21st European Trend Day
12 March 2025
Speakers
Douglas Rushkoff
Douglas Rushkoff
Professor of Media Theory and Digital Economics
City University of New York
USA
Recognised by MIT as one of the ‘ten most influential intellectuals in the world’, Douglas Rushkoff researches human autonomy in the digital age. He is also a documentary filmmaker and research associate at the Institute for the Future. As a bestselling author, he has published works such as ‘Survival of the Richest’ and ‘Team Human’ and regularly writes columns for media such as CNN. He has received several awards for his work.
As a
leading expert on the future of work and the role of technology, Carl Benedikt
Frey regularly publishes in renowned specialist journals. In his award-winning
book ‘The Technology Trap’, he sheds light on the impact of technological
change on politics, business and society. He has advised international
organisations, think tanks, governments and companies, including the G20, OECD,
European Commission, United Nations and Fortune 500 companies.
Daniel Susskind researches the effects of economic growth and new technologies such as artificial intelligence on labour and society. As a bestselling author, he has published books such as ‘Growth: A Reckoning’ (2024), in which he analyses the tension between the opportunities and costs of economic growth, as well as ‘A World Without Work’ and ‘The Future of the Professions’. He previously worked as a policy adviser and analyst in the British government.
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Manu Kapur
Professor for Learning Sciences and Higher Education, ETH;
Director of the Singapore-ETH Center
Switzerland
Website
Manu Kapur is the Director of the Singapore-ETH Center and Professor of Learning Sciences and Higher Education at ETH Zurich, where he also leads The Future Learning Initiative. Renowned for developing the Productive Failure theory, Manu has revolutionized STEM education worldwide. With a background in engineering and expertise in mathematical cognition, he has secured substantial research funding, influenced national education policies, and delivered keynote addresses at prestigious global forums.
Holly Herndon is an artist known for integrating machine learning, music, and technology. She develops tools for digital identity and voice ownership, viewing technical systems as artworks. Based in Berlin with her partner Mathew Dryhurst, she co-founded Spawning, which builds AI tools for artists, and won the 2022 Ars Electronica STARTS prize for the Holly+ project. Herndon, on Art Review’s Power 100 list since 2021, holds a Ph.D. in Computer Music from Stanford and shares her studio’s research on the Interdependence podcast.
Max Lederer is the Chief Innovation Officer at Jung von Matt. In this role, he drives the digital transformation of the agency group, which was one of the first in Germany to train its own generative AI . He has over 20 years of experience in digital advertising, platforms, and services, and specializes in working with technology, luxury, and automotive brands.
In spring 2024, together with Tomy Lorsch, Maya Ben Dror founded ComplexChaos, a company building AI tools that power multi-stakeholder collaboration. This could simplify processes for large investments projects as well as for coordination in supply chains. Prior to that, Maya has been working on the future of energy and mobility for 15 years, including for the US-China Clean Tech Center, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the World Economic Forum, where she was most recently Head of Automotive and New Mobility.
Nora Bateson
Founder and President
International Bateson Institute
Sweden
Nora Bateson is the President of the International Bateson Institute and the creator of the Warm Data theory and practices. She wrote, directed and produced the award-winning documentary, ‘An Ecology of Mind’, a portrait of her father Gregory Bateson. In her new book ‘Combining’, Nora introduces an ecology of communication where nothing stands alone, and every action sets off a chain of incalculable consequences. She was the recipient of the Neil Postman Award for Career Achievement in Public Intellectual Activity in 2019.
Stefan Leist
Head of Labour Market Analysis and Social Policy
State Secretariat for Economic Affairs
Switzerland
Website
Stefan Leist is Head of Labour Market Analysis and Social Policy at the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) in Bern. In this role, he analyses developments on the Swiss labour market and prepares the basis for decisions on labour market policy. He also serves as Deputy Head of the Economic Policy Directorate. Leist holds a doctorate in economics and is the author of various publications on economic policy issues.
Daniella Lützelschwab Saija
Head of the Labor Market and Employment Law Department
Swiss Employers’ Association
Switzerland
Website
Daniella Lützelschwab Saija is Head of the Labor Market and Employment Law Department and a member of the Executive Board of the Swiss Employers’ Association. She advocates for employer-friendly framework conditions in Switzerland. This includes addressing current and future working methods and the necessary workforce. Digitalisation and AI play a key role in this. Additionally, she represents employer interests in various federal commissions. Previously, she led employer policy at Swissmem. She studied law at the University of Basel.
Daniel Hügli is Senior Director of the ICT sector at syndicom, Switzerland’s largest union in ICT, postal services, and media. He negotiates working conditions and leads initiatives on AI’s impact on work – like syndicom’s AI Guiding Principles or a partnership with AlgorithmWatch CH. Hügli acts as President of the international ICT union association UNI Europa ICTS since 2021.
Dr. Jakub Samochowiec is a senior researcher at the Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute. He explores societal and technological developments and their interplay. He is particularly interested in the stories we tell about the future and the underlying views of humanity and power dynamics.
Moderator
The versatile and popular presenter Tama Vakeesan is known to audiences from various Swiss television and radio programmes. She currently presents the health programme ‘Puls’. Previously, she was present with her YouTube channel ‘Tama Gotcha!’, for which she was honoured with the prestigious European media award Civis in 2018. She began her television career in 2014 on the youth channel Joiz.
Information
Date
12 March 2025
Venue
GDI Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute
Langhaldenstrasse 21
8803 Rüschlikon, Schweiz
Languages
German and English, with simultaneous interpretation.
Programme changes
The programme is subject to change. Should an event not take place, the participation fee will be refunded. Further claims are ruled out.
Cancellation
If you are unable to attend, please cancel your registration in writing. The participation fee will be refunded up to thirty days before the event. After that and up to five full working days before the event, we will charge 75%, and for cancellations after that we will charge the full amount. A substitute participant is always welcome.
Hotel reservation
We have an allotment of rooms in the following hotels. Please mention the code ETD2025 when booking your room.
Hotel Sedartis, Thalwil: info@sedartis.ch
Hotel Belvoir, Rüschlikon: info@hotel-belvoir.ch
Arrival
From Zurich airport
A taxi will take you to the GDI and the partner hotels in around 45 minutes at around CHF 100, depending on traffic. The S-Bahn will take you quickly and conveniently to Zurich and Thalwil station.
From Thalwil station
A free shuttle bus is available for transfers between Thalwil train station / Hotel Sedartis and the GDI. It waits on the lake side of the station. A member of staff will welcome you on the spot.
Thalwil station – GDI: 08.00 – 08.45, every 15 minutes
GDI – Thalwil station: 17.00 – 18.45, every 15 minutes
The Hotel Belvoir is within walking distance of the GDI.
Parking
The parking deck is located a five-minute walk from the GDI at Zürcherstrasse 4, 8803 Rüschlikon. You can obtain a free exit ticket at the GDI.
Please note that images and video recordings will be made during the event, which may be published permanently on the Internet after the event. By participating in the event, you agree to this procedure.
Media partner
About the European Trend Day
The European Trend Day is a conference on digitalisation and society. With a changing focus topic, technological innovations and their impact on the economy and society are discussed. The speakers explore new possibilities of what is still unthinkable and unimaginable today. Participants include managers, entrepreneurs, academics and journalists from quality media.
Participants
Executives
Speakers
Funktionsstufe: 38 % der Teilnehmenden sind CEOs oder VRs.
50% sind Senior Management oder höher.
Functional level: 38% of participants are CEOs or board members.50% are senior management or higher.