Faced with global uncertainties and an urgent need for technological sovereignty, Europe must strengthen its competitiveness through RDI, thus ensuring a strong industrial base. Collaborative RDI plays a crucial role in bridging the gap between scientific breakthroughs, the development of future key technologies and (industrial) applications, ensuring that excellent research results generate tangible economic and societal impact. Innovation does not occur in isolation but relies on European innovation ecosystems along the entire RDI value chain across national borders. This panel will discuss strategic priorities and actions of the EU’s future RDI policy to ensure excellent ideas and technological competence for powerful value chains.

* Jodi Barrientos, Ribbon Bio GmbH

* Heinz Faßmann, Austrian Academy of Sciences

* Sabine Herlitschka, Infineon Technologies Austria AG

* Alexandr Hobza, Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Stéphane Séjourné, European Commission

* Sara Grasel, editor-in-chief, Selektiv

Mission climate targets. A united Europe with a responsible goal! Efforts to raise awareness of environmental issues among companies through EU regulations do not have to weaken the competitiveness of the economy. No, they will strengthen it in the long term. Strategies for defossilisation and the effective use of the circular economy make companies more resilient in crises and less dependent on the global market and raw material shortages. We need a network of environmental pioneers who continue to make life in Europe worth living. Renowned companies report on their strategies and experiences.

* Claus Zeppelzauer, ecoplus NÖ Wirtschaftsagentur

* Gernot Wagner, Columbia Business School

* Robert Schmid, Wopfinger Gruppe

* Christiane Brunner, CEOs for Future, Climate Business Circle

* Bianca Donaubauer, Raiffeisenlandesbank NÖ-Wien AG, ecoplus International GmbH

From idea to implementation. Europe faces challenges but also opportunities in global competition. To ensure economic resilience, social progress and technological sovereignty, there needs to be a close link between research, innovation and market implementation. In the ESBS Austria workshop, high-profile representatives from industry, politics and business discuss how research is translated into marketable innovations. The aim is to develop a coordinated innovation policy at national and EU level that strengthens Europe's competitiveness.

* Michael Mertin, AT&S AG

* Henriette Spyra / Beate El-Chichakli, BMIMI

* Wolfgang Schwarzbauer, EcoAustria

* Moderation: Christina Hirschl, Silicon Austria Labs

Weitere Speaker:innen folgen

Excellent science needs excellent research. To remain attractive for top researchers, our institutions, universities, and the whole research ecosystem must ensure optimal conditions for the scientific workforce. Panelists from the research community, including representatives of research institutions, will be addressing the different aspects of creating optimal conditions in science at a national and European level. To illustrate the national perspective, we will be presenting and discussing key findings of the 2025 FWF survey of Austria’s researchers.

* Maria Leptin, European Research Council

* Manuela Baccarini, University of Vienna

* Georg Winter, AITHYRA, Austrian Academy of Sciences

* Juan Pablo Aguilera, FWF START Award winner, TU Wien

* Moderation: Christof Gattringer, Austrian Science Fund (FWF)

Achieving climate targets and the decarbonisation required to do so will necessitate a wide range of interlinked measures. One key element is the transition from fossil fuels to electrification. Batteries play a key role in this transition as a central technology for sustainable mobility and efficient energy storage.

The workshop aims to highlight technological trends and challenges, as well as opportunities and potential for the location, along the entire value chain.

Jost Bernasch, Virtual Vehicle GmbH

Andrea Höglinger, Technische Universität Graz

Georg Knill, Industriellenvereinigung Österreich

Georg List, AVL List GmbH

Eva Gerold, Montanuniversität Leoben

Moderation: Heinz Mayer, Joanneum Research

The workshop presents the results of a FORWIT study on barriers to the commercialisation and scaling of research results. A dialogue-based keynote speech by two experts highlights key bottlenecks and sets the stage for the subsequent panel discussion. There, participants reflect on strategies for overcoming these obstacles based on concrete best practices from their own transfer processes.

* Maria Kollmann, AVL-List

* Brigitte Ecker, WPZ-Research

* Wolfgang Platz, Katharo Ventures

* Georg Kopetz, TTTech Computertechnik

* Oliver Holle, Speedinvest

* Sok-Kheng Taing, Dynatrace

Join us at Technology Talks 2025 for a high-level panel that tackles one of Europe’s most urgent innovation challenges: how to close the gap between scientific excellence and entrepreneurial scale. Framed by the EU’s Competitiveness Compass, this discussion brings together top-tier innovation leaders—from leading EU startup hubs and deep-tech investors to national funding bodies and university spin-out pioneers. Moderated by Markus Wanko (xista), the panel explores three core hypotheses:

• How can academic institutions systematically generate scalable ventures?

• What network alliances are essential to transform national efforts into globally competitive hubs?

• And what role do EU-wide financial strategies play in enabling high-growth spin-offs?

Featuring voices from Lucy Capital, Round2 Capital, prewave, AWS, TU Wien, AIT and konsultori; this is a must-attend-session for anyone building the future of Europe’s deep-tech economy.

* Isabella Hermann-Schön, Round2 Capital GmbH

* Cynthia Jurytko, Lucy Capital

* Bernhard Sagmeister, Austria Wirtschaftsservice

* Lisa Smith, Prewave GmbH

* Christian Hoffmann, Startup Factory/TU Wien

* Alexander Svejkovsky, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology

* Petra Wolkenstein, Konsultori BD GmbH

* Moderation: Markus Wanko, XISTA

Austria aims to strengthen its competitiveness in the long term with its key technology initiative. The focus is on Austria's areas of strength and converging technologies with high innovation and growth potential.

What specific measures are needed to ensure that this initiative has a real impact? What framework conditions must be created to move from basic research to concrete application?

In an interactive workshop format, we will discuss the target vision and the design of the key technology offensive together.

Speakers and further details to follow.

Global megatrends such as accelerated technological developments, climate change, and geopolitical tensions are influencing global value chains. The application and development of net-zero technologies in the context of industrial transformation are giving rise to new, cross-sectoral value chains.

Industrial transformation also entails the creation of new business models and, with them, entirely new value creation structures. A central element of this transformation is trust: trust in innovative technologies as well as in new international, cross-sectoral collaborations.

Proactive governance can accelerate the development of industrial value chains toward a net-zero scenario. This workshop explores how new industrial business models and partnerships are formed along these emerging value chains, and which platforms foster international knowledge exchange and strategic alliances.

* Eileen Torres Morales, Stockholm Environment Institute

* Peter Eisenkoeck, Andritz Environment & Energy

more speakers to follow

Europe needs a competitive and strong space industry and the integration of space data and services into our economy and society - as a key factor for technological sovereignty, innovation and economic, environmental and security-oriented resilience. What does this mean in concrete terms for companies, investors and society? In our workshop we discuss with experts from industry and investment how space technologies and space data are already strengthening Europe's and Austria’s competitiveness today - and the huge potential for the coming years.

* Michael Fassnauer, UBIMET GmbH

* Christian Federspiel, Findus Venture GmbH

* Christian Klug, Wiener Netze

* Martin Langer, OroraTech GmbH

* Victor Maier, The Exploration Company

* Hermann Ludwig Moeller, European Space Policy Institute

* Andreas Geisler, Austrian Space Agency/FFG

AI has a strong influence on our lives, but holds the risk of reinforcing inequalities. Equality, ethics & social equity are often marginalised. Gender stereotypes in data and the low representation of women in AI development consolidate “gender-typical” interests. This panel takes a critical look at algorithms of inequality by asking: How can AI be used to promote gender equality and therefore a more equal future? Join experts to discuss solutions at the intersection of gender, discrimination and technology.

* Virginia Dignum, Umeå University

* Yufang Hou, IT:U Austria

* Teki Akuetteh, Africa Digital Rights Hub, Nsiah Akuetteh & Co

* Irina Nalis-Neuner, LIFT_C Linz Institute for Transformative Change/JKU, CD Lab for Recommender Systems/TU Wien 

* Christine Bauer, University of Salzburg

* Moderation: Elka Xharo, FHWien / Women in STEM

The workshop focuses on sustainable drive technologies and the energy sources used for them that are ‘Made in Austria’ and their contribution to improving competitiveness. The focus is on technological openness, sustainable change and application-oriented basic research. Three impulses shed light on sustainability from different perspectives, technological competitiveness and research with practical relevance. The aim is to promote professional exchange and networking among relevant actors.

* Peter Prenninger, AVL List GmbH, A3PS

* Christa Zengerer, ACstyria Mobilitätscluster GmbH

* Christian Kallinger, VNT Automotive Gruppe

* Stefan Jakubek, TU Wien

* Jens Olaf Stein, Robert Bosch AG

* Astrid Wolfbeisser, A3PS

How can we better utilise Austria's innovation potential? The workshop shows how targeted cooperation with research institutions and effective knowledge transfer can make SMEs internationally competitive. An international impetus and practical success stories provide inspiration on how innovation processes in SMEs can be sustainably accelerated, but also on which transfer gaps still need to be overcome.

* Torben Schubert, Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI

* Anika Gassner, Österreichisches Forschungsinstitut für Chemie und Technik

* Markus Feichtner, Sonnenkraft GmbH

* Christian Timmerer, CD-Labors ATHENA

* Stefan Gruber, Bitmovin

* Sandra Stein, Fraunhofer Austria

* Christoph Dietrichsteiner, LaVie GmbH

* Alexander N. Stelzer, Project-S GmbH

* Iris Filzwieser, ACR, Mettop GmbH

* Florian Frauscher, BMWET

* Moderation: Elke Dall, Zentrum für Soziale Innovation

What trends, technologies and ambitions will shape our future – and how can nation states and companies actively help shape the digital future? Using examples from the EU Digital Decade, we explore best practices from Europe and use the Innovation Map to create visions of the future with groundbreaking technologies. This interactive session introduces the Innovation Map as an innovative foresight tool and invites participants to identify transformative opportunities and translate ideas into competitiveness.

Mehr Informationen: www.innovationmap.at

* Kerstin Gronau, WKÖ Innovation & Digitalisierung

* Wolfgang Lindner, WKÖ Innovation & Digitalisierung

Further speakers to follow