Wachau Europe Forum 2025

9.00 a.m. - Europe Forum Plenary I
"Facing Challenges - Embracing Visions"
Campus Krems

Moderation: Barbara Fleißner

Opening
Michael Linhart, President of the Europa-Forum Wachau
Johanna Mikl-Leitner, Governor of Lower Austria

Focus on Science
Friedrich Faulhammer, Rector of the University for Continuing Education Krems
Ulrike Prommer, Head of University Management, IMC Krems
Gerald Obermair, PhD Degree Director at Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences

Focus on Europe
Claudia Plakolm, Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Family of Austria
János Bóka, Federal Minister for European Affairs of Hungary
Pavlína Žáková, Deputy Minister for European Affairs of the Czech Republic

Focus on Economy
Ekaterina Zaharieva, EU-Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation

Focus on Defence
Robert Brieger, General Chairman of the European Union Military Committee
Arnold Kammel, General Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Defence of Austria
Bojan Božović, Federal Minister of Justice of Montenegro
Tomislav Galić, State Secretary of the Ministry of Defence of Croatia

12.30 p.m. - Get-together
Lunch Break
Campus Krems

2.00 p.m. - Europa-Forum Science Campus
"Facing Aging - Embracing Longevity"
Campus Krems

Moderation: Barbara Fleißner, Sebastian Mörth, Intuitive Future Forum

Opening
Eva-Maria Holzleitner, Federal Minister of Women, Science and Research of Austria
Alexander Pröll, State Secretary in the Federal Chancellery of Austria
Hermann Gröhe, Former Federal Minister of Health of Germany

Focus on Life Science
Judit Simon, Medical University of Vienna
Alexandra Kautzky-Willer, Medical University of Vienna
Thomas Pieber, Medical University of Graz
Anton Dunzendorfer, Austrian Institute of Technology

Focus on Technology and Health
Elisabeth Bräutigam, Board Member of the Regional Health Agency
of Lower Austria
Christian Fohringer, Managing Director of Notruf Niederösterreich

Campus Breakout Sessions
Session 1: The Promise of Longevity in Advertising and Media
Jana Meixner, University for Continuing Education Krems
Session 2: Age-Appropriate AI in Healthcare: Bridging the Grey Divide
Hanna Köttl, IMC Krems - University of Applied Sciences
Session 3: Sustainable Care Concepts in Times of Climate Change
Vera Gallistl, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences

4.40 p.m. - Get-together
Presentations of the Lounges
Campus Krems

6.00 p.m. - ecoplus Economic Salon
"Facing Risks - Embracing Cooperation"
Campus Krems

Moderation: Barbara Fleißner, Sebastian Enskat, Konrad Adenauer Foundation

Opening
Claus Zeppelzauer, Executive management of ecoplus

Focus on Defence
Elisabeth Hoffberger-Pippan, Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF)
Sonja Linskeseder, Crisis Management and Security Affairs Unit
of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber
Wolfgang Schneider, IBM Consulting Senior Partner
Alexander Schuster, Heckler & Koch GmbH
Mark Pfeiffer, IABG Industrieanlagenbetriebsgesellschaft mbH

Focus on Cyber & Aerospace
Christian T. Geiss, clockwerkX GmbH
David Blum, Accenture Austria
Natalia Petrova-Korudzhiyski, msg Plaut Austria GmbH
Lukas Gerhold, Siemens Austria
Uwe Hensel, Head of Marketing & PR at Schiebel Group
Christoph Schmidt, Managing Director General Aviation of the Vienna International Airport

8.00 p.m. - Get-together
Clubbing in the Filmbar
Campus Krems

10.00 a.m. - Europe Forum Plenary II
"Facing Challenges - Embracing Visions"
Göttweig Abbey

Moderation: Nina Kraft, Christian Ulch, journalist at Die Presse

Opening
Patrick SchöderAbbot of the Benedictine Abbey of Göttweig
Michael Linhart, President of the Europa-Forum Wachau
Johanna Mikl-LeitnerGovernor of Lower Austria

Focus on Europe
Beate Meinl-ReisingerFederal Minister for European and International Affairs of Austria
with international guests
Wolfgang Anzengruber, Coordinator for Ukraine Reconstruction in the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs of Austria
Gabriel Felbermayer, Director of the Austrian Institute of Economic Research
Markus MittereggerCEO of RAG Austria AG

Focus on Agriculture
Vitalij KowalMinister of Agriculture and Food of Ukraine
Johannes Schmuckenschlager, President of the Chamber of Agriculture of Lower Austria

Focus on Youth
Lukas Renz, Young Energy Ambassador of the EU Commission

12.00 p.m. - Get-together
Lunch and relaxed conclusion on the Abbey terrace
Göttweig Abbey

2.30 p.m. - Talk of Students of the Erasmus+-programme
State Gallery of Lower Austria
Michael Linhart, President of the Europa-Forum Wachau

3.00 p.m. - Danube Salon
"Facing Polarisation - Embracing Dialogue"
State Gallery of Lower Austria
under the Patronage of the Working Community
of the Danube Regions

3.30 p.m.
Exclusive spotlight tours through the
Landesgalerie Niederösterreich and the
Caricature Museum Krems
State Gallery of Lower Austria

Moderation: Sebastian Schäffer, Director of the Institute for
Central Europe and the Danube Region

4.15 p.m. 
State Gallery of Lower Austria

Opening
Lukas MandlMEP,
on behalf of Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner
Petra Korlaar, Deputy Mayor of Mikulov

Discussion Panel
Stefan Benedik, House of Austrian History
Malwina TalikInstitute for the
Danube Region and Central Europe
Svitlana Telukha, Ukrainian scientist

Alternative:

2.30 p.m. - IV Economic Salon
"Facing Global Change - Embracing Opportunities"
Winegrower Krems

Moderation: Christian Wehrschütz, Ukraine and Balkans Correspondent for the ORF

3.00 p.m.
Winegrower Krems

Opening
Johanna Mikl-LeitnerGovernor of Lower Austria
Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer,
Federal Minister for Economy, Energy
and Tourism of Austria
Kari Ochsner, President of the Federation of
Lower Austrian Industry
Artem Rybchenko, Director General for European and transatlantic integration, Office of the President of Ukraine

Focus on Energy
Elisabeth Zehetner, State Secretary for
Energy and Tourism
Achim Kaspar, Member of Executive
Board of Verbund
Hanna Zamazeeva, Head of State Agency on Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving on Ukraine
Franz RenzLeibniz University Hannover

Focus on Infrastructure
Andreas Matthä, Chairman of the Management
Board of the ÖBB
Harald Kröger, Head of Structured Finance &
Investment Banking at the Raiffeisenbank International
Christoph Schmidt, Managing Director of the
Vienna International Airport
Michael FazekasExecutive Coordinator, Southeast European Cooperative Initiative

4.30 p.m. - Get-together
Wine tasting Networking at Winzer Krems
Winegrower Krems

6.00 p.m. - Europa-Forum Wachau Get-together
Dinner & Networking on the ship
Danube ship MS Austria

6.30 p.m. - Departure
Danube station No. 25, Krems an der Donau

Opening
Wolfgang Fischer, Managing Director of the
DDSG Blue Danube
Kari Ochsner, President of the Federation of
Lower Austrian Industry
Johanna Mikl-Leitner, Governor of Lower Austria
Martin Grüneis, Deputy Head of the Department Art and Culture of Lower Austria

9.00 p.m. - Docking
Danube station No. 25, Krems an der Donau

10.00 a.m. - Europe Forum Plenary III
"Facing Challenges - Embracing Visions"
Göttweig Abbey

Moderation: Nina Kraft

Opening
Patrick Schöder, Abbot of the Benedictine Abbey of Göttweig
Michael Linhart, President of the Europa-Forum Wachau
Johanna Mikl-Leitner, Governor of Lower Austria

Focus on Europe
Christian StockerFederal Chancellor of Austria
Rossen Jeliazkov, Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria
Dorin Recean, Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova

Focus on Global Affairs
Andreas Schaal, OECD Sherpa to the G7 and the G20
Sigmar GabrielFormer Vice Chancellor of Germany

Focus on Future
Peter Sloterdijk, Philosopher and cultural scientist

12.30 p.m. - Get-together
Lunch and relaxed conclusion on the Abbey terrace
Göttweig Abbey