Over 50 years ago, the first Business Informatics study program in the German-speaking world was introduced by the University of Vienna and TU Wien. The combination of technological excellence and business acumen laid the foundation for a success story that has produced executives, successful startup founders, and university rectors. To celebrate this milestone, a special anniversary event was held at TU Wien on November 17, bringing together alumni, faculty, and industry experts for an evening of panels, talks, and discussions reflecting on the history, achievements, and future of Business Informatics.

The program offered attendees the opportunity to hear firsthand accounts from those who have helped shape the discipline, as well as insights from successful graduates and entrepreneurs applying their knowledge in Austria and beyond. The event began with a welcome address by Jens Schneider, Rector of TU Wien, and Gerti Kappel, Dean of the Faculty of Informatics, with Christian Huemer moderating the evening.

The Making of a Successful Discipline

The opening panel looked back at the early days of Business Informatics, bringing together A Min Tjoa, Hannes Werthner, and Hardy Hanappi, all emeriti professors of TU Wien who were instrumental in establishing the discipline. They reflected on the field’s defining characteristics—its interdisciplinarity, its ability to understand both growth and the limits of growth, and the responsibility to consider the societal consequences of the technologies we design, particularly in the context of the Global South. The discussion also highlighted the importance of Business Informatics in automating processes in industry and public administration, the need to stay in touch with societal developments, and milestones such as the introduction of the English-language master’s program and the creation of TU Wien’s innovation incubation center, the i²c.

The event then moved to a panel featuring successful alumni of Business Informatics: Stefanie Braschel (Head of Strategy at Hillroute Capital), Bernhard Hohenegger (Board Member at Bank99), Stefan Koch (Rector of Johannes Kepler University Linz), Andreas Tomek (Partner at KPMG Österreich), and Christian Weiss (Managing Director at Frequentis DFS Aerosense). Moderated by Lukas Bürstmayr (RISE), the panelists shared their experiences and insights on how the solid technological foundation from their Business Informatics studies shaped their successful careers in leadership and industry. All speakers emphasized the importance of a rigorous technical foundation, which provided them with the skills to work with complex systems and technologies, as well as the ability to self-organize, structure challenging tasks, understand underlying processes, and approach problems with critical thinking. The panel also highlighted the need to further strengthen alumni networks and the value of these connections throughout one’s professional journey.

The next panel, with Philipp Liegl (ecosio), Sander van der Rijdt (PlanRadar), Bernhard Schandl (9am.health), Lisa Smith (Prewave), and Simon Tragatschnig (fiskaly), turned to the realities of entrepreneurship. The speakers discussed Austria as a promising location for startups, noting that while Vienna is extremely livable, growing a business often requires looking beyond national borders. They reflected on how funding, seed capital, and the support ecosystem have significantly improved over the past two decades, while emphasizing that entrepreneurship remains demanding and not suited for everyone. Learning from failure, understanding customers and markets, and identifying real needs were highlighted as essential ingredients for turning strong technical ideas into successful companies.