On 24 October 2025, Nürtingen-Geislingen University (NGU) hosted the Stakeholder Focus Group within the framework of the Erasmus+ BEYOND Project.
The meeting, titled “ESG in Education and Society: Impulses – Participation – Communication,” brought together representatives from academia, industry, NGOs, and the financial sector to discuss how Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles can be effectively integrated into academic and business practices.
The event opened with a welcome address by Prof. Dr. Frank Andreas Schittenhelm, who introduced the BEYOND project and outlined the objectives of the focus group.
Several expert talks followed, offering diverse perspectives on sustainability in different contexts:
- Britta Großmann (KEFF+) – on project development and student engagement in sustainability initiatives;
- Margarete Schumm (Energie für Botnang eG) – on the role of energy cooperatives in promoting ESG in society;
- Nicolaus Trautwein (Commerzbank AG) – on sustainability drivers from the perspective of the banking sector;
- Katerina Weidle (Purem Technology GmbH) – on corporate sustainability reporting and the transition from voluntary to mandatory disclosure.
After a lively discussion, participants engaged in a simulation session led by Heiko Hammer (priME Academy gUG), who presented the priME SIM Strategic Management Professional business game that will be presented at CEU San Pablo in Madrid next 25-26-27 November 2025 . This interactive activity enabled participants and students to explore decision-making processes related to sustainability strategies within organizations.
The focus group concluded with an open discussion on future cooperation opportunities and potential synergies among stakeholders.This activity is part of Work Package 2 – Participatory analysis of sustainable development in the European context, specifically Task 4.2, which focuses on the design and organisation of the NGU stakeholder focus group. The meeting aimed to foster dialogue, ownership, and collaboration among diverse stakeholders in addressing ESG challenges, providing valuable qualitative insights for the project’s ongoing work.
You can download the material here: