Powering Wealth Workshop in Mexico City

In December 2025, the Powering Wealth project team met in person in Mexico City for the first time in a larger constellation. Andrea Binder (Freie Universität Berlin), Thorsten Benner and Caroline Rübe (Global Public Policy Institute) travelled to Mexico to work closely with Alice Krozer, Diego Castañeda, and Natalia Torres (El Colegio de México) over the course of two weeks.

The starting point for the joint work was the overarching research question of Powering Wealth: how the historical development of energy systems intersects with entrepreneurial families and family-based business structures. Using Mexico as a case, the team discussed energy history, regional economic developments, and methodological questions related to data collection. Conversations with local experts provided additional perspectives on energy policy, economic structures, and the role of business groups in Mexico.

A recurring theme was how entrepreneurial families reposition themselves across different historical phases—shifting, for example, from trade and mining to industrial and financial activities—and how access to energy factors into the long-term continuity of their economic activities. Regional differences, particularly between Mexico City and the industrial north, also played an important role in these discussions.

At the same time, the workshop was used to further refine key conceptual and methodological aspects of the project. This included discussions on how to relate intergenerational business structures to energy transitions, the role of the family as a unit of analysis, and how to work with fragmented or difficult-to-access data.

A dedicated part of the workshop focused on the Artist Fellowship. Applications were reviewed and discussed collectively. For Germany, the selection process was further specified and interviews with shortlisted artists were scheduled. For Mexico, it was decided to relaunch the call and invite selected candidates from the first round to resubmit their proposals.

A return visit of the Mexican project partners to Germany is planned for 2027.