ETHICS OF
INNOVATION
Companies are under increasing pressure to clearly communicate the principles and values that guide their decisions. Forward-looking ethical strategies do not evolve by themselves - they require focused and thoughtful action.
As an expert in innovation ethics, I can help you develop a sustainable and ethical business strategy.
ABOUT ME
As an analytical philosopher with many years of experience in practical ethics consultancy, I can help you and your team to tackle ethical challenges and to develop and implement a convincing and practicable corporate ethics policy.
My Background
Practical Philosophy - from research & teaching to application
I studied philosophy, history and media studies at the Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf. After completing my studies and several international research stays, including at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, and at the Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics in Oxford, I received my doctorate in Düsseldorf in 2006 with a thesis on the ethical and legal challenges of research on human embryos. The dissertation was awarded summa cum laude and the Hans Hermann Franzke Prize of the Technical University of Berlin.
During my PhD, I gained my first experience in science policy advice as a project manager in an international think tank (European Academy for Research on the Consequences of Scientific and Technological Developments GmbH). The focus of my work was on the ethical challenges posed by medical and technological innovations. Later, as a postdoctoral researcher, I continued to explore practical ethical issues in politics and society, including as a visiting researcher at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Further academic research and teaching positions took me to the Universities of Bonn, Düsseldorf and Cologne. I also gained further experience in science policy consulting and finally in ethics consulting for companies. My work has often focused on socially relevant and often controversial issues, such as the permissibility of genetic diagnostics and research, concepts and requirements in the context of biodiversity protection, and current debates in the field of interculturality. In recent years, my focus has increasingly shifted to issues of digitalisation - in medicine and beyond. After all, organisations and institutions as well as society as a whole and each individual face many new challenges.
These are challenges to which philosophical ethics can make a valuable contribution - by promoting awareness of values relevant to decision-making, by providing a systematic approach to dealing with value conflicts, and by supporting the development of sustainable strategies for implementing ethical guidelines and policies.
Since 2021 I have been working independently as a consultant, author and speaker. I remain connected to the academic world as a guest lecturer at the Institute for Legal Issues in Medicine at the Law Faculty of Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf.
SERVICES
Companies are increasingly required to clearly communicate the moral principles and values on which their decisions are based. This is particularly true when new products and processes are to be developed, marketed or integrated into operations for which no standards yet exist.
Values such as social responsibility, fairness, transparency and sustainability are also playing an increasingly important role in other areas - in the recruitment of employees and in the context of cooperations, for investors and customers.
And rightly so. After all, in addition to economic aspects, social and ecological effects are often to be expected. However, balancing economic and other interests can be a challenge, and companies that want to meet this challenge often do not know how to go about it.
This is where ethics of innovation offers a methodical approach. Based on an analysis of the social and ethical impact of new products, production processes and marketing strategies, it supports the development and implementation of effective ethical guidelines and strategies.
Are you looking for an ethics concept that doesn't just exist on paper, but that demonstrably and sustainably minimises social and ethical risks and realises opportunities?
Then get in contact and let's work together!
COUNCELLING
You want to know what positive and negative effects your planned or already implemented projects can have with regard to social and ethical values and principles? Which stakeholder interests need to be taken into account and how you can respond appropriately to specific ethical challenges?
I offer you competent and trustworthy support on these and other questions.
TALKS
You want to sensitise your employees and teams to the ethical aspects of their work? Communicate the ethical standards and guidelines of your industry, your company, your working methods and products effectively?
In my presentations, I convey the relevant information and provide lasting and effective impetus.
WORKSHOPS
You want to develop and implement ethical guidelines for your company that are as convincing as they are practicable? Are you aware that ethical expertise, practical knowledge and experience are indispensable for this?
I facilitate the development and implementation of ethical guidelines and implementation strategies that meet the requirements of your company.
Topics (SELECTION)
DIGITAL INNOVATIONS
Producers, buyers and users of digital products and applications are facing a host of new challenges. It is no longer just a question of technical functionality, economic added value or legal requirements such as compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation and the new European AI Act. The social and ethical implications of the development, production, distribution, use and maintenance management of digital products are increasingly coming to the fore. Decision-makers need to ask themselves: what positive and negative consequences can be expected from these new technologies in the medium and long term - and for whom? Are the benefits and costs, opportunities and risks of developing, implementing and using digital tools balanced? What are the likely social and environmental impacts? And are any burdens fairly distributed? How can these ethical challenges be addressed at different levels of responsibility?
There are no general answers to these questions. They need to be considered individually and analysed in their context in order to identify ethical challenges at an early stage and find appropriate solutions. I can help you to do this successfully.
MORAL BURNOUT - PREVENTION IS KEY
Managers and specialists are often under enormous pressure, which increasingly leads to stress-related illnesses and burnout. High workloads, a lack of recovery time and problematic personnel management are usually blamed for this. An often overlooked but equally crucial factor is moral stress: it arises when company targets clash with personal values or social and ecological guidelines only exist on paper but cannot be implemented in everyday working life.
If this moral stress gets out of hand, it can lead to an erosion of professional integrity and professionalism. Such experiences are reported from the healthcare sector in particular - for example, when strict allocation rules make it impossible to adequately promote individual patient welfare. However, the strategies that have proven successful in the healthcare sector to overcome these challenges can also be transferred to other industries. Let me show you how.
ETHICAL GOVERNANCE
Many industries have realised that it makes more sense to invest in ethical corporate governance than to risk damage and the cost of repairing it later. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) are already established standards for many companies and are summarised under the term Ethical Governance.
Ethical governance is explicitly not a marketing tool - although it is useful for positioning a company in the marketplace. Rather, it is about defining and communicating relevant ethical principles and standards. It is about creating structures that support all employees in putting these values into practice. And it is about regularly reviewing the effectiveness of the measures taken.
To achieve this, fundamental questions need to be answered: What are the values and principles that guide our behaviour? What structures and measures are needed to develop and successfully implement a holistic ethics strategy? With trend researchers predicting that ethical demands on companies will continue to grow, these questions deserve our full attention.
I can help you ensure that your company's ethical standards do not just exist on paper, but can be successfully implemented in day-to-day business.
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