Highlights of the Unternehmertag 2026

More than 600 leaders from business, technology and academia gathered from 18 to 20 March 2026 at the newly renovated Seehotel Überfahrt in Rottach-Egern for the 19th Unternehmertag Tegernsee. CEOs, founders, investors and thought leaders came together to address the defining questions of our time – from geopolitics and artificial intelligence to robotics, quantum computing and Europe’s strategic role in a rapidly shifting world.

Over three intensive days, a dense programme of masterclasses, keynotes and discussions unfolded. Mornings began with shared rituals – from low-light yoga and runs along the lake to ice bathing in Lake Tegernsee – setting the tone for focused exchange and fresh perspectives. Evenings offered space for deeper conversations, new connections and the chance to reconnect with familiar faces.

One particularly moving moment was the appearance of Yulia Navalnaya. Shortly after new evidence surrounding the death of Alexei Navalny had come to light, she spoke with Paul Ronzheimer about her determination to continue her husband’s work – and about the reality of political resistance under an authoritarian regime.

Shortly afterwards, another remarkable woman took her place on the panel: the Mozambican politician and human rights activist Graça Machel-Mandela. As both the widow of former Mozambican President Samora Machel and of Nelson Mandela, the former South African President and freedom fighter, she is one of the most influential and prominent women on the African continent. In conversation with Conny Boersch, she spoke compellingly about a life shaped by political responsibility, personal loss and her decades-long commitment to women’s and children’s rights.

Under the guiding theme “The Great Re-Shuffle. Who Holds the Cards in Tomorrow’s World?”, the programme made the scale and urgency of global transformation tangible – not as abstract analysis, but as immediate reality.

This became particularly evident in two extraordinary moments:
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert appeared live on stage – a presence that is anything but a given under current circumstances. At a time when regular flights from Tel Aviv are крайне limited, he had managed to travel to Germany just two days earlier on one of the few remaining scheduled flights. His presence alone underscored the gravity of the situation. His insights into political decision-making in times of conflict offered the audience a rare, unfiltered perspective on global power dynamics.

Equally striking was the live link to Israeli President Isaac Herzog. His appearance was delayed – not for technical reasons, but because he and his team had been forced to take shelter following an air raid alert in Tel Aviv shortly beforehand. When he finally joined, the geopolitical reality became immediately palpable. It was a moment that charged the discussions on stage with an almost tangible sense of urgency.

Analytical depth was provided by leading experts including Professor Sönke Neitzel, Dr Claudia Major and Dr Florence Gaub, who examined the implications of global crises for Europe and Germany.

Many more leading voices from science and industry delivered forward-looking insights: AI pioneer Professor Alexander Waibel, economist Professor Lucrezia Reichlin, and CEOs such as Bill Anderson (Bayer), Dr Michael Schöllhorn (Airbus Defence and Space), Dr Andreas Schwer (Electro Optic Systems), Dr Adalbert Lechner (Lindt & Sprüngli) and Niko Bullwinkel (Circus Group).

Among the many other high-calibre speakers were Professor Peter Bofinger (economist), AI expert Vanessa Cann, Professor Yuval Noah Harari (historian and philosopher, joining online), former Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner, former Austrian Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer, Rear Admiral (ret.) Stefan D. Pauly, Terra Quantum CEO Markus Pflitsch, German Ambassador to Ukraine Heiko Thoms, Thomas Saueressig (SAP SE), Dr Ferri Abolhassan (CEO, T-Systems), Annika von Mutius (CEO, Empion), and many more.

Unternehmertag Tegernsee 2026 made one thing unmistakably clear: the world is not being reshuffled at some distant point in the future. It is happening now – and it concerns us all.

Further detailed information on the 19th Unternehmertag will follow shortly.

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