The forces of creative destruction were eloquently elaborated by Joseph Alois Schumpeter, who died in 1950.

Yet they have never been more topical than they are today.

Innovative business models are everywhere, in every industry.

One example of this is 24-year-old Ganesh Chaudhari.

Having been unemployed for a considerable length of time, he is now working as a plumber:

‘I get a lot of orders for plumbing work in large construction projects.

After various consulting assignments for GTZ, Dr Beier began his professional career in Saarland, working from 1989 to 1990 as project manager for industrial settlement at the Gesellschaft für Wirtschaftsförderung ( business promotion agency ).

In 1990, he joined the Ministry of Economics and worked until 1991 as desk officer responsible, among other things, for European policy and regional development programmes.

Following this, he worked until 1996 as research assistant to the chair for economics and social geography in the Geographical Institute, Ruhr University in Bochum, where he completed his doctorate.