The 2026 East German Economic Forum will take place in Bad Saarow from 31 May to 2 June 2026. Under the theme “A New (Dis)Order”, representatives from politics, business, academia and civil society will discuss geopolitical, economic and technological upheavals, as well as the role of Germany and Europe in global competition.
eco – Association of the Internet Industry will also be represented at OWF26. The focus will be on the question of how the digital economy can become a key driver of growth for Germany, and for Eastern Germany in particular.
Sidonie Krug, Head of Association Communications, Spokesperson Political Communication and member of the Board of Management at eco, will moderate the panel discussion “Digital Transformation in Practice: What the State and Business Must Now Implement Together” with Dr Michael Ameling from SAP and the German Federal Minister for Digital Affairs, Dr Karsten Wildberger. She will also moderate the panel “The digital economy as a growth engine – how Germany is now creating value in the AI era”. The discussion will focus on the conditions Germany must create to expand digital value creation, innovative strength and competitiveness in the AI era. The panel will feature Prof. Nicola Fuchs-Schündeln (WZB), Semjon Rens (Meta), Dirk Schmitz (BlackRock Inc) and Milen Starke (DENKweit GmbH).
OWF26 places a particular focus on the digital economy: strategic infrastructure, data, Internet, data centres, cloud applications, digital sovereignty, and the role of artificial intelligence and platform economies in industrial value creation are at the heart of the debates. In doing so, the forum addresses key issues that are crucial to Germany’s future-proof status as a digital hub. Other key themes include industrial transformation, investment strategies and innovation ecosystems. In the European context, attention is also being drawn to the question of how eastern Germany can further strengthen its role as a region of transformation and innovation.
Further information and tickets: www.ostdeutscheswirtschaftsforum.de
