The summit program

SZ Wirtschaftsgipfel 2024

The world in change — what can we do?


Program overview

11.11.2024 | Highlights and topics of the first day of the congress (approx. 10.30 am - 11 pm)
  • Opening speech with Annalena Baerbock
  • The world in change - what does this mean for the economy?
  • AI and more: the fight against cancer
  • How can Germany become a start-up nation?
  • Are we too discouraged about digitalization?
  • Exclusive evening at the Museum of Communication
12.11.2024 | Highlights and topics of the second day of the congress (approx. 9 am - 10 pm)
  • Speech with Volker Wissing
  • Will Germany become a pioneer in nuclear fusion?
  • In Al we trust?
  • Award ceremony of the SZ-Gipfelstürmer
  • Speech and Q&A with Christian Lindner
13.11.2024 | Highlights and topics of the third day of the congress (approx. 9 am - 2 pm)
  • Mixed doubles with Friedrich Merz and philosopher Markus Gabriel
  • Talk with Sahra Wagenknecht
  • Courage to change: leading in times of change
  • Generation talk at a global market leader
  • Goodbye, cash: Will we only pay digitally?
  • Closing of the congress with Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck

our guests

Annalena Baerbock
Annalena Baerbock

Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany

Annalena Baerbock


Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany
Yasmin Fahimi
Yasmin Fahimi

Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund

Yasmin Fahimi


Vorsitzende, Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund
Robert Habeck
Robert Habeck

German Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection

Robert Habeck


German Vice Chancellor and German Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection
Karl Lauterbach
Karl Lauterbach

German Federal Minister for Health

Karl Lauterbach


German Federal Minister for Health
Angelika Slavik
Christian Lindner
Christian Lindner

German Federal Minister of Finance

Christian Lindner


German Federal Minister of Finance
Friedrich Merz
Friedrich Merz

Federal Chairman of CDU Germany

Friedrich Merz


Federal Chairman of CDU Germany
Boris Pistorius
Boris Pistorius

Federal Minister of Defense

Boris Pistorius


Federal Minister of Defense
Bettina Stark-Watzinger
Bettina Stark-Watzinger

Federal Ministry of Education and Research

Bettina Stark-Watzinger


Federal Ministry of Education and Research
Sahra Wagenknecht
Sahra Wagenknecht

Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht

Sahra Wagenknecht


Bundestagsabgeordnete, Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht
Volker Wissing
Volker Wissing

Federal Minister for Transport and Digital Affairs

Volker Wissing


Federal Minister for Transport and Digital Affairs
Josef Aschbacher
Josef Aschbacher

ESA European Space Agency

Josef Aschbacher


Generaldirektor, ESA European Space Agency
Christiane Benner
Christiane Benner

IG Metall

Christiane Benner


IG Metall

She is the first woman to head the world's largest independent trade union: In 2015, Christine Benner (born in 1968) was elected vice chairwoman of the powerful IG Metall union, for which she had worked in various capacities since 1997; a headline at the time read: "IG Metall dares revolution". Benner knows the industry that has shaped Germany for 125 years: she is on the supervisory boards of BMW and Continental, for example. As a sociologist, she analyzes how Germany is changing in the age of digitalization, the energy transition and war - and she wants to shape these changes in the interests of employees.

Marc Beise
Stefania Canali
Stefania Canali

Nittardi

Stefania Canali


Eigentümerin, Nittardi
Anna Christmann
Anna Christmann

BMWK/ Federal Government Coordinator for Aerospace

Anna Christmann


BMWK/ Federal Government Coordinator for Aerospace
Jörg Eberhart
Jörg Eberhart

Deutsche Lufthansa AG

Jörg Eberhart


Leiter Konzernstrategie, M&A, Deutsche Lufthansa AG
Nurten Erdogan
Nurten Erdogan

ING AG Deutschland

Nurten Erdogan


CFO, ING AG Deutschland
Sabine Frank
Sabine Frank

Google DACH

Sabine Frank


Head of Governmental Affairs and Public Policy, Google DACH
Heike Freund
Heike Freund

Marvel Fusion

Heike Freund


Chief Operating Officer, Marvel Fusion
Markus Gabriel
Markus Gabriel

Bonn University; THE NEW INSTITUTE

Markus Gabriel


Direktor des IZPH & Leiter des Center for Science and Thought, Universität Bonn; Academic Director von THE NEW INSTITUTE
Agnes Heftberger
Agnes Heftberger

Microsoft Deutschland

Agnes Heftberger


Chairwoman of the Management Board, Microsoft Deutschland
Helene Huby
Helene Huby

The Exploration Company

Helene Huby


CEO, The Exploration Company
Florian Huettl
Florian Huettl

Opel

Florian Huettl


CEO, Opel
Johannes Koch
Johannes Koch

DZ BANK

Johannes Koch


Board Member for Banking Strategy and Human Resources, DZ BANK
Anna-Theresa Korbutt
Anna-Theresa Korbutt

hvv

Anna-Theresa Korbutt


CEO, hvv
Markus Krebber
Markus Krebber

RWE

Markus Krebber


CEO, RWE
Michael Kretschmer
Michael Kretschmer

Prime Minister of Saxony

Michael Kretschmer


Prime Minister of Saxony , Freistaat Sachsen
Hans J. Langer
Hans J. Langer

EOS GROUP

Hans J. Langer


Chairman Supervisory Board, EOS GROUP
Marcus Lauk
Marcus Lauk

Deutschlands Blue Zones Experte

Marcus Lauk


Author & longevity researcher, Deutschlands Blue Zones Experte
Gabriel Matuschka
Gabriel Matuschka

Fly Ventures

Gabriel Matuschka


Partner, Fly Ventures
Golo Maurer
Golo Maurer

Bibliotheca Hertziana, Max-Planck-Institut für Kunstgeschichte, Rom

Golo Maurer


Head of Library, Bibliotheca Hertziana, Max-Planck-Institut für Kunstgeschichte, Rom
Simone Menne
Simone Menne

Henkel, Siemens Energy, JCI, AmCham Germany

Simone Menne


Multi-supervisory board member; President of the American Chamber of Commerce Germany, Henkel, Siemens Energy, JCI, AmCham Germany
Tina Müller
Tina Müller

Weleda

Tina Müller


CEO, Weleda
Claudia Nemat
Claudia Nemat

Deutsche Telekom

Claudia Nemat


Board Member Technology & Innovation, Deutsche Telekom
Marie Niehaus-Langer
Marie Niehaus-Langer

EOS

Marie Niehaus-Langer


CEO, EOS
René Obermann
René Obermann

Warburg Pincus Deutschland / AIRBUS SE

René Obermann


Chairman of Europe Warburg Pincus / Chairman of AIRBUS SE
Thomas Oehl
Thomas Oehl

Vsquared Ventures

Thomas Oehl


General Partner, Vsquared Ventures
Verena Pausder
Verena Pausder

Start-up Verband

Verena Pausder


Vorstandsvorsitzende; Unternehmerin, Investorin; Start-up Verband
Milena Roveda
Milena Roveda

Gauss Fusion

Milena Roveda


CEO, Gauss Fusion
Helmut Schönenberger
Helmut Schönenberger

UnternehmerTUM

Helmut Schönenberger


CEO, UnternehmerTUM
Siegfried Russwurm
Siegfried Russwurm

Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie

Siegfried Russwurm


Präsident, Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie

There are probably few men who have as deep an insight into the German economy as Siegried Russwurm, born in 1963. Since the beginning of 2021, Russwurm, who holds a doctorate in engineering, has been President of the Federation of German Industries (BDI). For decades, he worked for Siemens. Until his retirement in March 2017, he sat on the Managing Board for a good eight years. He heads the Supervisory Board and Shareholders' Committee of Voith and is Chairman of the Supervisory Board of thyssenkrupp.

Elisabeth Dostert
Moritz Schularick
Moritz Schularick

Kiel Institute for the World Economy

Moritz Schularick


President, Kiel Institute for the World Economy
Francesco Sciortino
Francesco Sciortino

Proxima Fusion

Francesco Sciortino


CEO, Proxima Fusion
Valentin Stalf
Valentin Stalf

N26 AG

Valentin Stalf


Co-Founder & CEO, N26 AG
Angela Titzrath
Angela Titzrath

Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG

Angela Titzrath


CEO, Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG
Jakob Uszkoreit
Jakob Uszkoreit

Inceptive

Jakob Uszkoreit


CEO, Inceptive
Tobias Vogel
Tobias Vogel

UBS Europe SE

Tobias Vogel


CEO, UBS Europe SE
Jessica von Bredow-Werndl
Jessica von Bredow-Werndl

Olympiasiegerin im Dressurreiten

Jessica von Bredow-Werndl


Olympiasiegerin im Dressurreiten
Jens Weidmann
Jens Weidmann

Commerzbank

Jens Weidmann


Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Commerzbank
Falk Zakrzewski
Falk Zakrzewski

Katana Labs

Falk Zakrzewski


Founder and CEO, Katana Labs

moderation

Lisa Nienhaus
Lisa Nienhaus

Süddeutsche Zeitung

Lisa Nienhaus


Süddeutsche Zeitung

Born in Oberhausen in 1979, studied economics and politics in Cologne and Stockholm, at the same time attending the Cologne School of Journalism. 10 years as economics editor at the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung", then moved to the current position as deputy head of the economics department and head of the Frankfurt bureau. Since autumn 2022 she has been head of the SZ economics department.

Ulrich Schäfer
Ulrich Schäfer

Süddeutsche Zeitung

Ulrich Schäfer


Süddeutsche Zeitung

Ulrich Schäfer is deputy editor-in-chief of the Süddeutsche Zeitung. After seven years at Der Spiegel, he began reporting from Berlin in 2003, initially as deputy head of the SZ parliamentary bureau. From 2007, he headed the business editorial department for nine years, the Munich, Region and Bavaria department for three years and built up the SZ's new newsdesk as head of news.

Judith Wittwer
Judith Wittwer

Süddeutsche Zeitung

Judith Wittwer


Süddeutsche Zeitung

born in 1977, has been leading the editorial team of the Süddeutsche Zeitung together with Wolfgang Krach since summer 2020. Previously, she was business editor for Axel Springer's Handelszeitung in Zurich before returning to Tages-Anzeiger as head of news and CvD and joining the editorial team in 2016, then as editor-in-chief from 2018.

SZ Wirtschaftsgipfel 2024 is supported by


More information about our partners


DZ Bank
DZ BANK AG, Frankfurt am Main, is majority-owned by those who work directly with it - around 700 cooperative banks in Germany. As a commercial bank and central institution, its mandate is to support the business of the many independent cooperative banks in the regions and to strengthen their competitive position. DZ BANK's range of services extends from traditional and innovative products, structuring and issues, to trading and sales in the equity and bond markets. In addition, as a corpo Show More
Google
Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. Making AI helpful for everyone is the most profound way to advance this mission. Google approaches this in a bold and responsible way, working together with others. Google has had a home in Germany since 2001 and now employs more than 2,500 people at its four locations in Hamburg, Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt. Together with local partners, Google Germany supports digital skilling and Show More
Hagleitner
Hagleitner designs hygiene: detergents, disinfectants, and cosmetics – as well as dispensers, dosing devices, and apps. The goods are created in Zell am See in Austria. That is where Hagleitner has its corporate headquarters: that is where research, development, and production take place. The German headquarters are situated in Frankfurt am Main, from here Hagleitner runs its business in Germany. The Hagleitner-Academy transmits knowledge – trainings are also held in Frankfurt. The hy Show More
ING Deutschland
With more than 9 million customers, ING is the third-largest bank in Germany. Its core products include savings accounts, mortgages, investment products, consumer loans and current accounts for private customers. In the Business Banking segment, ING grants loans to small and medium-sized enterprises and offers an interest-bearing savings account. In the Wholesale Banking segment, ING provides banking solutions and services for large, multinational companies. With more than 6,000 employees Show More