Volkswagen Group, the Grameen Creative Lab and Autostadt co-host an event for economic and social players in the Wolfsburg region

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• A joint event by the Volkswagen Group, the Grameen Creative Lab and Autostadt for economic and social players in the Wolfsburg region
• Pioneering platform for sustainable and socially responsible entrepreneurship
• Key topic: using commercial principles in response to social challenges

WOLFSBURG, 19-Sep-2018 — /EuropaWire/ — Inspired by concepts of the renowned economist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Prof. Muhammad Yunus, the “Friends of Social Business Lab” is set to celebrate its premiere Wolfsburg. The cultural center Hallenbad is being turned into a think tank focusing on new business models which are built around social problems.

The one-day conference aims to provide an introduction to the ideas of „Social Business” and to establish a network between players from different social areas in the Wolfsburg region in order to explore opportunities for new social businesses. The underlying idea is to maximize the social benefit of commercial activities by dedicating the innovative strength of businesses to the solution of pressing social problems. The concept had been developed in the 1980s by Prof. Muhammad Yunus when he launched micro credit loans for the poor enabling them to overcome poverty.

HR Director, Member of the Board of Management, Gunnar Kilian: “At Volkswagen we have a clear attitude: business is for the people. That is why we take our social responsibility very seriously. We contribute to structural development, education projects and equality of chances at our company’s sites and beyond, and we support social, cultural and community projects in many ways. We are pleased to co-host the “Friends of Social Business Lab”, a platform for exchange and concept development.”

The „Friends of Social Business Lab“ will be followed by the „Global Social Business Summit“, taking place on November 8 and 9, 2018 in the Autostadt in Wolfsburg. It will be realized as a partnership between the Yunus Center and the Grameen Creative Lab in cooperation with Volkswagen Group and Autostadt GmbH. As the globally leading platform for Social Business, the Global Social Business Summit (GSBS) connects representatives from private businesses, civil society, NGOs, public sectors, universities, students and social business players to drive a wide-ranging discourse and pave the way for specific projects in the field of Social Business. The support of the “Friends of Social Business Lab” and the “Global Social Business Summit” are integral elements of Volkswagen’s comprehensive commitment to corporate social responsibility. It is expressed in multi-facetted cooperations with cultural institutions and artists as well as support for social initiatives, and it underlines the Group’s mission to contribute to a social environment characterized by innovation, sincerity and cooperation. Serving as the communication platform for the Volkswagen Group, Autostadt also supports the “Friends of Social Business Lab” and the “Global Social Business Summit” and is engaged in both activities with a team of socially committed employees.

For registrations and further information about the events please visit www.friendsofsocialbusiness.com.

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SOURCE: Volkswagen AG