Global Economy Prize 2018
The laureates of the Global Economy Prize 2018 are Prof. Dr. Klaus Schwab, Bas van Abel and Prof. Robert Shiller, Ph.D. They have been honored as pioneers of a cosmopolitan, economically liberal, and public-spirited society.
Klaus Martin Schwab
Klaus Martin Schwab, born March 30, 1938, in the southern German town of Ravensburg, is the founder and executice chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF), which is best known for its annual meetings in Davos. Schwab established the forum back in the 1970s with the original aim of introducing European business executives to US management practices. The multi-stakeholder approach devised by Schwab has also contributed to his reputation. This approach seeks to involve all parties affected by a business or political initiative in the decision-making process. Schwab also developed the Global Competitiveness Index, which ranks countries by their competitiveness and remains widely used today. More on Klaus Schwab's life and achievements.
Bas van Abel
Bas van Abel, born August 18, 1977, in Nijmegen, is the founder and CEO of Fairphone B.V. The company makes a smartphone under the same name, which is designed to be as socially responsible as possible. The focus is on a long service life, use of fair-trade materials and resources from conflict-free mines, decent working conditions, reusability and recycling as well as supply chain transparency. A further goal is to make consumers aware of abuses in the worldwide production of smartphones and bring about a rethinking on the part of industry and consumers. More on Bas van Abel's life and achievements.
Robert James Shiller
Robert James Shiller, born March 29, 1946, in Detroit, is an American economist, Nobel prizewinner, and best-selling author. He is known for challenging and refuting the conventional view in economics of rational investors and efficient markets that are self-correcting and always return to equilibrium. Shiller predicted the dotcom bubble at the turn of the millennium and also the real estate bubble that triggered the global financial crisis in 2008. He also played a pioneering role in establishing behavioral economics. Shiller is the author of many best-selling books on the financial markets. More on Robert Shiller's life and achievements.
