cONFERENCE RECAP
Austria Connect is the premier business networking format of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber and took place for the first time in Southeast Asia, from October 11th to 13th, 2023. Thereby, also making it Austria’s biggest ever business conference in Asia, which more than 250 prominent guests attended.
The much-anticipated event brought together innovative minds, industry leaders and political figureheads/representatives from Austria, Southeast Asia and beyond. Participants included H.E. Dr. Elisabeth Kornfeind, Director General for Europe and Economy at the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, Dr. Harald Mahrer, President of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, and Singaporean Minister of State Low Yen Ling, who all offered welcome words, as well as Senator Cynthia Villar of the Philippines; Wolfram Senger-Weiss, CEO Gebrüder Weiss; Dr. Thai Lai Pham, CEO Siemens ASEAN; Norbert Haslacher, CEO Frequentis, and many more.
Austria Connect Southeast Asia started off with a cocktail reception at the Lantern Bar at the Fullerton Bay Hotel, known for its importance as a pier and first point of contact for immigrants to Singapore in former times, offering panoramic views of the scenic Marina Bay. During this event, guests were able to forge new connections and strengthen existing ties, while tasting Austrian wine, and engaging in insightful discussions.
The following day, marked the start of the official conference with inspiring keynote speeches centered around the question “Southeast Asia is going green!?”, the conference’s topic, which were delivered by Andreas Sohmen-Pao, Chairman BW Group, Ravi Chidambaram, Co-Founder TC Capital/ Founder RIMM, and Jacqueline Poh, Managing Director of the Singapore Economic Development Board. One panel discussing the leading question of sustainability of the conference, moderated by Carsten Dommermuth, Vice President of INNIO Jenbacher, followed by another panel on artificial intelligence and robotics and their impact on the circular economy, led by Michael Budig, CEO and Co-founder of Wefaa Robotics, concluded the morning session. Lunch was served in the scenic Clifford Pier, which offered the opportunity to engage in meaningful conversation and participate in a lucky draw moderated by Mariana Kühnel, Deputy Secretary General of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber.
The agenda further featured different panels exploring topics related to the conference’s theme of sustainability in the afternoon, such as the circular economy from various different angles, including urban solutions, sustainable tourism, and novel foods. These panels were organized by different Advantage Austria branches from the Southeast Asian region, FFG Austrian Research Promotion Agency, Österreich Werbung/ Austrian National Tourist Office, Vienna Business Agency, and ABA – Work in Austria. Besides the full-packed schedule, participants were able to engage in meaningful conversations, make new contacts in one-on-one matchmaking sessions, while also networking and exchanging ideas throughout the day. The exciting day was concluded with an early Austrian National Day celebration, where guests reminisced about the successful conference over hearty Austrian cuisine, and further deepened connections.
Watch the full video of the highlights of the conference as well as the speeches from the morning session below!
