Futuretalk 2026

“Inspiration for Tomorrow! Innovation, Policy, and Prospects for Austria’s Private Hospitals”

Association of Austrian Private Hospitals

Futuretalk 2026 is our annual event exclusively for members and offers a unique platform for discussion, networking, and inspiration.

Under the theme “Impulses for Tomorrow! Innovation, Policy, and Perspectives for Austria’s Private Hospitals,” leading experts from the fields of politics, business, and healthcare will discuss current developments, reform initiatives, and key challenges that will have a lasting impact on the private healthcare sector. The focus will be on forward-looking innovations, the policy framework for healthcare, and new perspectives on quality, efficiency, and the security of care.

Look forward to high-caliber insights, engaging discussions, and practical perspectives on the future of private hospitals in Austria.Be part of this special event and actively shape the future of healthcare alongside leading voices from politics, medicine, and science!

“So there is no single best system. A significant part of my work involves evaluating international solutions and considering how they might work in our local context.”

“Wars, a climate of crisis, and natural disasters instill fear in people. People who are afraid tend to prefer authoritarian structures over democratic ones and to follow simplistic populist ideas. What could this mean for the future of the Austrian healthcare system?”

“Hospitals are among the most complex—and at the same time, the most rigid—systems in our society. Regulation, economic efficiency, medical responsibility, and people’s lives intersect here every day. And yet I am convinced that change is possible.”

“A digital future needs human connections.”

“Leadership means taking risks, shaping the future, and trusting others; it means engaging with people and embracing new ideas; but above all, leadership means serving others.”

Event details and registration

Join us at Futuretalk 2026, an inspiring event taking place in the exclusive setting of the Hotel Entners am See in Tyrol .

On October 8 and 9 an exciting program full of discussions and networking.

Date: October 8 and 9, 2026
Location: Hotel Entners am See, Tyrol

Participation fee:
€ 420.00 / participant; the participation fee includes catering during the entire event.

This event is an exclusive member event of the association and is not open to the public.

Please note that you must book your hotel room directly with the hotel. You can do so by phone at +43 (0) 5243/5559-0 or by email at info@entners.at .

We have reserved a block of rooms for you at special rates. This offer is valid through August 20, 2026, and is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Hotel Entners am See has a total of 80 rooms available. Once these are fully booked, guests will be accommodated in a neighboring hotel.

Program (subject to change)

Day 1: Thursday, October 8, 2026

11:30

Get-together before the Annual General Meeting

12:00

Annual General Meeting

13:00

Lunch and Get-Together: Futuretalk 2026

14:00

Greeting

Association President

Key Notes

“More private sector, less government: Does this apply to healthcare as well?”

“The Healthcare System of Tomorrow”

“A Trump for Austria? The Future of Health Policy in an Era of Democratic Fatigue, Autocratic Tendencies, and Populism”

Speaker

Thomas Czypionka, IHS

Katharina Reich, Ministry of Health

Peter Köppl, Mastermind

Moderation

Nora Mayr

15:30

Break

16:00

TALK

“Innovation or Illusion? The Healthcare System of Tomorrow Under Scrutiny”

Thomas Czypionka

Katharina Reich

Peter Köppl

Werner Fischl

18:30

Aperitif in the hotel restaurant

19:00

Gala dinner in the hotel restaurant and finale on the terrace

Day 2: Friday, October 9, 2026

7:00

Optional: Morning Yoga (approx. 1 hour)

9:30

Key Notes

“The Hospital of the Future”

“Patients and Clients of the Future”

“The Leaders of the Future”

Speaker

David-Ruben Thies, Eisenberg Forest Clinic

Suzana Jovicic, University of Vienna

Andreas Altmann, MCI International University

11:00

Coffee break

11:30

TALK

“Future Health: Who Heals, Who Leads, Who Decides?”

David Ruben Thies

Suzana Jovicic

Andreas Altmann

Annette Leja

Moderation

Nora Mayr

12:30

Farewell

Association President

Lunch

Keynote speakers and talk guests

Thomas Czypionka

Dr. Thomas Czypionka is the head of the Health Systems and Health Policy Research Group. He holds degrees in both medicine (sub auspiciis praesidentis) and economics. He has served twice as a Senior Research Fellow at the LSE and has published numerous articles in several prestigious journals on various topics in health economics and public health.

Katharina Reich

Dr. Katharina Reich is a medical doctor and, since December 2020, has served as Head of the Public Health Division, Director General for Public Health at the Austrian Federal Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs, Health, Care, and Consumer Protection, Chair of the Federal Office for Health Safety, and a member of the Austrian Federal Health Commission.

Peter Köppl

Dr. Peter Köppl is the founder and managing partner of Mastermind Public Affairs Consulting. He is one of Austria's leading public affairs experts with professional experience as a journalist, PR consultant, press spokesman and lobbying manager in industrial companies, chambers, associations and agencies.

Werner Fischl

Werner Fischl has been with Mavie Med (formerly PremiQaMed Group) for more than 25 years, serving as managing director of the Mavie Med private clinics since 2012. In addition, he serves as an industry representative in his capacity as vice president of the Association of Private Hospitals in Austria and as head of the Legal Affairs Committee within the Health Care Sector Association of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber.

David-Ruben Thies

David-Ruben Thies has been CEO of Waldkliniken Eisenberg GmbH German Center for Orthopedics and Meine Polikliniken GmbH in Thuringia since 2008. He began his career in healthcare as a licensed nurse in Munich and later earned a degree in hospital management. Under his leadership, Waldkliniken Eisenberg has become a flagship project in the German hospital landscape—with groundbreaking concepts in medicine, nursing, architecture, and workplace culture. Thies is regarded as an inspiring pioneer who actively shapes the healthcare sector and continually breaks new ground to prioritize patient well-being and employee motivation.

Suzana Jovicic

Dr. Suzana Jovicic is the principal investigator of several FWF-funded research projects (Smartphone Addiction and Dreamscapes) at the Institute of Cultural and Social Anthropology at the University of Vienna. She is a board member of the European Network for Psychological Anthropology and a co-founder of the Digital Ethnography Initiative. Her research lies at the intersection of digital, psychological, and psychiatric anthropology, as well as participatory and ethnographic youth research.

Andreas Altmann

Prof. Dr. Andreas Altmann was born in 1963 in Obertrum near Salzburg. He studied economics and international relations at the Universities of Linz and Innsbruck, as well as at Johns Hopkins University in Bologna. Before his appointment as Rector of MCI, he was engaged in teaching and research at the Institutes of Public Finance and Business Administration at the University of Innsbruck. As founding director and first rector of MCI, he developed the university into an internationally recognized “Entrepreneurial University®” with approximately 3,500 students, about 1,000 faculty members, around 300 partner universities, and over 20,000 alumni worldwide.

Annette Leja

Annette Leja has been working at the Kettenbrücke Private Clinic in Innsbruck since 1995, where she has held various management positions and, since January 2023, has once again served as managing director and administrative director. Since September 2025, Leja has been vice president of the Association of Private Hospitals in Austria.

Nora Mayr

Nora Mayr worked for many years as an editor and host at Life Radio. Today, as a freelance host and podcaster, she is a passionate advocate for socially relevant issues. Among other things, Mayr hosts the podcast of Upper Austria’s Governor Thomas Stelzer, as well as the podcasts for the Austrian Society of Otorhinolaryngology and the Diakoniewerk. Through her work, she makes complex topics understandable and accessible.

Showing Slide 1 of 9