What might digital commons look like in the future? And what role do they play in fostering an open digital space and digital sovereignty? We are exploring these and further questions together with our fellows as part of the “Digital Commons 2040” foresight process.

We are very pleased to introduce the Foresight Fellows to you. They are recognized experts with diverse backgrounds and experience in academia, civil society, business, politics, and technology. After all, taking a broad view of the future and developing scenarios rely not only on expertise but also on the diversity of perspectives that our fellows bring to the table.

Alessandro Blank | Head of Public Affairs, German AI Association

Marie Luise Blüml | Researcher & Policy Advisor, iRights.Lab

Gunda Ehmke | Project Lead, Data Innovation Lab

Bernd Fiedler | Moderator (freelance) and Director Government Affairs, Siemens Healthineers

Charlotte Freihse | Senior Project Manager, Bertelsmann Stiftung

Lea Gimpel | Director of Policy & AI Lead, Digital Public Goods Alliance

Andreas Grau | Senior Expert, Bertelsmann Stiftung

Alexander Hohlfeld | Digital Policy Analyst, Institute for Strategic Dialogue

Elisabeth Nöfer | Program Officer, Mercator Stiftung

Thieß Petersen | Senior Advisor, Bertelsmann Stiftung

Sebastian Plate | Project Manager BTI, Bertelsmann Stiftung

Jens Preußner | Project Manager, Bertelsmann Stiftung

Asena Soydaş | Senior Project Manager, Bertelsmann Stiftung

Maurice Stenzel | Senior Researcher, Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society

Tara Tarakiyee | Lead Technologist, Sovereign Tech Agency

Sebastian Vogelsang | Co-Lead, Eurosky

Together with the fellows, we explore the range of possible futures that are conceivable and plausible. To capture the full spectrum of developments across various levels—from technology to politics—we have invited selected experts with diverse backgrounds and perspectives. The goal is not to generate knowledge about the future, but rather to use thought experiments to identify potential turning points and fundamental shifts from the status quo. Through a structured process, we develop scenarios that can be used to tell stories about the way we live together and possible developments in the digital sphere. In this context, it is particularly important not to fall into groupthink, which is why we greatly value the professional guidance provided by Dr. Johannes Gabriel, Theresa Schültken, and Marcel Hadeed from Foresight Intelligence.

To learn more about the Fellows and their work, please visit the profiles linked here.

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