“It’s not just about having great ideas – it’s far more important to implement them” – Bertrand Piccard’s vision which he is putting into action with Solar Impulse is at the cutting edge of technology: the first manned round-the-world flight in an airplane powered solely by solar energy. For both Piccard and Deutsche Bank, a main partner of the project, Solar Impulse is an investment in the future of our planet – ecologically sustainable and economically viable, it is a contribution to the welfare of the whole of society.

On 7 March Piccard introduced the Solar Impulse project as one of the keynote speakers at the ITB in Berlin, with over 170,000 visitors the largest travel and tourism trade fair in the world. “If we do not find alternative sources of energy our planet will crash long before we are able to pass it on to the next generation” was his insistent plea. Solar Impulse is intended to be a beacon, sending a clear message that it’s high time to re-think and that “alternatives can be interesting and sexy”. Solar Impulse is about more than technological innovation: above all it displays a pioneering spirit and a determination to set new standards – taking social responsibility seriously and developing solutions to the challenges of the future.