Four Days, Four Reflections: What I Brought Back from the European Forum Alpbach

“What exactly is Alpbach? Can you explain it to me?” – I had just attended a session at the Alpbach Congress Centre and wanted to spontaneously thank Luisa Neubauer for her brilliant speech and outstanding activist work. But instead, she asked me to explain Alpbach to her. I could understand Luisa’s confusion — the European Forum Alpbach is indeed difficult to grasp for an outsider.

Once a year, the economic and political elite, accompanied by a crowd of young scholars and selected international guests, descends upon the picturesque Tyrolean village of Alpbach. Discussions about current political, economic, and technological developments abound, not just in the modern congress center but also across various venues in the village and at mountain huts nearby. In many ways, the whole event feels like a grand reunion of the Austrian “Who is Who”.

That was more or less how I tried to describe Alpbach to the curious Luisa Neubauer. But before I could elaborate, our conversation was cut short by the arrival of Justice Minister Zadic and Social Minister Rauch, both eager to meet the famous climate activist.

Jakob Detering meeting with the German climate activist Luisa Neubauer
Photo credit: Jakob Detering

Not every moment in Alpbach is quite so high-profile, I admit, but such encounters are not entirely out of the ordinary. With the conference team, led by Andreas Treichl, having recently cut down on exclusive side events and receptions, it’s now quite common to bump into ministers, CEOs, or even the occasional Nobel laureate on the village streets or at various locations.

This year marked my fifth visit to Alpbach — just four days in total. Though it may sound brief, the days in Alpbach are anything but; they are intense and often feel remarkably long. Each morning starts early, with the first sessions kicking off at 8am, followed by a tightly packed schedule filled with countless meetings, invigorating group hikes, and spontaneous encounters. Evenings are reserved for receptions, and it’s often only by midnight that the “real conversations” begin, unfolding over glasses of wine and beer at the renowned Gasthof Jakober.

After four days in Alpbach, I returned to Vienna brimming with new contacts, observations, and ideas — and four reflections that stood out among many worth sharing:

1. Let’s Save the Climate — But Maybe a Little Later

Reflecting on the conversations around climate change, I left Alpbach with mixed feelings. On the one hand, the topic has never been more present. Numerous sessions were dedicated to the various challenges and solutions to the climate crisis, with our very own Gebhard Ottacher, head of the Climate Lab, speaking at two of them. Even at the side events, you couldn’t escape the subject.

On the other hand, I heard many voices arguing that we must “first focus on the economy and Europe’s globalcompetitiveness” before we can prioritize issues like decarbonization or biodiversity. As if these were separate, unrelated concerns. As if people were just looking for excuses to push necessary systemic changes in combating the climate crisis a bit further into the future. I truly hope these voices find little traction and that Alpbach will instead reinforce the understanding that a prosperous economy and a competitive European market are only possible with — not despite — more ambitious climate protection measures.

Alpbach – Congress Center and village
Photo credit: EFA/Matteo Vegetti

2. AI: Between Hope and Skepticism

The rise of artificial intelligence, unsurprisingly, was another major topic at Alpbach. There was a mix of vague skepticism and eager hope as people discussed the latest AI apps, lamented Europe’s missed opportunity to foster successful AI companies, and wondered whether the rapid development of AI will ever be matched by effective AI regulations (data privacy, anyone?).

What surprised me most, however, was the lack of concrete, scaled AI applications in large Austrian companies. It seems many companies are banning employees from using AI in their daily work due to fears of data leaks, while they wait to see which applications will prevail and when the costs will drop.

It appears that AI is arriving with force and indeed has the potential to revolutionize how we work and live. Yet, for now, we seem to be in a phase of cautious testing, learning, and waiting for the right moment to fully embrace its capabilities.

3. The Rise of Female Voices — Why Isn’t This Always the Case?

One of the most positive impressions from Alpbach was the strong presence of female voices and leaders. On the main stage, the aforementioned Luisa Neubauer and Anna Stürgkh, a member of the European Parliament, eloquently called the prominent audience to action. Top executives like Gerda Holzinger-Burgstaller (CEO of Erste Bank), Patricia Neumann (CEO of Siemens), Sabine Herlitschka (CEO of Infineon), and Silvia Angelo (Board Member of ÖBB) passionately debated Europe’s future. The wonderful Wakanyi Hoffman, an African indigenous knowledge scholar, gave me an insightful introduction to the Ubuntu philosophy.

I truly wish we could hear these strong female voices more often in the power centers of Vienna, which are still too often dominated by men.

Female-only panel on the future of Europe with Austrian corporate leaders
Photo credit: Jakob Detering

4. Our Service and our Community is in High Demand

Lastly, a personal reflection: I left Alpbach feeling encouraged by the great interest in our work at the Impact Hub, Climate Lab, and Future Health Lab. My calls for more cross-sector collaboration and the cou

rage to initiate systemic societal innovations were met with open ears. My conversation partners from politics, business, academia, media, and civil society were eager to connect with our community, learn from it, and collaborate with it.

There is much to build on from these discussions, and I look forward to translating them into concrete partnerships and projects. In the words of Andreas Treichl, President of the Forum: “Getting to action is what Alpbach is here for. This is the moment of truth.”

Matthias Strolz in conversation with the remarkable Wakanyi Hoffman, an African indigenous knowledge scholar
Photo credit: Jakob Detering

About the Author: Jakob Detering is our Managing Director, leading the portfolio of Impact Hub, Climate Lab and Future Health Lab. A recognized impact entrepreneur and organization builder, Jakob also has been a key driving force in transforming the Social Impact Award into the world’s leading community of early-stage social entrepreneurs. He brings extensive experience in scaling social ventures and driving systemic change across Europe and beyond.