Thinking big to generate new ideas

There is a great deal of speculation about how artificial intelligence (AI) is set to change the world – all the more so since chatbots like ChatGPT have been showing off their skills. AI can support us in performing many activities and can take over others entirely. What is left for us as humans? Entrepreneurship is one of the skills that makes us humans unique: making decisions despite uncertainty and implementing our own ideas in an imaginative fashion. However, you don’t have to establish a startup to be an entrepreneur. Creative action is also more in demand than ever at existing organisations in light of the challenges of our time. The ZHAW has set itself the objective of becoming a leading entrepreneurial university in Switzerland, as President Jean-Marc Piveteau emphasises in an interview found in this edition of the magazine: “All of our graduates should be able to say one day that they studied at a university at which entrepreneurial thinking is something very important” (page 20). The ZHAW has been promoting an entrepreneurial mindset for some time. However, it now wants to shift up a gear. The university should become a place that attracts even more people who want to grow by tackling challenges and work together by thinking big to generate ideas that transcend disciplinary boundaries. The cover image by Till Martin symbolises the fact that entrepreneurs are people who get down to work and remain grounded. They design, implement ideas and, with a little bit of luck and the right conditions, make their way up the success ladder. In this issue of Impact, we introduce you to students and graduates who have turned their dream of launching their own startup into reality. We hope you have fun in discovering just what human intelligence is capable of.