Green Peak Festival 2023: Austria's Pioneer for Climate Protection and Entrepreneurship
The renowned Green Peak Festival, which has established itself in the heart of Vienna as Austria's flagship event for sustainability and entrepreneurship, impressed once again. For the second year in a row, over 800 participants gathered to network, exchange ideas and discuss the latest developments in sustainability. The project was supported this year by the Embassy of Israel.
Aleksandar (r.) and Daniel Gros (l.) are the founders GREEN PEAK FESTIVAL. / Picture: © GREEN PEAK FESTIVAL / Elisabeth Pollak
The festival, created by brothers Aleksandar and Daniel Gros, offered a multi-faceted program ranging from keynote speeches to panel discussions and intensive networking sessions. "Our main mission with the festival is to intensify the discourse around the most incisive and at the same time most polarizing topic of our time: climate protection and the role of business in it," explained Daniel Gros.
Both brothers are the partners of the Viennese consultancy Grimex Consult. They founded the Green Peak Festival, which got off to an impressive start last year, attracting more than 600 guests to the Museum of Applied Arts to listen to the inspiring words of more than 40 internationally renowned speakers. Speakers included Federal Minister Karoline Edtstadler, former Ferrari boss and current FIA President Jean Todt, and Ami Appelbaum, CEO of the Israel Innovation Authority.
An impressive line-up of supporters and partners including Agrana, TPA Group, Greiner, Verbund, Café +Co, IBM, Raiffeisenbank International, UBM Development, Akela Attorneys at Law, Bird Rides, Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens, and many more are behind the green summit.
The international character of the festival was underlined this year by the renewed partnership with Israel and the participation of prominent guests such as star architect Alexandra Hagen and a representative of Masdar City from the United Arab Emirates.
Benefits of the festival
The added value of the Green Peak Festival lies not only in its international scope but also in its ability to bring networking to the forefront. "We are all about making real connections and uniting companies from different sectors to work together on sustainable solutions," emphasized Aleksandar Gros.
The goal is an open and solution-oriented discourse on a better, greener future around the topics of "Industry", "Health & Climate Protection", "Real Estate &Building", "Mobility", "Agriculture &Food" and "Leadership & Communication". The spotlight will be on personalities such as former German Environment Minister Jürgen Trittin, celebrated Swedish architect Alexandra Hagen, and Francisco José Galán, director of Masdar City's sustainability department.
In the heart of Vienna, the Museumsquartier with its three impressive venues Libelle, Arena21 and Ovalhalle offers the perfect setting for networking at the Green Peak Festival. Before the main event, selected guests had the opportunity to attend an exclusive evening event at Café Leopold. Well-known companies and organizations, such as AGRANA, IBM, and the Israeli Embassy in Vienna, also supported the festival as partners.
The diversity and relevance of the Green Peak Festival were highlighted by the impressive line-up of speakers, including Jürgen Trittin, former German Environment Minister, and Cornelia Walch, sustainability expert at ÖBB. One highlight was certainly the presentation of the Green Peak Award, which honors the most innovative green start-ups.
Expectations are high for 2024. The festival plans to further strengthen its international orientation while remaining true to its mission: to promote exchange and strengthen the community of stakeholders in the field of sustainability and business.