Smart Rebel Club @ Frankfurt School
Moonshot Economy – The Market of Tomorrow?
What do the space economy, capital markets, data infrastructure and the markets of tomorrow have in common? This question was at the heart of the Smart Rebel Club @ Frankfurt School, held at the end of May under the theme “Moonshot Economy – The Market of Tomorrow?”. Frankfurt School of Finance & Management hosted the new dialogue format, initiated by Bernd Breiter, founder of BigCityBeats and initiator of the Smart Rebel Club.
The event brought together representatives from the space sector, business, politics and academia alongside Frankfurt School students. Deliberately designed as an open dialogue space rather than a traditional conference, the evening focused on how space, technology, capital and innovation are set to shape future markets, business models and political decision-making.
Professor Nils Stieglitz, President and CEO of Frankfurt School, opened the event: “The future emerges where people engage with one another across disciplinary and hierarchical boundaries. For me, Smart Rebel Club is exactly that: a creative space where we think, debate, learn and turn ideas into concrete opportunities. At Frankfurt School, we want to create such encounters, because they form the foundation for entrepreneurial decision-making and genuine innovation.”
Discussions covered topics such as Europe’s role in commercial space activities, the growing importance of the space economy for international capital markets, and new opportunities for investors, companies and policymakers. One message became particularly clear: the space economy is no longer merely a visionary concept for the future. It is increasingly developing into an economic sector in its own right, with relevance for data, energy, infrastructure, data processing and new business models in space.
Guests and panellists included Rolf Densing, Director of Operations at the European Space Agency (ESA/ESOC Darmstadt), Professor Kristina Sinemus, Hessian Minister for Digital Strategy and Innovation, Susanne Freifrau von Verschuer, Vice President of the Frankfurt Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK Frankfurt am Main), Joshua Hager, Vice President at Barclays, and Florian P. Meyer, Executive Director at Goldman Sachs.
The Smart Rebel Club is not intended as a traditional lecture series. Instead, the format seeks to open up new ways of thinking: students meet decision-makers, technological visions meet economic realities, and academic expertise meets entrepreneurial challenges. It was precisely this exchange across disciplines, generations and perspectives that defined the evening at Frankfurt School.
The Smart Rebel Club reflects Frankfurt School’s commitment to fostering innovation, entrepreneurial thinking and intergenerational dialogue. It also highlights the growing importance of interdisciplinary exchange in addressing the complex challenges and opportunities of the future.