What is so important that it should still reach humanity even if digital systems fail, data is lost, and our present-day world has long become history?
This question lies at the heart of an extraordinary decision: In February 2026, the book “Mut zur Zukunft” (Courage for the Future) by Stephan Jung will be deposited in the Arctic World Archive on Svalbard. It will be the only book by a German author ever included in this archive and one of the very few contemporary works by a living author worldwide to be preserved there.
Located deep within the permafrost of a former coal mine, the archive already safeguards some of humanity’s most significant records. These include UNESCO documents, cultural heritage of global importance, and internationally recognised archives such as the Band Aid collection. With the inclusion of “Mut zur Zukunft”, a contemporary German work becomes part of this collective memory for the first time.
Why analogue legacies are gaining renewed importance
The decision to preserve the book physically is a deliberate response to current developments. Even in the digital age, content can be altered, deleted, restricted, or lost. History is continuously reinterpreted; books are banned in some countries; digital archives disappear due to political decisions, technological dependencies, or system failures.
Digital information is often perceived as permanent. In reality, it is fragile. Servers can be shut down, file formats can become unreadable, and platforms can become obsolete. An analogue archive such as the Arctic World Archive removes knowledge from these short-term risks and preserves it independently of technology, market forces, or political systems.
A symbolic act of responsibility
The deposit of “Mut zur Zukunft” is intentionally not a marketing initiative, but a symbolic act of responsibility. A book about the future is not left to fleeting algorithms or short-term attention cycles, but passed on as a cultural testimony to future generations.
“We live in an era of constant acceleration and, at the same time, increasing fragility of knowledge,” says Jung. “This book is not written for the next trend. It is written for people who may, in one hundred or even one thousand years, want to understand how we once thought about the future.”
The place as part of the message
Svalbard is considered one of the safest locations in the world. Nearby is the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, where crop seeds are preserved as the biological foundation of humanity’s future. Where the genetic basis of life is protected, a legacy of ideas is now being preserved as well.
The deposit will take place as part of an international forum with representatives from science, culture, technology, and civil society. The aim of the gathering is to protect resources that are essential to humanity’s survival and identity: nature and biodiversity, knowledge and culture, memory and meaning.
Selected media representatives will have the opportunity to attend and accompany the deposit ceremony on site by invitation.
With the inclusion of “Mut zur Zukunft” in the Arctic World Archive, a clear message is sent:
The future is not a short-term project - it is a legacy.
Book Information
Title: Mut zur Zukunft (Courage for the Future)
Author: Stephan Jung
Publication: October 2025
Publisher: Remote Verlag
Formats: Hardcover, paperback, e-book
Interviews and Editorial Contributions
Stephan Jung is available for interviews, background briefings, commentaries, and guest contributions. Advance reading copies or review copies can be provided upon request.
Stephan Jung’s Biography
Stephan Jung is a future and innovation expert, international keynote speaker, and Honorary Senator of the European Economic Senate. He advises companies, associations, and executive boards on innovation, transformation, and long-term strategic foresight. His work combines global trend research with a long-range perspective on the future.
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Stephan Jung is a leading innovation expert, entrepreneur, and author, widely recognized as a forward thinker on future and technology trends.
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His career spans hands-on business leadership as a retail merchant, Managing Director of a billion-euro real estate fund, and Chairman of the German Council of Shopping Places. Today, he operates at the intersection of innovation, economy, and societal transformation.
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Stephan Jung advises boards and executive committees with continuous strategic input and was appointed Honorary Senator by the European Economic Senate. He also serves as Vice President of the German Artificial Intelligence Association.
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The world’s most renowned trend forecaster, Faith Popcorn, invited him into her exclusive expert pool.
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The Executive Office of Barack Obama recommended him as an innovation expert for Smart City initiatives.
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He has addressed members of the German Parliament on Europe’s pace of innovation, delivered the keynote at the Brexit Talk of the European Central Bank, and regularly works with institutions such as ARD (German Televison) and the German Football Association.
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His book “Mut zur Zukunft” (Courage for the Future), published in late 2025, inspires leaders to actively shape the future and is on track to become a bestseller.
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Leading media outlets including Handelsblatt, Die Welt, and Süddeutsche Zeitung value Stephan Jung for his clear analysis, sharp insights, and reliable foresight.
