RBI Summer Cocktail 2025 – Make connections happen
Our annual Summer Cocktail at Palais Liechtenstein was a great success. With around 900 participants from business and politics, the evening was dedicated to topics such as European unity, innovation, and energy transformation. The participants engaged in stimulating conversations and took away exciting insights from the keynote speech by Federal Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger, as well as from the subsequent panel discussion with Wolfgang Litzlbauer (CEO of Umdasch), Michael Strugl (CEO of Verbund AG), and Valerie Brunner (RBI), moderated by Gunter Deuber (Raiffeisen Research).
The evening began with an inspiring keynote speech by Beate Meinl-Reisinger, the Federal Minister for European and International Affairs. She emphasized the need for unity among Europeans to address current challenges, advocating for strategic autonomy and a robust defense industry. Ms. Meinl-Reisinger underscored the necessity of achieving fair and lasting peace in Ukraine for the continent's strength and stability. She also talked about the importance of gradually integrating the Western Balkans into the EU to promote regional prosperity. Finally, she urged a shift towards removing trade barriers to foster economic growth and adapt to a competitive global landscape.
This was followed by a panel discussion featuring Beate Meinl-Reisinger alongside Wolfgang Litzlbauer, CEO of Umdasch, Michael Strugl, CEO of Verbund AG and Valerie Brunner, Board Member Corporate and Investment Banking at RBI. Moderated by Gunter Deuber from Raiffeisen Research, the discussion tackled pressing issues, including:
- Europe’s Innovation Potential: Beate Meinl-Reisinger emphasized that Europe is well-positioned in fundamental research, but the ability to transition innovations into business models and scale them up needs improvement. She noted that while small innovations are appealing, amplification is necessary to create a real technological impact.
- Energy Transformation: Michael Strugl emphasized, “The successful transformation of the energy system requires intensive cooperation between all stakeholders in business, politics, and society. To ensure tomorrow's success, we must work together today to create the right framework.”
- Commitment to North America: Wolfgang Litzlbauer stressed, “North America is, was, and will remain a key pillar of our growth strategy. We are fully committed to this dynamic market and the vast opportunities it holds.”
- Support Offered by Banks: Valerie Brunner compared the services of a relationship bank in today's volatile business environment to a trusted co-pilot assisting during a bumpy ride: increasing visibility through industry-specific advisory, extending reach by financing transformative investments, and mitigating uncertainties on the road via hedging and trade finance instruments.
Culinary highlights from DO & CO AG rounded off the evening, creating an atmosphere that fostered not only the exchange of ideas but also unforgettable memories.
