Programme Overview

An intimate conversation between a WBD alumnus who went on to lead one of Germany's most iconic companies, and a former student organiser now shaping European defence strategy. The session traces how a student-built conference opens doors to boardrooms — and what it means to build a career rooted in European ambition.

Europe's security landscape is shifting faster than its institutions. Three experts from defence, deep tech, and venture capital explore what genuine strategic autonomy requires — from cyber resilience to sovereign hardware and the capital flows needed to build a defence-industrial base that can compete globally.

From automotive to chemicals to logistics, Europe's industrial backbone faces simultaneous pressure from cost, competition, and the green transition. Four voices from Parliament, economics, logistics, and financial research confront the hard question: is reindustrialisation still possible, and what mix of industrial policy and private capital can make it happen?

Europe's most powerful companies are often invisible. Hermann Simon, who coined the term "Hidden Champions", discusses the thousands of mid-sized European firms dominating global niches — and what their discipline, focus, and long-term thinking offer as a blueprint for the next generation of European business leaders.

Damian Boeselager co-founded VOLT Europa and won a seat in the European Parliament before 35. He reflects on building institutions that transcend national borders, why youth engagement in European democracy matters more than ever, and whether a truly united Europe can still be built from the ground up.

Ulrike Sapiro brings a transatlantic lens to Europe's strategic moment — having worked across Silicon Valley and Brussels. Her interview charts the structural choices Europe faces on technology sovereignty, trade, and geopolitical positioning, and what it means to lead with European values in a world of competing power blocs.

A European founder shares a first-hand account of scaling from idea to international success — navigating fragmented markets, raising capital, and competing with American and Asian giants. The talk draws out lessons in resilience, focus, and what it actually takes to build a global challenger from European soil.