PROGRAMME

Salzburg Summit 23rd – 25th July 2025

ROUGH NEW WORLD - NAVIGATING THROUGH INSECURITIES.

Wednesday, 23rd July 2025

Venue: HangAR-7
By invitation and pre-registration only.

18:30
WELCOME GALA DINNER

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Thursday, 24th July 2025

Venue: Salzburg Congress
BY INVITATION AND PRE-REGISTRATION ONLY.

09:00
OPENING
  • Georg Knill, President Federation of Austrian Industries
  • Karoline Edtstadler, Governor of Salzburg
  • Kristina Hammer, President Salzburg Festival
09:20
SPECIAL ADDRESS BY
  • Johannes Hahn, former European Commissioner for Budget and Administration
09:30
Navigating a rough new world: Europe’s strategic compass (ENG)
Introduction by David Bach, President IMD Business School
 
  • Benjamin Haddad, Minister Delegate for European Affairs, Republic of France
  • Claudia Plakolm, Federal Minister for the EU, Integration and Family, Austria
  • Helga Schmid, Vice-President Munich Security Conference Foundation (MSC)
  • Gerhard Zeiler, Chairman Warner Bros. Discovery International
 

Moderated by David Bach, President IMD Business School

10:35
Short Break
10:50
INTERVIEW WITH
  • David Petraeus, former Director Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
 
Moderated by Méabh Mc Mahon, TV Reporter, News Anchor & Moderator 
11:25
NATO, Ukraine, Zeitenwende – How to make Geopolitics great again? (ENG)
  • Victor Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade of Ontario  (Canada)
  • Maciej Witucki, Chairman of the Main Council of the Lewiatan Confederation (Counterpart to the Federation of Austrian Industries)
  • David Bach, President IMD Business School
 

Moderated by Méabh Mc Mahon, TV Reporter, News Anchor & Moderator 

12:25 LUNCH BREAK
13:30
SPECIAL ADDRESS BY
  • Josef Aschbacher, Director General European Space Agency (ESA)
13:45
It’s the economy, stupid! Preparing Europe’s Defence Transition (GER)
  • Nicola Beer, Vice-President European Investment Bank (EIB)
  • Markus Beyrer, Director General BusinessEurope
  • Michael Strugl, CEO Verbund AG
  • Valerie Brunner, Member of the Board Raiffeisen Bank International
 

Moderated by Monika Rosen, Vice President of the Austro-American Society in Vienna

14:45
Interview with
  • Christian Lindner, former Minister of Finance Germany
 

Moderated by Corinna Milborn, Head of Information Puls4

15:15
Life Sciences First: Is the US losing its competitive edge and has Europe the ambition to take the lead? (ENG)
  • Edward T. McMullen, former Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein from the United States
  • Alexander Pröll, State Secretary at the Federal Chancellery, Austria
  • Martin Hetzer, President Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA)
  • Wolfram Schmidt, President, Head of Europe, Biogen International GmbH
 

Moderated by Monika Rosen, Vice President of the Austro-American Society in Vienna

16:15
On the cusp of a new era
  • Marco Piccitto, Chairman of the McKinsey Global Institute Council
16:30
SHORT Break
16:45
DEEP DIVES

16:45

DEEP DIVE powered by KSW – Kammer der Steuerberater:innen und Wirtschaftsprüfer:innen (GER)

Green I Lean I Compliant – Managing bureaucracy and sustainability correctly

  • Philipp Rath, President KSW
  • Lukas Mandl, Member of the European Parliament
  • Gertrude Schatzdorfer-Wölfel, CEO Schatzdorfer GmbH
 

Moderated by Corinna Milborn, Head of Information Puls4

16:45

DEEP DIVE 

America’s political realignment under Trump (ENG)

  • Henry Olsen, Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center (Washington D.C.) 
 

16:45

DEEP DIVE powered by Selektiv Media (GER)

The future of media – disruption, technology and trust

  • Roland Weißmann, Director General Austrian Broadcasting Cooperation (ORF)
  • Michael Radelsberger, Managing Director Sky Austria
  • Carolin Hulshoff Pol, CEO BILD Group at Axel Springer SE
 

Moderated by Sara Grasel, Editor-in-Chief Selektiv Media

16:45

DEEP DIVE powered by Federation of Austrian Industries

Industry meets Culture (GER/ENG)

Guided Tour: “The Salzburg Festival from then until now”

Venue: Hotel Sacher & Café Bazar
By invitation and pre-registration only.

20:00
GET TOGETHER

Friday, 25th July 2025

Venue: Salzburg Congress
BY INVITATION AND PRE-REGISTRATION ONLY.

08:15
DEEP DIVE powered by a1 (GER)

Technology Breakfast: “Global Dynamics, European Responses: Technology and Economic Policy in Focus”

09:30
Executive interview with
  • Joschka Fischer, former Minister of Foreign Affiars & Vice Chancellor Germany

 

Moderated by Rainer Nowak, CEO Die Presse

10:30
AI at the Edge – a Stronghold of European Competitiveness (GER)
  • Georg Kopetz, CEO TTTech
  • Lars Reger, CTO NXP
  • Andreas Urschitz, CMO Infineon
  • Alwine Mohnen, Professor Technical University Munich – Head of School of Management
 

Moderated by Thomas Zimpfer, Managing Director B&C Group

11:15
SPECIAL ADDRESS BY
  • Nicușor Dan, President of Romania
11:30
Short break
11:45
Deep DiveS

11:45

DEEP DIVE (GER)

Exclusive Talk with General Major Sascha Bosezky, Head of Austria´s Strategic Intelligence Agency

11:45

DEEP DIVE (GER)

Navigating Insecurities – WU Students‘ Perspectives on Key Themes and Challenges
A Poster Session

11:45

DEEP DIVE powered by Federation of Austrian Industries (GER/ENG)

Industry meets Culture 

Guided Tour: „Discover the Story Behind Salzburg’s Sweetest Icon – The Mozartkugel“

11:45

DEEP DIVE powered by European Forum Alpbach (GER)

Europe’s Wake-Up Call

Time for Geopolitical Assertiveness and European Security

12:45 LUNCH