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• Publication: G. Hanekamp (ed.) Business Ethics of Innovation. Springer-Verlag, Berlin 2007, ISBN 978-3-540-72309-7 (Series: Ethics of Science and Technology Assessment, Band 31)

• Katharina Mader, M.A.

2005 Autumn Conference:
11.–13.9.2005, Schloss Engers, Neuwied-Engers

“What is the role of business enterprises when it comes to developing and offering new solutions to problems?” This was the question at the centre of this year's Autumn conference, “Business Ethics of Innovation”, held by the Europäische Akademie from 11th –13th September at Schloss Engers near Koblenz. The core themes of the conferences were: 1. Business Ethics and Innovation, 2. Business Ethics of Pharmaceutical Innovations, and 3. Business Ethics of IT Innovations.

“Business enterprises should contribute to the common good by actively resolving conflicts resulting from their profit-oriented strategies.” This was the demand put forward by Professor Horst Steinmann, Nuremberg, in his opening address. Enterprises should also participate in designing the framework within which they operate. This demand was taken up by Professor Dirk Matten, London. According to Matten, there was noticeable evidence that already today, in certain contexts, enterprises were taking over tasks that were traditionally understood as political. Business ethics, he continued, is responsible for providing theoretical support for accomplishing these new tasks. To this end, a governance discussion should be taken up, in which the significance of the informal proportion of political decision-making processes should be dealt with.

Dr. Andreas Seiter, from the World Bank in Washington, reported on the many efforts made by enterprises to resolve the conflict between the principle of profit and ensuring availabilty in developing countries. It was of particular importance, he stressed, to make medicines available to patients by creating an appropriate and adequate infrastructure. He went on to explain that very often neither adequate storage facilities nor distribution networks were available.

The point was made that before these problems could be solved, it was necessary to have the needed medicines; so far, these medicines had not even been developed. Professor Michael Selgelid, Sydney, pointed out that medicines for many diseases were not developed at all because those for whom they would be intended did not have the financial means to consitute an interesting market for the companies involved. The ethical questions arising in the development of new medicines were illustrated by Professor Margaret Eaton, Stanford. Companies must put their new medicines on the market as early as possible but, she stressed, they could of course only begin clinical trials when all steps in the preliminary test phase had been completed.

Further speakers at the conference were Professor Rainer Kuhlen, Constance, and Professor Markus Nuettgens, Hamburg.

The results of the conference will be published in the book series “Wissenschaftsethik und Technikfolgenbeurteilung” edited by the Director of the Europäische Akademie and published by Springer-Verlag (Volume 31).