Gottlieb Duttweiler Institut
Encyclopedia
The GDI Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute is an independent think-tank and the oldest organisation of its kind in Switzerland. It is located in Rüschlikon
, near Zurich
.
Established on 1 September 1963, the research institute was conceived by and named after the founder of Migros
, Gottlieb Duttweiler
. Taking his principle of "Focus on people and not on capital" as its starting point, the GDI researches and debates issues relating to the fields of consumption, trade and society, and current topics of relevance to business and society.
It is owned by the "Im Grüene" Foundation, which is co-financed by Migros
, Switzerland's largest retailer.
Dr. David Bosshart has headed up the GDI Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute since 1999.
The GDI publishes its research findings in its quarterly "GDI Impuls" and in numerous studies. It awards the prestigious Gottlieb Duttweiler Prize at intervals of several years.
established the "Im Grüene" Foundation as far back as 1946 with the aim of setting up an institute that could conduct scientific research in the cooperative-society and merchandise-sourcing fields. They wanted to promote events, training courses and meetings that would serve as bridges between people and between nations.
But Gottlieb Duttweiler did not lay the foundation stone for the GDI until 1962, shortly before his death. It was built in the "Im Grüene" Park, the location of the founder's former residence, as an independent research institute for business and social studies.
His vision of integrating the economy with society, his enormous inquisitiveness about the future and his thinking on issues of social responsibility have been the basis of the GDI's activities right down to the present day.
Thanks to its networking, the GDI functions as a worldwide knowledge platform for researching and discussing economic and social issues and making the results available to a broader public.
Experts from business and society meet regularly at the GDI to discuss current trends and future developments. Specialist meetings organised in cooperation with international partners and universities, and evening events dealing with society-related issues, provide further opportunities for exchanging views and experience.
The GDI has been quick to identify many developments in business and society at an early stage as topics for discussion. As far back as 1964, for instance, it focused on "the introduction of evening opening hours". In 1974, it addressed the subject of organic farming
, while "genetic engineering
" was a major topic in 1986 and the "Europeanisation of gastronomy" in 2000. In 2005, it produced the "Gold Generation" study, an analysis of the ageing society. The study shows how the values and attitudes of an increasingly aged society change, what kind of lifestyle it cultivates and what makes the "gold generation" happy.
in 1998, German foreign minister Joschka Fischer
in 2004 and the former United Nations Secretary-General
and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize
, Kofi Annan
in 2008. The "Switzerland: a Prison" speech that writer Friedrich Dürrenmatt
delivered on the occasion of the award of the prize to the then President of Czechoslovakia, Václav Havel
, in 1990 aroused great interest. In 2011, the Gottlieb Duttweiler Prize was presented to Wikipedia
co-founder Jimmy Wales
Rüschlikon
Rüschlikon is a municipality in the district of Horgen in the canton of Zürich in Switzerland. It is located on the west shore of Lake Zurich.- Coat of arms :Its coat of arms features a white shield with a seerose, a red flower with a yellow center....
, near Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
.
Established on 1 September 1963, the research institute was conceived by and named after the founder of Migros
Migros
Migros is one of Switzerland's largest enterprises, its largest supermarket chain and largest employer. It co-founded Turkey's largest retailer, Migros Türk, which became independent of Migros Switzerland in 1975....
, Gottlieb Duttweiler
Gottlieb Duttweiler
Gottlieb Duttweiler was a Swiss businessman and politician, founder of both the Migros chain of grocery stores and the party....
. Taking his principle of "Focus on people and not on capital" as its starting point, the GDI researches and debates issues relating to the fields of consumption, trade and society, and current topics of relevance to business and society.
It is owned by the "Im Grüene" Foundation, which is co-financed by Migros
Migros
Migros is one of Switzerland's largest enterprises, its largest supermarket chain and largest employer. It co-founded Turkey's largest retailer, Migros Türk, which became independent of Migros Switzerland in 1975....
, Switzerland's largest retailer.
Directors of the GDI
- Jørgen Thygesen, Virum/Denmark (1963–1964)
- Hans A. Pestalozzi, on an interim basis (1964–1966)
- Hans A. Pestalozzi (1966–1979)
- Dr. Jürg Marx, on an interim basis (1979–1980)
- Dr. Christian Lutz (1980–1998)
Dr. David Bosshart has headed up the GDI Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute since 1999.
The GDI publishes its research findings in its quarterly "GDI Impuls" and in numerous studies. It awards the prestigious Gottlieb Duttweiler Prize at intervals of several years.
History
Adele and Gottlieb DuttweilerGottlieb Duttweiler
Gottlieb Duttweiler was a Swiss businessman and politician, founder of both the Migros chain of grocery stores and the party....
established the "Im Grüene" Foundation as far back as 1946 with the aim of setting up an institute that could conduct scientific research in the cooperative-society and merchandise-sourcing fields. They wanted to promote events, training courses and meetings that would serve as bridges between people and between nations.
But Gottlieb Duttweiler did not lay the foundation stone for the GDI until 1962, shortly before his death. It was built in the "Im Grüene" Park, the location of the founder's former residence, as an independent research institute for business and social studies.
His vision of integrating the economy with society, his enormous inquisitiveness about the future and his thinking on issues of social responsibility have been the basis of the GDI's activities right down to the present day.
Aims
The GDI Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute has been conducting independent research for more than forty years. Its aim is to promote unorthodox and unconventional thinking and thereby generate groundbreaking ideas and approaches to problems. The GDI endeavours to be a meeting place, a space for bold ideas and for communication that transcends boundaries.Thanks to its networking, the GDI functions as a worldwide knowledge platform for researching and discussing economic and social issues and making the results available to a broader public.
Fields of activity
As a meeting place and knowledge hub, the GDI has four main focuses of activity: it is a research centre and innovative think-tank, publishes the findings of its research in studies and the quarterly "GDI Impuls", organises conferences and is accessible to a broader public as a conference and meeting venue.Experts from business and society meet regularly at the GDI to discuss current trends and future developments. Specialist meetings organised in cooperation with international partners and universities, and evening events dealing with society-related issues, provide further opportunities for exchanging views and experience.
Topics
The main topics covered in the last few years largely concern the following four fields:- Innovation in the retail and service sectors
- Food industry trends and analyses
- Marketing innovations and trends
- Social change and consumer trends
The GDI has been quick to identify many developments in business and society at an early stage as topics for discussion. As far back as 1964, for instance, it focused on "the introduction of evening opening hours". In 1974, it addressed the subject of organic farming
Organic farming
Organic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and control pests on a farm...
, while "genetic engineering
Genetic engineering
Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is the direct human manipulation of an organism's genome using modern DNA technology. It involves the introduction of foreign DNA or synthetic genes into the organism of interest...
" was a major topic in 1986 and the "Europeanisation of gastronomy" in 2000. In 2005, it produced the "Gold Generation" study, an analysis of the ageing society. The study shows how the values and attitudes of an increasingly aged society change, what kind of lifestyle it cultivates and what makes the "gold generation" happy.
Conferences
The GDI organises regular conferences. They include the "International Retail Summit", "European Consumer Trend Conference", "European Foodservice Summit" and two series of events entitled "Food for Thought" and "Thought Leaders at GDI".Prize
The Gottlieb Duttweiler Prize is awarded to extraordinary individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the well-being of the wider community and who are distinguished by courage, persistence, commitment and the successful initiation and implementation of sustainable changes. The Prize is endowed in the amount of 100,000 Swiss Francs. The award-winners include media entrepreneur Roger SchawinskiRoger Schawinski
Roger Schawinski is a well known Swiss journalist and entrepreneur as well as the creator of a highly successful Swiss consumer watchdog program called Kassensturz ....
in 1998, German foreign minister Joschka Fischer
Joschka Fischer
Joseph Martin "Joschka" Fischer is a German politician of the Alliance '90/The Greens. He served as Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor of Germany in the cabinet of Gerhard Schröder from 1998 to 2005...
in 2004 and the former United Nations Secretary-General
United Nations Secretary-General
The Secretary-General of the United Nations is the head of the Secretariat of the United Nations, one of the principal organs of the United Nations. The Secretary-General also acts as the de facto spokesperson and leader of the United Nations....
and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
, Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
in 2008. The "Switzerland: a Prison" speech that writer Friedrich Dürrenmatt
Friedrich Dürrenmatt
Friedrich Dürrenmatt was a Swiss author and dramatist. He was a proponent of epic theatre whose plays reflected the recent experiences of World War II. The politically active author's work included avant-garde dramas, philosophically deep crime novels, and often macabre satire...
delivered on the occasion of the award of the prize to the then President of Czechoslovakia, Václav Havel
Václav Havel
Václav Havel is a Czech playwright, essayist, poet, dissident and politician. He was the tenth and last President of Czechoslovakia and the first President of the Czech Republic . He has written over twenty plays and numerous non-fiction works, translated internationally...
, in 1990 aroused great interest. In 2011, the Gottlieb Duttweiler Prize was presented to Wikipedia
Wikipedia
Wikipedia is a free, web-based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Its 20 million articles have been written collaboratively by volunteers around the world. Almost all of its articles can be edited by anyone with access to the site,...
co-founder Jimmy Wales
Jimmy Wales
Jimmy Donal "Jimbo" Wales is an American Internet entrepreneur best known as a co-founder and promoter of the online non-profit encyclopedia Wikipedia and the Wikia company....