eXcite. eXplore. eXchange. Highlights from bigX 2025

bigX is XISTA’s flagship event and this year it captured how far Austria’s science based innovation ecosystem has come. Tickets were gone within two weeks. More than 250 people joined us at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria; a mix of researchers, founders, investors, and policymakers that filled the campus with energy and exchange. On stage, ISTA President Martin Hetzer and Markus Wanko set the tone for the evening. “Ships are safe in the harbor,” Hetzer said, “but that is not what they are made for.” Turning frontier research into real ventures, they noted, takes both courage and collaboration. The program, guided by moderator Tina Deutsch, offered a broad but connected view of innovation. Trine Bartholdy from the BioInnovation Institute and Nora Müller from BCG explored what defines a thriving innovation culture. Kathrin Spendier from XPRIZE and Thorsten Schumm from TU Vienna looked at how deep tech can advance faster when cooperation replaces fragmentation. A key focus was the founders journey. Scientists Maria Ibanez, Alexander Pekarsky, Stefan Kittler, Stefan Sack, and Jodi Barrientos shared what it means to move from research to entrepreneurship. Keith Sequeira and Samira Nik from the European Innovation Council added valuable insights on how Europe can better support this transition. The day built on strong momentum. Earlier, the Austrian EIC Accelerator Platform, co hosted by FFG, the European Innovation Council, and XISTA, had gathered policymakers, investors, and startups to discuss the future of innovation funding in Europe. The two events, held back to back, showed how closely research, capital, and entrepreneurship are starting to align. bigX 2025 ended as it began: in conversation. Over food and music, people from across the innovation ecosystem connected, exchanged ideas, and made new plans.