Event

Zero Project Conference 2025 Parliament Event – Initiatives for inclusive employment and ICT in Austria

Date:04.03.2025 09:00
Location:Nationalratssaal
Organizer: Walter Rosenkranz, Präsident des Nationalrates , Andrea Eder-Gitschthaler, Präsidentin des Bundesrates, Peter Haubner, Zweiter Präsident des Nationalrates, Doris Bures, Dritte Präsidentin des Nationalrates und Essl Foundation

Content and Program

Content

Since 2020, the Zero Project, an initiative by the Austrian non-profit Essl Foundation, has organised an annual event together with the Austrian Parliament to promote dialogue with key decision-makers and opinion leaders in politics, as well as civil society, businesses, media, and academia. Since 2023, the event has been held in the historic parliament building on Vienna’s Ringstrasse, which is now largely barrier-free following extensive renovation work. The event focused on a selection of 77 Zero Project Awardees from 45 countries, who are recognized for their innovative, impactful, and scalable solutions. They presented their innovations to members of the Austrian Parliament and other opinion leaders from civil society and the business sector. They were selected individually by parliamentarians from all political parties represented in parliament. The parliamentarians then also made a pledge to support the selected innovation in its implementation in Austria.

Program

Austrian Premiere

AI-powered communication solution for people living with ALS – presented by Erin Taylor

Welcome Adress

Martin Essl
Founder of the Essl Foundation and the Zero Project

Keynote Speech

Caroline Casey
Founder of "The Valuable 500"

Presentation of innovative Solutions

Closing Remarks

Andrea Eder-Gitschthaler
President of the Federal Council

Reception

Moderation

Andreas Onea
Journalist, ORF – The Austrian Broadcasting Corporation