Values as a compass: Markus Ilg talks about the Business Summit 2026

Markus Ilg, Head of the Department of Business and Management at the FHV, has played a key role in shaping the event in recent years. He will curate the upcoming Business Summit on April 30 for the last time in a leading role: in January, he will hand over the Head of Department to Anna Knorr, who is currently Head of the Sustainable Energy Systems degree programme at the FHV. A good moment to look back with him, but also to talk about expectations and highlights of the upcoming event.

The theme of this year's Business Summit 2026 is "The Value of Values - Values as a Leadership Compass in a Digital Future". What makes the topic so relevant in view of current economic and social events?

Markus Ilg: Social and political developments clearly show that many people are looking for orientation and stability. But what do we base our decisions on when framework conditions are changing ever faster? Is it enough to say that change is the only constant? Companies and their managers are also facing complex challenges. In addition to rising costs and new competition, moral and ethical dilemmas are increasingly arising, such as the question of whether cultural values such as diversity should be watered down in favor of market access in individual countries. Management is just as committed to the employees as it is to the owners. So how are sustainable decisions made? The only way to systematically address these questions is to seek dialog and make challenges transparent. This can be achieved with an event like the Business Summit.

To what extent is this relevance reflected in the courses offered by the Department of Business and Management?

Markus Ilg: This can already be seen in the diversity of the students on our programmes: We welcome diversity in educational and experiential backgrounds, which enriches the professional exchange and leads to a broader discourse. The same applies to our lecturers. External lecturers from abroad in particular bring in new perspectives and broaden the view of Business and Management contexts. In the design of our programme structures, we also address topics that make it essential to deal with issues of business ethics - for example in the area of sustainability or in various leadership contexts. This will be the last Business Summit that you curate as Head of the Department of Business and Management.

What are your personal expectations of the upcoming event or is there anything you are particularly looking forward to?

Markus Ilg: Over the years, we have become really good at highlighting the annually changing thematic focus with interesting speakers from different areas. The different perspectives are valuable. There was always that moment after a lecture when I thought to myself: I hadn't thought of it like that before. I am and remain grateful for that. And I'm also looking forward to the next Business Summit, because this year's programme also promises an exciting discourse.

How important is it for a university to offer such platforms for exchange and to actively shape them?

Markus Ilg: The importance can hardly be underestimated. It brings us, as a university and especially as a Department of Business and Management, into contact with a wide variety of stakeholders. The Vorarlberg Raiffeisen banks have been our main sponsor from the very beginning. Other leading companies in the region - including Blum, Liebherr, Alpla, Gebrüder Weiss, Hirschmann Automotive, Rauch, TWP Rechtsanwälte, the Zumtobel Group and the city of Dornbirn - also support the format. Of course, the financial support is important and allows us to look out for the best speakers. However, the exchange of content is just as valuable.

Do you have any particularly memorable highlights from recent years?

Markus Ilg: That's a difficult question because there have been many great moments in recent years. Sigrid Stagl (Scientist of the Year 2024, WU Vienna) is very memorable for me with her impressively clear presentation of the ecological challenges for the future of our companies. Equally impressive was Christoph Badelt (President of the Fiscal Council), when he got to the heart of economic challenges with great Energy and precision. Isabell Welpe (TUM) inspired with her contribution on virtual working on the web3 and my colleague Willy Kriz also impressed with his input on gamification. I could go on and on and I am really proud of the many renowned speakers who have already been guests at the Business Summit.

In three words - how would you describe the Business Summit?

Markus Ilg: Future prospects - Business and Management - Networking.

Various perspectives on the topic of "The Value of Values - Values as a leadership compass in a digital future" will be discussed at the Business Summit 2026:

• Wolfgang Peschorn, "Lawyer of the Republic" and President of the Financial Procurator's Office will address business ethics in the area of conflict between Business and Management and the state.
• Sabrina Schneider, Head of the Digital Business Transformation research group and Blum Foundation Professor, will present research findings on AI and ethics.
• Viktoria Schnaderbeck, former captain of the Austrian national women's soccer team, will transfer ethical issues from sport to Business and Management.

Ticket sales have already started. Tickets are available at reduced prices for students. All information on the program and tickets at www.fhv.at/business-summit