Under the guiding theme “Shaping the Future – Growth through Technology, Knowledge, and Transformation,” the 9th German-Austrian Technology Forum will take place in Vienna on March 11 and 12, 2026. Organized by the German Chamber of Commerce in Austria in cooperation with Fraunhofer Austria, the event brings together leading representatives from industry, science, politics, and business to discuss key issues of technological transformation and competitiveness.

On the opening evening, Nikolai Ardey, Executive Director Group Innovation at Volkswagen, will deliver the keynote address. In his role, he is responsible for group-wide future and research topics across strategic technology fields such as digitalization, automated driving, sustainable materials, energy storage, and industrial transformation. In his keynote at the Tec Night, Ardey will provide insights into Volkswagen Group’s innovation processes and methods, highlight the role of international technology partnerships, and address the challenges of transferring new technologies into competitive business models.

The thematic priorities of the 2026 Forum Day in Vienna promise further highlights:

• Between AI hype and reality – innovations with substance
• Technology meets business models – future viability through efficiency and structural transformation
• Thinking globally, acting European – cooperation as a competitive advantage
   

The forum focuses on current challenges and future scenarios that are becoming increasingly relevant for companies operating in a dynamic global environment. The bilateral forum sheds light on technological, economic, and strategic developments and, through best practices, methods, and research findings, demonstrates how organizations can leverage technological innovation effectively.

Confirmed speakers already include: Klaus Buchwald (Siltronic), Gerhard Dimmler (ENGEL Austria), Christoph Knogler (KEBA), Michael Petschnig (RPM Building Monitoring), Georg Schett (Fraunhofer Austria), and Franz Zagler (SPAR Austria).

During the two-day event, participants will gain access to high-level keynotes, panel discussions, and hands-on dialogue sessions. In addition, an exhibition area will feature, among others, companies such as AccuPower, Beckhoff Automation, EPLAN, Festo, msg Plaut, Phoenix Contact, Rittal, Dr. Sasse, as well as the Austrian Association of the Metal Technology Industry.

1 All-In Ticket & Special Conditions for Students and Alumni

Competition: TU Wien Academy is giving away 1 All-In Ticket for the Technology Forum in Vienna. Send an email to alumni-ace@tuwien.ac.at with the subject line “Technology Forum 2026” and your name.
The competition is open until February 27, 2026. The winner(s) will be selected at random and notified in writing.

Special conditions: As a special offer, TU Wien Academy alumni and students receive exclusive conditions with the following code: TF26-ACE. Enter the code when booking/ordering (https://technologieforum-dhk.at/tickets/, opens an external URL in a new window) to benefit from the special conditions.