Karl Nehammer speaks at the Unternehmertag

In times when Europe must decide not only how to compete, but how to transform, few political figures are as closely positioned at the fault lines of change as Karl Nehammer.

As Vice President of the European Investment Bank Group, he sits at the intersection of long-term capital, technological ambition and geopolitical responsibility. His portfolio spans some of the EU’s most consequential missions – from TechEU and Life Sciences to the Digital Economy, Net Zero and Disruptive Technologies. It also extends across a remarkably broad geography: Austria, the Nordic countries, the Baltic states, EFTA, and the EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood from Ukraine to the Caucasus. Very few European leaders have such a panoramic view of both opportunity and instability.

Before joining the EIB Group, Karl Nehammer served as Austria’s Federal Chancellor (2021–2025), navigating one of the most complex political periods in recent Austrian history. His earlier roles as Federal Minister of the Interior and Member of Parliament added security policy, crisis management and institutional reform to his profile. Combined with his academic background in political communication, these experiences place him among the rare figures who understand both the mechanics of democratic legitimacy and the machinery of European investment.

At Unternehmertag, he will deliver a keynote that ties directly into our 2026 theme “The Great Re-Shuffle. Who Holds the Cards in Tomorrow’s World?”
His vantage point – straddling government, finance, technology and Europe’s strategic neighbourhood – promises a sharp, timely and substantial contribution to the debate on where Europe must position itself in a world undergoing structural change.