How can Europe reconcile technological innovation, the sustainable use of resources, and social responsibility? This central question was at the heart of the 18th Symposium on Ethics & Sustainability at Salzburg University of Applied Sciences on 16 and 17 October 2026. Experts, researchers, and students came together to discuss current challenges at the intersection of digitalisation, sustainability, and ethics.
After a welcome address by Rector Dominik Engel in the Audimax, the symposium was opened by Louise Beltzung of the Chamber of Labour Vienna (AK Wien) with a keynote on the implementation of the European AI Act. She highlighted how regulatory frameworks can help balance innovation and responsibility.
The presentations on the first day explored the ethical dimensions of today’s transformation processes. Topics ranged from sustainable urban development and participation to geoeconomics, global resource dependencies, trust in AI systems, and digital humanism. International perspectives were provided by Chien-Ke Cheng from Taiwan, who addressed the geopolitical challenges of resource security, and Glenda Hannibal from the University of Salzburg, who spoke on transparency and trust in artificial intelligence.
Around 400 master's students then explored these topics in interdisciplinary groups and workshops. They presented the outcomes of their discussions in the form of posters. During the informal networking session at the end of the first day, students had the opportunity to exchange ideas across degree programmes and build new connections.
Developing Solutions for the Challenges of Tomorrow Together
The second day of the event focused on the interconnections between sustainability, business, and technology. In his keynote, “From Limits to Growth to No Limits to Hope,” Friedrich Hinterberger, member of the Club of Rome, outlined perspectives for a sustainable and liveable future. He emphasised the importance of education, societal learning, and collective action in addressing global challenges.
The symposium’s subsequent presentations explored critical raw materials as a geopolitical power factor, responsibility and human rights in tourism, ethical issues in collaborative robotics, and the values and visions of humanity underpinning the development of future AI systems. Through workshops and a concluding panel discussion, students and experts worked together to develop approaches to the challenges of a sustainable and responsible future.
The Ethics & Sustainability format is an interdisciplinary symposium for students at Salzburg University of Applied Sciences. For the past 18 years, this annual event, organised by the Rectorate and the university’s degree programmes, has provided a platform for cross-disciplinary dialogue on key societal issues while fostering connections among students across departments and study programmes. In 2026, the symposium was held under the theme “Negotiating the Future: Europe Between Technology, Resources and Responsibility.”