SHERIDAN, WYOMING -- June 2, 2026 -- Steffen Kampeter, director general of the Confederation of German Employers' Associations (BDA), has publicly endorsed a potential EXPO 2035 bid by Berlin as a strategic opportunity for Germany's economic positioning - but made clear that national business support will only follow once the Berlin Senate commits to the project politically. His position was laid out in a newly released episode of the EXPO 2035 Berlin podcast series hosted by Jan Lerch. The statement carries weight: Kampeter leads one of the most influential employer organizations in Germany, and his conditions amount to a direct challenge to Berlin's governing coalition.
Kampeter Frames a World Expo as Germany's Missing Forward Vision
Germany's public debate, in Kampeter's view, has become too heavily focused on deficits and crises. He argued that what is missing is a credible forward-looking vision - a clear articulation of where Germany wants to be as a society and economy in 2035 and 2040. A world exposition, he suggested, could serve as the platform to answer those questions in a concrete and internationally visible way. The BDA chief described a possible Berlin expo as a real-world laboratory for the future with national ambition and global reach.
Economic Competitiveness and Innovation Anchor the Case
Kampeter connected the EXPO case directly to questions of industrial relevance and investment attraction. He asked what technologies Germany can bring to market, what talent it can offer, and how it positions itself as a destination for foreign investment. In his framing, an expo offers a more targeted vehicle for those goals than other large-scale events. He did not dismiss the infrastructure and social value of events like the Olympics, but drew a distinction between the two in terms of economic and innovation impact.
Senate Must Move First - Business Will Not Lead
The core condition Kampeter set is unambiguous. Employer organizations are not in a position to substitute for political leadership, and their members would not accept interference in regional political decisions. Berlin's affairs, he stated plainly, belong to Berlin. If the Senate moves and secures a bid, Kampeter indicated that broad national business support - beyond the regional organizations already engaged - would follow. Until then, it will not.
He noted that Berlin's Senate currently holds a workable parliamentary majority, meaning the political preconditions for action exist. The first step must come from elected officials, not from employer associations.
Positive Public Mood in Berlin Seen as an Asset
One observation Kampeter shared is worth noting for bid strategists. He expressed genuine surprise at the level of public enthusiasm for the EXPO idea in Berlin's broader civic life. That positive reception, he argued, is itself a strategic asset - one that could strengthen an international bid if translated into a formal political commitment. Berlin's civic energy is ahead of its political leadership on this issue, at least as Kampeter sees it.
What a Supported Bid Would Look Like
Kampeter sketched the shape of the business community's potential contribution. Once the Senate formally commits, he expects significant participation: practical expertise, organizational capacity, material resources, and ideas from national-level economic actors. The sequencing matters to him. Political commitment unlocks economic mobilization. Not the other way around.
Podcast as Strategic Platform for the Bid
The episode was released through the EXPO 2035 Berlin GmbH communication team as part of the ongoing podcast series "2035 x Berlin - Der EXPO-Cast mit Jan Lerch," which has been used consistently to bring prominent voices from German business and public life into the EXPO debate. Kampeter's participation - and the directness of his message to Berlin's Senate - suggests the series is functioning as a pressure channel as much as an information platform.