Review
The European Economic Conference offered groundbreaking discussions, exciting insights and valuable impulses on Europe's key economic challenges and opportunities.
2024
Conference day 1 | 4.6.2024
Gerald Braunberger, Editor, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Prof. Jörg Rocholl, President, ESMT Berlin
Europe is stronger than we think
Prof. Dr. Harold James, Professor, Princeton School of Public & International Affairs
Dare to be more economical!
Gerald Braunberger, Editor, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, in conversation with ...
Prof. Dr. Stefan Kolev, Scientific Director, Ludwig Erhard Forum for Economy and Society
Prof. Jörg Rocholl, President, ESMT Berlin
Digital infrastructure: Europe's springboard into the future
Vanessa Cann, AI entrepreneur and board member of the AI Federal Association
Verena Pausder, founder, board member of the Startup Association
Dr. Julia Reuss, Public Policy Director for Central Europe, META
Moderation: Alexander Armbruster, editor responsible for business and finance online, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Reducing bureaucracy: wishful thinking or reality?
Peter Adrian, President, DIHK
Jörg Dittrich, President, German Confederation of Skilled Crafts
Klemens Haselsteiner, Chairman of the Executive Board, STRABAG SE
Moderator: Corinna Budras, business correspondent in Berlin, Frankfurt Allgemeine Zeitung
Gerald Braunberger, Editor, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, in conversation with Friedrich Merz, Party Chairman, CDU Germany and CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag
Advantage Europe - Why Europe plays a decisive role
Gerald Braunberger, Editor, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, in conversation with Wolfgang Schmidt, Head of the Federal Chancellery
Expand your network and meet long-standing partners over a glass of good wine and culinary delights in the historic setting of ESMT Berlin.
Conference day 2 | 5.6.2024
Heike Göbel, editor responsible for economic policy, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Werner Mussler, EU economic correspondent in Brussels, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Günther H. Oettinger, President, United Europe e.V.
Veronika Wand-Danielsson, Ambassador of Sweden to the Federal Republic of Germany
Marika Linntam, Ambassador of Estonia to the Federal Republic of Germany
Tomáš Kafka, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the Federal Republic of Germany
Moderator: Werner Mussler, EU economic correspondent in Brussels, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Green economy: Europe as a driver
Erika Mink-Zaghloul, Head of Government & Regulatory Affairs, Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe AG
Green financing: financial institutions as drivers of the green transformation
Michael Kotzbauer, Member of the Board, Commerzbank AG
Money Talks - What financial instruments does the EU need for the current challenges?
Souâd Benkredda, Member of the Management Board, DZ Bank
Lutz Diederichs, CEO, BNP Paribas Germany
Dr. Mauro Pedrazzini, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors, VP Bank Ltd
Ingrid Spletter-Weiß, Member of the Board of Management, NORD/LB
Moderator: Werner Mussler, EU economic correspondent in Brussels, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
One step beyond - Why investing in high-tech locations is the only chance for European companies?
Alexander Armbruster, editor responsible for business and finance online, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, in conversation with Wolfgang Meier, Chairman of the Management Board, Pirelli Deutschland GmbH
2023
Conference day 1 | 14.6.2023
Gerald Braunberger, Editor, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Jörg Rocholl, President, ESMT Berlin
Politics in times of change
Lars Klingbeil, SPD Party Chairman, Member of the Bundestag
Dr. Daniel Risch, Head of Government, Principality of Liechtenstein
Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, Economic Advisor and Research Director, IMF
Prof. Moritz Schularick, President, Kiel Institute for the World Economy
Gerald Braunberger, Editor, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
with Dr. Robert Habeck, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection and Gerald Braunberger, Editor, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Price trends and the future of energy: top experts shed light on the coming months and discuss ways to achieve a sustainable energy supply
Moderation: Sven Astheimer, Head of the Corporate Department, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Prof. Dr. Lion Hirth, Professor of Energy Policy, Hertie School
Dr. Markus Krebber, Chairman of the Executive Board, RWE AG
Christian Kullmann, Chairman of the Executive Board, Evonik Industries AG
Discover the opportunities and challenges of frontier technologies such as the use of artificial intelligence in companies. Top experts discuss Europe's progress in digitalization and the path to the digital future.
Moderation: Alexander Armbruster, Head of Business Online / Digitec, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Prof. Dr. Kristian Kersting, TU Darmstadt, DFKI and co-director of the Hessian Center for AI
Prof. Dr. Christoph Meinel, Chair of Internet Technologies and Systems, Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Engineering gGmbH
Prof. Dr. Haya Shulman, Professor, Goethe University Frankfurt
Expand your network and meet long-standing partners over a glass of good wine and culinary delights in the historic setting of ESMT Berlin.
Conference day 2 | 15.6.2023
Peace, values, economic strength - a 2030 Agenda for Germany and Europe
Günther H. Oettinger, President, United Europe e.V.
Diversity at the top: Top experts discuss how diversity at management level strengthens the European economic area and how the lack of women in management positions affects companies. Join us to discuss success stories, causes, obstacles and the role of politics and society.
Moderation: Johannes Pennekamp, Head of Department, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Regine Büttner, Global Board Member Human Resources for DHL Express (until 2022), member of the Supervisory Board and founder of FEM Factory
Tanja Gönner, Managing Director, BDI e. V.
Elke Heitmüller, Head of Group Diversity Management, Volkswagen AG
Dr. Miriam von Loewenfeld, Program Director of the Female Leadership course at the University of Applied Management and founder of the FEM Factory
Dr. Rainer Dulger, President, Confederation of German Employers' Associations
Laura Jorde, Federal Managing Director, Wirtschaftsjunioren Deutschland e. V.
We dare to take a look into the future with you. Find out from visionaries how Europe is tackling the challenges, using innovative technologies and developing sustainable solutions for connected and low-emission mobility.
Can a climate-neutral transport transition actually be achieved by 2035?
What role does e-mobility play in this and what other technologies are coming into focus in Europe?
Moderation: Johannes Pennekamp, Head of Department, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Andrea Fuder, Executive Vice President Volvo Group Purchasing & Chief Purchasing Officer, Volvo Group
Uwe Hochgeschurtz, Chief Operating Officer, Enlarged Europe, Stellantis
Pierangelo Misani, Executive Vice President Research and Development and Cyber, Pirelli Tyre S.p.A.
Hildegard Müller, President, German Association of the Automotive Industry
with Dr. Magnus Brunner, Minister of Finance of the Republic of Austria and Manfred Schäfers, Business Editor, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
2022
Conference day 1 | 26.9.2022
Gerald Braunberger, Editor, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Jörg Rocholl, President, ESMT Berlin
Solidarity, the ability to act and a policy of quick decisions - that is the future for Europe!
Dr. Anton Hofreiter, Chairman of the Committee on European Union Affairs, Alliance 90/The Greens, Member of the German Bundestag
Europe 4.0 - What is the digital future of Europe?
- Which technologies are the gateway to the new, truly digital decade?
- What developments are the key to a sustainable European economy?
- What demands must be made on the European legislator to increase European competitiveness?
- How can digital infrastructures be protected against manipulation and attack?
Kimon Zorbas, Head of Public Affairs, DATEV eG
Stefan Gross-Selbeck, Global Managing Partner BCG Digital Ventures
Heli Tiirmaa-Klaar, Director, Digital Society Institute, ESMT Berlin
Moderation: Alexander Armbruster, Head of Business Online / Digitec, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
What lies ahead for the European economic area?
- Winter is coming - is there enough energy in the EU?
- Corona bottlenecks and the consequences of the war in Ukraine - are there any ways out of this double burden on the economy?
- What political support does the European economy need now?
Siegfried Russwurm, President, Federation of German Industries e.V.
Interviewer: Gerald Braunberger, Editor, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Christian Lindner, Federal Ministry of Finance, Member of the Bundestag
Expand your network and meet long-standing partners over a glass of good wine and culinary delights in the historic setting of ESMT Berlin.
Conference day 2 | 27.9.2022
The EU as a guarantor of prosperity and an ecological, future-proof and sustainable European economy
Günther H. Oettinger, President, United Europe e.V.
Excursus - Life in Putin's Russia
Friedrich Schmidt, Moscow correspondent for the F.A.Z.
Daniel Gros, Director of the Brussels-based think tank "Centre for European Policy Studies" (CEPS)
Prof. Dr. B. Jacobs, Professor of Public Economics, School of Business and Economics, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands
Interviewer: Gerald Braunberger, Editor, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
How Europe can catch up with China and the USA
Europe is at a crossroads. If we miss the opportunity to digitize our industry with the help of artificial intelligence, this will have serious consequences for the continent's long-term competitiveness. But it is not too late to catch up.
Michael Brigl, Head of BCG's business in Germany, Austria, Poland, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Hungary
Innovation and climate protection - Europe's opportunities in an era of climate protection and energy shortages
- How important is environmental protection in the corporate strategy?
- How can Europe step up its efforts and accelerate the transition to climate neutrality?
- How should the European mobility strategy be designed and implemented in order to be able to compete internationally?
Mars Geuze, Chief Commercial Officer, Hardt Hyperloop
Dr. Stephan Peters, Member of the Executive Board of Rhenus SE & Co. KG
Maria Röttger, CEO & President, Michelin Europe North
Moderation: Johannes Pennekamp, Head of Department, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Energy Supply 2030 - How the EU can secure the energy supply in the future economically and ecologically
Kerstin Andreae, Chairwoman of the Executive Board and member of the BDEW Executive Committee
Interviewer: Johannes Pennekamp, Head of Department, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
The European economic policy panel of the F.A.Z. editorial team
- Ukraine war, coronavirus pandemic, inflation and energy crisis - can Europe overcome the unprecedented global challenges?
- Will it succeed in combating energy dependency, ensuring a smoothly functioning internal market and implementing the digital and green transformation in Europe?
- Is there a real turning point in a common European economic policy?
Gonzalo García de Andrés, State Secretary for the Economy and Business Development, Spain
Adonis Georgiadis, Minister for Development and Investment, Greece
Prof. Dr. Justus Haucap, Director of the Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics
H.E. Ramūnas Misiulis, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Lithuania to the Federal Republic of Germany, Lithuania
Klaus Regling, Managing Director, European Stability Mechanism
Moderation: Heike Göbel, Head of Economic Policy Department, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung



















































