What will our world look like in 2050? How will people coexist? And what part will individual mobility play? How will we deal with resources and raw materials? And how can new technologies and innovations support us? These were just some of the questions at the 19^th BMW Group XChange rad°hub held during this year’s London Climate Action Week (LCAW).

This article explains the rad°hub format in the context of the LCAW and looks at how the BMW Group steps up to its social responsibility.

Under the slogan RE:UNITE for Tomorrow, the BMW Group rad°hub sets out to bring together visionaries from a wide range of disciplines and explore as many perspectives as possible on building a responsible future. The open dialogues with experts from a variety of fields have been held every year since 2016. Together they represent an international community of over 700 visionaries, called the rad°Influencers. Networking, changes of perspective and mutual empowerment are encouraged, and from 22 to 30 June the London Climate Action Week (LCAW) 2024 provided the perfect backdrop: as one of the premier independent events on climate change, the LCAW brings together companies, NGOs, political figures and academic institutions in the search for solutions to the problems of our age. This year, at its first visit to the LCAW, the BMW Group as always offered a clear overview of its strategic direction in terms of sustainability.

At the heart of the BMW Group rad°hub’s mission is the question of what a liveable future might look like for forthcoming generations. In the context of the LCAW, the following questions were especially significant:

• What are the long-term solutions to the challenges of our time?
• How can we resolve these challenges through a concerted effort and smart collaboration?
• How can we nurture visionary thinking and innovativeness?
• How can each and every one of us have a more sustainable impact?
• What obstacles can we expect and how can we overcome them?

They were explored in four workshops with the 44 participants in this year’s rad°hub, who together developed a joint vision for a sustainable society in 2050. The schedule of events was also punctuated by fascinating keynotes and panel discussions. Patron of the rad°hub is Alexander Bilgeri (Vice President Communications Human Resources, Production, Purchasing and Sustainability at the BMW Group). Speakers from the company itself included Hendrik Lang (Senior Vice President of Strategy, Sustainability and Digitalization, Purchasing and Supplier Network with the BMW Group) and Daniela Bohlinger (BMW Group Inventions, Innovation Management).

Hendrik Lang outlined the various challenges of decarbonising the supply chain and presented the BMW Group’s clear supply chain decarbonisation strategy. The company’s sustainability strategy and future research were explored in a panel discussion by Daniela Bohlinger. She highlighted the vast potential a change of perspective can have in bringing about lasting change. On the panel with her were the researcher and multiple world record holder Vanessa O’Brien and the biophilic designer and architect Oliver Heath. Together they discussed the need for change and the challenges and opportunities that come with it. The famous author, business founder and advocate for people with disabilities, Sinéad Burke, spoke about society’s responsibility towards people living with impairments and the urgent need for systemic change to enhance accessibility and inclusion. Felix Pörnbacher, the founder of DeepDrive, outlined his views and some of the technical innovations enabling e-mobility of the future. Writer and low-waste cook Max La Manna showed how to avoid food waste without forgoing the pleasures of eating.

The talks and discussions between participants were characterised by open-mindedness and the desire to broaden horizons and for interdisciplinary collaboration. One topic that featured heavily was the use of new technologies and data, which Alexander Bilgeri also believes are the most relevant issues when it comes to building a sustainable, responsible future.