
For Krafft, the answer begins with an important distinction. “Optimism says: Don’t worry, everything will be fine. Hope says: I don’t know how it will turn out, but we can do something to make it better.”
That is precisely what makes hope interesting for companies. After all, innovation almost always means investing in something whose outcome is uncertain. Fear and hope are two reactions to the same uncertainty: fear narrows one’s focus to dangers, while hope opens it up to new possibilities.
“Hope is the prerequisite for us to take any action at all,” says Krafft. This requires a vision for the future, the belief that it is fundamentally achievable, and trust in one’s own abilities and those of others.
Innovation requires staying power
In the subsequent panel discussion with Coralie Klaus Boecker, Head of the ZRH Innovation Hub at Flughafen Zürich AG, and Christian Sutter, Head of Strategic Partnerships Switzerland at Climeworks, it became clear just how closely this mindset is linked to innovation.
Klaus Boecker’s team tests new technologies and applications at Zurich Airport - with no guarantee of success. “With many of the things we tackle, we don’t even know at the outset whether they’ll work.”
Hypotheses must therefore be tested in real-world conditions through pilot projects. This requires not only a structured approach but also confidence and courage.
Krafft added another factor: perseverance. Innovation is almost inevitably associated with setbacks and obstacles. What matters, therefore, is not just the courage to get started, but the ability to stick with it.
Even hope needs a business case
Sutter illustrated how this works from a business perspective using Climeworks as an example. The company develops technologies to permanently remove CO₂ from the atmosphere. For him, the solar industry demonstrates that even a technology that is still in its infancy today can scale up massively. “That’s one way to gain hope: when you see that others have succeeded as well.”
But hope alone won’t convince a company. “If you don’t have the business case, it’s very difficult to implement anything,” Sutter emphasized. He added that this must be considered more broadly than the traditional “return on investment.” Market positioning, employees, regulatory developments, and preparation for future markets could also justify early investments.
Failure is part of progress
Sutter illustrated just how little innovation has to do with success on the first try with another example. At Climeworks, only a small fraction of the experiments in materials development yield the desired result.
“Every day, there are things we don’t get right,” said Sutter. What matters most, he explained, are the few experiments that work and advance the technology. “The hope that this two percent will take us further is what drives our employees.”»
That’s why new applications are also being tested at the airport and further developed in collaboration with the affected employees. Innovation doesn’t come from technology alone, but from people who are willing to embrace it, according to Klaus Boecker. Or as Krafft put it: “Innovations arise above all when we bring people from very different perspectives together.”
Leadership must create opportunities
What does this mean for leaders? Klaus Boecker advocated for systematically exploring different future scenarios. Strategic foresight - that is, engaging with the future - helps companies break free from linear thinking and avoid assuming that what works today will still be valid tomorrow.
Krafft started with an even simpler point: “Just listen.” Leadership must take employees’ ideas - as well as the problems and obstacles they perceive - seriously and provide support. So, those who call for innovation must create an environment in which people are allowed to experiment and receive support when things don’t work out right away.
Don’t wait for the future
In closing, Sutter turned his attention to the major changes facing companies. Decarbonization and technological transformation will reshape existing markets and give rise to new ones. His strategic question: “How can I, in my context, position myself more on the side that benefits from transformation?” Those who ask themselves this question begin to recognize opportunities.
To wrap up, moderator Lukas Herzog asked the speakers what participants could already do the very next morning within their teams or companies. Klaus Boecker recommended giving one’s own team a specific challenge and trying out a solution together - learning by doing rather than innovation on paper. Krafft emphasized listening and support. Sutter summed up his advice in two words: “Just do it.”
The evening demonstrated that hope is no substitute for strategy, data, or a business case. It creates the conditions needed to align these tools with a future that is not yet certain. The future isn’t created by companies waiting to see what lies ahead, but by people knowing where they want to go - and setting out on that journey together.
During the networking reception that followed, the ideas from the keynote and panel discussion were enthusiastically debated further. This is a sign that the question of how companies can actively shape the future in uncertain times continues to occupy the minds of many participants well beyond the evening’s events.
All information about upcoming business events hosted by the ZRH Community: Events 2026
