On 10 and 11 September, Austria’s research and technology community will come together in Vienna for Technology Talks Austria 2026. Senior representatives from research, industry and the public sector will use this firmly established meeting place as a central platform for discussing some of the most pressing questions of the future.
This year’s Technology Talks Austria, held at MuseumsQuartier Wien, will focus on the theme “Empowering Europe: Technological Leadership for a Resilient Future”. The central question is: How can Europe translate scientific excellence into technological leadership, industrial strength, strategic autonomy and long-term resilience?
Keynotes: Strategic Perspectives on Europe’s Technological Leadership
Jo De Boeck will deliver the opening keynote at Technology Talks Austria on Thursday, 10 September 2026. He is Chief Strategy Officer at imec, the world-leading research centre based in Leuven, Belgium, where more than 5,000 researchers are working on the future of micro- and nanoelectronics.
Drawing on his unique position at the intersection of cutting-edge research, industrial cooperation and technology transfer, De Boeck will outline strategic perspectives on Europe’s technological future. His keynote will highlight the opportunities, capabilities and challenges that will shape competitiveness, safeguard resilience and strengthen Europe’s technological sovereignty.
A second keynote, opening the conference’s second day, will be delivered by Christian Ehler. The German politician has been a Member of the European Parliament since 2004. Within the European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), he has served as a rapporteur and a key driving force behind major initiatives, including the development of the next European Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, FP10.
Ehler is regarded as one of the foremost experts on Europe’s research, innovation, technology and competitiveness landscape. In his keynote address, he will provide insights into the European Parliament’s perspective on the future of research and technology policy and on Europe’s position in the world.
High-Level Plenary Sessions and In-Depth Workshops
The keynote addresses will provide intellectual starting points for discussions throughout the conference. Six plenary sessions featuring around 25 high-level speakers will examine topics including resilient infrastructures, digital ecosystems, dual-use technologies, research and industrial capabilities, and the conditions required to strengthen Europe’s technological leadership and resilience.
In addition, twelve 90-minute workshops hosted by partner organisations will explore the plenary topics in greater depth and address related issues. The topics range from quantum technologies, dual use and public procurement to health data and AI services.
Side Events Bring the Community Together
Alongside the keynote addresses, plenary sessions and workshops, Technology Talks Austria 2026 will provide ample space for additional events. Admission to these events is included in the Technology Talks Austria 2026 conference ticket.
Two side events will take place on the first day of the conference:
“Meet the Builders: Who Is Implementing Digital Sovereignty?”
Gaia-X Hub Austria and Platform Industry 4.0 Austria invite participants to discuss questions such as: What building blocks are Austrian IT companies providing for digital sovereignty? Where are these solutions already ready for practical application? Where do challenges remain, and where are compromises unavoidable?
“Beyond Talks @ Technology Talks”
The Austrian Research Promotion Agency FFG will explore how innovative ideas emerge at the intersections of art, business, science and technology, what challenges arise in such collaborations and which factors contribute to their success.
Registration is required. Further information is available at:
www.technology-talks-austria.at
On the second day of the conference, three institutions will host breakfast events:
TU Austria Talent Breakfast
Four companies will provide insights into their working environments, current areas of activity and career opportunities. In an informal setting, the format will give young talents an opportunity to meet company representatives, establish contacts and learn more about potential career paths.
“Resilient Energy Supply and Energy Autonomy for Austria’s Future”
Together with experts from politics, defence, research, industry and technology, the Austrian Federal Ministry of Defence will explore innovative approaches to sustainable and robust energy supply systems.
ams OSRAM Business Breakfast: “How Digital Photonics Unlocks a New Wave of Innovation”
Experts will present and discuss innovations in optical interconnection technologies and wearable health-monitoring solutions.
The following organisations will be represented in the Technology Talks Austria exhibition and networking area: UNICEF, APA – Austria Press Agency, NEAT, the Austrian Federal Ministry of Defence, ESBS Austria – Electronic & Software Based Systems, JOANNEUM RESEARCH, TU Austria and Gaia-X Hub Austria.
The new AIT art programme artloop will provide creative inspiration through its “Science Meets Arts” initiative. Art curator and artloop director Klaus Speidel will offer regular short guided tours for Technology Talks Austria participants at Kunsthalle Wien, which is open to all conference participants free of charge, as well as on the ground floor of mumok.
Young Researchers Take Centre Stage with Creative Ideas
Three further programme items will place young researchers at the centre of attention:
At the TU Austria Innovation Marathon, teams of students from technical universities will work for 24 hours on real-life challenges set by renowned companies and present their creative solutions on stage.
The two early-career researchers selected to represent Austria at the prestigious international Falling Walls Lab pitching competition in Berlin will present the pitches that earned them their places in the competition.
The newly established ASciNA Tech Innovation Award, launched by Austrian Scientists and Scholars in North America and supported by TU Wien, will recognise innovators who translate cutting-edge research into tangible technological solutions with genuine market and societal impact.
A High-Calibre Programme at Attractive Ticket Prices
Technology Talks Austria 2026 will take place immediately after the FFG Forum on 9 September 2026.
Secure your place at Austria’s leading research and technology conference. Tickets are available at:
www.technology-talks-austria.at
The regular ticket price is EUR 250. Student tickets are available for EUR 125.
Backed by Austria’s RTI Community
Technology Talks Austria is organised by the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology in close cooperation with the Federal Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure, the Federal Ministry for Women, Science and Research, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy and Tourism, the Austrian Research Promotion Agency FFG and the Federation of Austrian Industries.
The scientific partners are acatech, AIT, the Christian Doppler Research Association, Forschung Austria, the Institute of Science and Technology Austria, TU Austria, the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the Austrian Science Fund.
Strong Partnerships
Event partners include JOANNEUM RESEARCH/State of Styria and TU Austria, comprising TU Wien, TU Graz and Montanuniversität Leoben.
Further partnerships have been established with AI Factory Austria AI:AT, accent, ams OSRAM, AT&S AG, Austrian Cooperative Research (ACR), Austria Innovativ, APA – Austria Press Agency, Austria Wirtschaftsservice (aws), Boehringer Ingelheim, Bosch, the Austrian Federal Ministry of Defence, Cercle Diplomatique, Die Presse, ESA Phi-Lab Austria, ESBS Austria, Gaia-X Hub Austria, InnoRegio Styria, Innovation Salzburg, Kunsthalle Wien, Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft (LBG), message, Salzburg Research, Siemens Healthineers, SFG – Styria Economic Development Agency, MuseumsQuartier Wien, NEAT, Platform Industry 4.0 Austria, the City of Vienna, tecnet equity, TU Wien Spinoff Factory, UNICEF, the Association for the Promotion of Research and Innovation (VFFI), Volkshilfe Wien and the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber.
Press Accreditation Now Open
Media representatives can now apply for accreditation for Technology Talks Austria 2026.
Accreditation: presse@ait.ac.at
Please include your name, media outlet and the conference day or days you wish to attend.
Technology Talks Austria 2026
Dates: 10 and 11 September 2026
FFG Forum: 9 September 2026, immediately preceding Technology Talks Austria
Venue: MuseumsQuartier Wien, Museumsplatz 1, 1070 Vienna
Programme, speakers and tickets: www.technology-talks-austria.at