Coffee, Founders & Solutions: RESPOND Urban & Energy Startups
Board of Directors of the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt
Setting the Course: A Shared Vision for the Future
A political keynote setting out a vision for Europe's future. It explores how Europe can secure long-term prosperity, strengthen its global role, and align economic strength with social cohesion. It outlines the hard choices needed to make that vision a reality.
 "Charles MICHEL")
From Vision to Reality
A conversation exploring the political choices needed to turn Europe’s vision into reality. How can Europe mobilise investment, enable innovation and strengthen partnerships to boost its competitiveness and capacity to act?
 "Lars-Hendrik RÖLLER")
Not in My Backyard: Can the Energy Transition Still Win Trust?
The energy transition is not only a technological and economic challenge but also a political and narrative one. As costs and trade-offs become more visible, public support is becoming decisive. Yet too often, the transition lacks a compelling common vision and is instead shaped by fragmented messages and competing narratives.
 "Kerstin ANDREAE")
 "Selma LOSSAU")
 "Klaus MÜLLER")
Energy Architecture: From Sectoral Gains to System Integration
The focus shifts from individual technologies to the broader question of how electrification, storage, hydrogen for hard-to-abate industry and baseload can work together in Europe's energy system to secure supply, maintain affordability and preserve industrial competitiveness.
 "Reinhard HÜTTL")
Beyond the Obvious: Gaps in the Energy Debate
Europe's energy debate often moves between two-time horizons: long-term bets on technologies such as small modular reactors and fusion, and the solutions that can be built and scaled today. Between them lie questions that receive far too little attention, and they may prove decisive for Europe's security, competitiveness and climate goals.
 "Tinne VAN DER STRAETEN")
BREAK
Where Transformation Becomes Tangible: Local Ecosystems as Europe's Competitive Edge
Europe has placed a historic bet: decarbonizing its industrial base while remaining competitive and technologically sovereign. The answers are already emerging from industrial sites and local ecosystems, where industry, startups, research institutions and public authorities collaborate to accelerate transformation, speed up deployment and bring new technologies into real-world use.
 "Maike LAMBARTH")
 "Jörgen SANDSTRÖM")
RESPOND Accelerator: Innovation in Practice
The transition towards a resilient, competitive, and net-zero future is already reshaping
industrial systems, resource dependencies, and societal resilience. Through five RESPOND startup showcases, this session explores the defining tensions driving this transformation, highlighting breakthrough technologies across energy, materials, buildings, cities, and carbon removal.Moderated Conversation: Lubomila JORDANOVA, Founder, Plan A
 "Lubomila JORDANOVA")
 "Felix BÖHMER")
 "Seadna QUIGLEY")
 "Sandra GO")
 "Tiago MARQUES")
 "Florian BIRNER")
Winning Together: Collaboration and Competitiveness
A conversation exploring how competition, collaboration and leadership drive success in business and sports, build trust and create lasting impact.
 "Herbert HAINER")
Dinner
Happy Hour & Networking
Pacific Times Bar and live jazz music
Solutions & Smoothies | Open breakfast with the Innovators: RESPOND Urban & Energy Startups
Opening
The Human Layer: Judgment in the Age of AI
AI has gone from miracle to menace in the public mind. Fears about jobs are rising, communities are pushing back, and even AI's own builders are calling to slow down. Beneath the noise is a quieter and more urgent question: as AI agents take over more of our work, who is still making the call?
 "Kevin BAUER")
How AI is Changing Energy, Industry and Society
AI is becoming part of Europe's economic and physical infrastructure. It runs on electricity, grids, chips and water, and it is beginning to transform how energy systems, industry and cities operate. The opportunities are significant. At the same time, the rapid expansion of AI raises important questions about energy demand, local acceptance, security and accountability, and about how its benefits can be broadly shared.
 "Anja BONELLI")
 "Philipp JUSTUS")
Scaling & Capital: Building Capacity and Financing Europe's Long-Term Growth
Long-term competitiveness depends on innovation, but innovation depends on the right capabilities, governance and financing. This session explores how public, private and catalytic capital can mobilize patient investment, build trust and create the conditions for long-term growth.
 "Jean-Christophe LALOUX")
 "Simona PARAVANI-MELLINGHOFF")
 "Mariano BERKENWALD")
Networking Break incl. Guided Startup & Innovations Tour
An interactive guided tour introducing the two cohorts of the RESPOND Accelerator and the Collaboration Action Platform Brazil, showcasing the startups and approaches behind breakthrough solutions for the energy transition and future urban development. (Tour-Start: 10:50)
The Dynamics of Societal Change
In cooperation with TagesspiegelSociety is undergoing profound change, driven by AI, the energy transition and geopolitical shifts. Yet lasting transformation depends not only on innovation, but also on trust and public support. As many people struggle with the pace and consequences of change, this conversation explores how society adapts and how support for necessary transformation can be built.
 "Janina MÜTZE")
 "Anna HERRHAUSEN")
Closing Remarks
The Economics of Progress: Innovation, Competition, and Creative Destruction
A keynote exploring how innovation, competition and creative destruction drive economic renewal, and how technological change in energy and AI can translate into implementation, scale and ultimately economic and societal progress.
 "Philippe AGHION")
Official Closing
Lunch
A Platform for Turning Solutions into Practice The Leaders Collaboration Forum 2026, under the motto “Upwards with Solutions. Onwards with Society.”, brings together leaders and experts from business, policy, science, and civil society to explore how concrete solutions can be implemented, scaled, and turned into reality. The goal is to turn innovation into practice, unlocking economic and societal progress through stronger financing, forward-looking regulation, and effective implementation. At the heart of this effort lies a central question: How can innovative solutions, new ways of thinking, and new partnership models be implemented and scaled to create long-term societal benefit? Achieving this requires collaboration across sectors, societal support for change, and a clear understanding of global trends.
