The Handtmann Forum in Biberach served as the venue for this year’s Ammerbucher Design Talk. By hosting the event, the Handtmann Group once again underscored its position as an innovation-driven technology company committed to shaping future-oriented topics and fostering dialogue between industry, technology, and entrepreneurship.
Executives, thought leaders, and technology experts from a variety of industries gathered to exchange perspectives on future readiness, innovation culture, and the challenges associated with long-term technology and investment decisions. Key contributors included Dr. Mark Betzold, CTO/COO of Handtmann Processing, Markus Handtmann, Co-CEO of the Handtmann Holding, and Dirk Seckler, Co-CEO of Handtmann Light Metal Casting. Together, they provided insights into strategic foresight, technology trends, innovation management, and long-term business development from their respective perspectives.
A key highlight of the event was the presentation by Dr. Mark Betzold, who introduced the Morpheus future study. The study explores how companies can make robust decisions today regarding technologies, products, and business models whose success often becomes visible only many years later. Through Morpheus, Handtmann Processing pursues a systematic approach to evaluating future scenarios at an early stage and translating these insights into its product and innovation strategy. The study focuses on future customer needs, digitalization, automation, artificial intelligence, and sustainable value creation. “The future belongs not to the companies with the most ideas, but to those that make the right decisions early on. With Morpheus, we have created a framework that helps us better understand tomorrow’s customer needs and derive innovations that deliver genuine value. Our ambition is not to predict the future, but to actively shape it together with our customers, partners, and employees,” explained Dr. Mark Betzold. Martin Staudenrausch, Vice President Global Technology at Handtmann Processing, further emphasized the importance of the study for the company’s technological direction: “Innovation begins when we free ourselves from today’s ways of thinking. Morpheus has shown us that the food production of the future will be simpler, smarter, and increasingly data-driven. These insights are already influencing our technology and product roadmaps today.” Dirk Seckler, Co-CEO of the Light Metal Casting Division, presented another innovation focus. Using Handtmann Light-Performance Wheels as an example, he demonstrated how technological expertise, a strong customer focus, and the willingness to rethink established solutions can unlock innovative products and create new market opportunities.
The subsequent panel discussion was moderated by Jürgen Schmid, founder of the Ammerbucher Design Talk. In an open and engaging exchange, participants discussed the challenges of long-term innovation decisions, the role of customers as co-creators of future solutions, and how companies can maintain and strengthen their innovative capabilities in times of increasing uncertainty. The lively discussions and diverse perspectives highlighted the relevance of the format and once again confirmed the Ammerbucher Design Talk as an established platform for cross-industry dialogue among business leaders and decision-makers.