17th Annual Conference of the German Society for Health Economics (dggö) at Paderborn University
How are healthcare systems changing in the face of an ageing society? What challenges are arising - and what solutions are there? Around 400 experts from science and practice came to Paderborn University on 24 and 25 March 2025 for the 17th annual conference of the German Society for Health Economics (dggö ) to discuss these and other questions. The highly topical subject of "Ageing and Health" was at the centre of the event.
A wide range of health economic issues were addressed in a total of 56 lecture sessions and 35 poster contributions. A comprehensive review process ensured the high scientific standard of the contributions submitted.
The conference was opened by Prof Dr Réne Fahr, Vice President of Paderborn University, and dggö Chairwoman Prof Dr Amelie Wuppermann. In their welcoming addresses, both emphasised the social relevance of health economics research - especially with regard to demographic change.
Exciting impulses and controversial debates
The two keynote speeches were among the highlights: On the first day, Prof Corina Mommaerts, PhD, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison spoke about the economic perspectives on Alzheimer's disease ("What can Economics say about Alzheimer's disease?"). On the second day, Prof. Dr. Friedrich Breyer from the University of Konstanz analysed the long-term financial viability of healthcare systems in his presentation "Ageing, care expenditure and sustainable financing".
Innovative debate duels complemented the scientific programme: In the first duel, Prof. Dr. Kirsten Thommes (Paderborn University) and Angelika Grüter (Debattierclub Münster e.V.) discussed the use of care robots - between efficiency gains and ethical issues. In the second duel, Prof Dr Hendrik Jürges (Wuppertal) and Henry Keller (Debattierclub der Universität Münster e.V.) faced each other and debated the use of health data for the common good.
"The conference not only offered space for professional exchange, but also for new impulses, critical perspectives and interdisciplinary discussions. Paderborn once again proved to be a lively place for scientific dialogue," said organiser Prof. Dr. Hendrik Schmitz, expressing his enthusiasm for the success of the conference.
Dggö conference in Paderborn
The dggö conference took place in Paderborn for the first time this year. Prof. Dr. Juliane Köberlein-Neu (Wuppertal) and her team were responsible for the content of the programme. Prof. Dr. Hendrik Schmitz (Paderborn) and his dedicated team (Diana Freise, Verena Bade and Christiane Borghoff) were responsible for the local organisation. The Faculty of Business Administration and Economics would like to thank all participants, speakers and guests for the successful event.
