Tax & Legal Excellence
08:45 - 10:45
Conference
Programme
Geopolitics, geoeconomics and security
Thursday, December 04, 2025
Crises, conflicts, AI: the Annual Conference 2025 looks at Europe's role in a world in upheaval. Geopolitics, geoeconomics and security form the framework for a debate on economic reality, legal leeway and the opportunities of new technologies - from cyber security to artificial intelligence.
08:45 - 08:50
Opening / Moderation
Tax & Legal as a reflection of geopolitical and economic changes
RA/StB Oliver Holzinger
Managing Director
and Founder
Tax & Legal Excellence
Prof. Dr. Stefan Fröhlich
Professor emeritus for international Politics and Political Economy, FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg and Board member of the DAG e.V.
08:50 - 09:20
Interview
From the turn of an era to the transatlantic end of an era?
Daniel S. Hamilton
President of the Transatlantic Leadership Network, Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute of Johns Hopkins University SAIS
09:20 - 09:45
Keynote speech
Europe's future | A world without security?
Prof. Dr. Sven Biscop
Professor of Belgian and European Foreign and Defense Policy at the University of Ghent and Program Director "Europe in the World" at Egmont - Royal Institute for International Relations, Brussels
09:45 -10:45
Panel
Panel on the current security situation and the effectiveness of the defense industry
Moderation:
RA Dr. Sven-Holger Undritz
Partner at White & Case, Hamburg
Prof. Dr. Sven Biscop
Professor of Belgian and European Foreign and Defense Policy at the University of Ghent and Program Director "Europe in the World" at Egmont - Royal Institute for International Relations, Brussels
Dr. Patrick Keller
Head of the Center for
Security & Defense at the German Council on Foreign Relations, Berlin
Prof. Dr. Guntram Wolff
Solvay Brussels School of the Université libre de Bruxelles
Dr. Markus Kaim
Head of the "Geoeconomics and Security Policy" Division, Federal Ministry of Finance
10:45 - 11:10
Break
- Coffee break
- Networking
11:10 - 12:55
Global trade, world and financial economy
11:10 - 11:30
Interview
Foreign trade challenges for Germany as an industrial location
Dr. Thomas Steffen
State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, Berlin
Dr. Detlev Fechtner
Chief reporter, Börsenzeitung
11:30 - 11:55
Keynote speech
Economic development from a German and European perspective
Prof. Dr. Jens Südekum
Personal Representative of the Federal Minister of Finance for Macroeconomic Development and Professor of International Economics at the HHU Düsseldorf
11:55 - 12:55
Panel
Panel on financial and industrial policy
Moderation:
Yves Hervé, PhD
Senior Managing Director at NERA
Prof. Dr. Alexander Nützenadel
Professor of Social and Economic History at the Humboldt University of Berlin
Matthias Krämer
Head of Foreign Trade Policy Department BDI, Berlin
Dr. Stormy-Annika Mildner
Managing Director of the Aspen Institute, Berlin
Prof. Dr. Jens Südekum
Personal Representative of the Federal Minister of Finance for Macroeconomic Development and Professor of International Economics at HHU Düsseldorf
12:55 - 13.55
Break
- Lunch break
- Networking
13:55 - 15:15
Cybersecurity situation and infrastructure
13:55 - 14:15
Keynote speech
Blackout | A world without net!
Prof. Dr. Christian Dörr
Head of Cybersecurity at the Hasso Plattner Institute, Potsdam
14:15 -15:15
Panel
Panel on the cyber security situation and the digital future
Moderation:
RA Dr. Paul Voigt Lic. en Derecho, CIPP/E
Partner at Taylor Wessing, Berlin
Prof. Dr. Christian Dörr
Head of Cybersecurity at the Hasso Plattner Institute, Potsdam
Andreas Maack
Head of Group Security at Volkswagen AG, Wolfsburg
Prof. Dr. Gabi Dreo Rodosek
Chair of Communication Systems and Network Security, University of the Federal Armed Forces Munich
Lieutenant General Michael Vetter
Head of Department
Innovation and Cyber and
Chief Information Officer at the Federal Ministry of Defense
15:15 - 15:35
Break
- Coffee break
- Networking
15:35 - 17:00
Brave new World | AI 2028
15:35 - 16:00
Keynote speech
Generative AI - Transformative potential for Germany and beyond
Prof. Dr. Stefan Wrobel
Professor of Computer Science at the University of Bonn and Director of the Fraunhofer Institute IAIS
16:00 -17:00
Panel
Panel on the future of AI at Tax & Legal
Moderation:
RA Markus Hartung
Lawyer and mediator, Berlin
Dr. Dr. Oliver Hofmann
Head of Legal Tech at Beck Verlag, Munich
Prof. Dr. Robert Risse
Institute for Austrian and International Tax Law, WU Vienna
Nathalie Schomerus
Legal Innovation Lead
at Legora, Berlin
Prof. Dr. Stefan Wrobel
Professor of Computer Science at the University of Bonn and Director of the Fraunhofer Institute IAIS
17:00 - 17:05
Closing
RA/StB Oliver Holzinger
Managing Director
and Founder
Tax & Legal Excellence
Programme overview
-
08:45 - 08:50
Opening
Moderation -
08:50 - 09:20
Interview
From the turning point to the end of the transatlantic era? -
09:20 - 09:45
Keynote speech
Europe's future | A world without security? -
09:45 - 10:45
Panel
Panel on the current security situation and effectiveness of the defense industry -
10:45 - 11:10
Networking break