Dear community of the ‘Future of the Welfare State’ Congress,

When we launched this congress, our initial focus was on one goal: to highlight the need for reform of the social security system and to spark a debate on its structural, financial and digital modernisation.

The situation has since changed. Reform proposals are now on the table for almost all areas of social security – from pensions, healthcare and long-term care, through to basic income support, right up to funding, responsibilities and digitalisation.

The crucial question is therefore no longer whether reforms are necessary. The focus is on which proposals are viable, how they interact and how they can be implemented.

This is precisely where the Future Congress on the Welfare State comes in. It links the socio-political ‘what’ with the organisational, financial and technological ‘how’. After all, reforms cannot be viewed in isolation: changes to benefits have consequences for funding and contributions. New responsibilities require new processes and data flows. And digitalisation only brings about real progress if it simplifies structures, rather than merely replicating existing complexity in electronic form.

The congress does not advocate any ready-made reform model. It brings together those who shape reforms politically, finance them, administer them, implement them technically and are responsible for them in day-to-day practice.

On 25 and 26 November 2026, we therefore do not want to simply reiterate in Berlin that something needs to change. We want to identify which steps are now a priority, which decisions go hand in hand, and how reform proposals can be turned into actionable changes.

I look forward to an open, lively and, above all, practical exchange of views.

Oliver Lorenz
CEO, Wegweiser Media & Conferences GmbH