The Western world is facing fundamental upheavals: Technology, management & leadership are in demand. With Russia's brutal war in Europe, the vulnerability of our previous world and economic order became visible. In the coming years, dramatic changes will take place in the energy sector in an otherwise unstable economic situation. So far, it can be assumed that on the European level, the upheaval will also be increasingly continued in the direction of a sustainable circular economy, whereby a fundamental and sustainable transformation in the economy and society can be expected for the coming years.

Companies, government institutions and non-profit organizations, primarily with the executives working there, are challenged to adapt to the new conditions or to use them with innovative ideas for improved processes, expanded products or new business processes. New technologies, which are also created by leading research at the TU Wien, will be the basis for this. The development and use of new technologies in business and society requires mature management, i.e. planning, organization and control as well as leadership, in order to shape the major change processes in a goal-oriented and meaningful way. We want to qualify managers and experts so that the sustainable transformation by means of innovative technologies is shaped by effective management and leadership.

Companies in particular are feeling this pressure and now have to adapt quickly to a new world. But that is not the end of the story. For the coming years, it will be a constant process of change. Managers are challenged to make long-term and risky decisions in the face of great uncertainty. This is why visionary leaders with a broad knowledge base and an entrepreneurial mindset are needed. They must be prepared to conscientiously drive the great social and economic transformation and to achieve global competitive advantages selectively through disruptive innovations based on completely new technologies.

In this context, Prof. Kurt Matyas (Vice Rector) emphasizes: "Excellent technicians and scientists from TU Wien drive technological development in many companies and act as a permanent bridge to TU Wien. Due to their expertise, they often get leading positions and need know-how in the field of management and leadership. With the TU Wien ACE, we can qualify them particularly well for taking on management responsibility, as we know exactly what they need further in the area of management and leadership and where we can also offer additional technological expertise. The pleasing developments in the area of continuing education at TU Wien ACE certainly prove us right."

Prof. Güttel, our Dean, continues, "We support the sustainable transformation with three initiatives:

1. Management MBAs in the areas of General Management, Strategic Management & Technology, and Innovation, Digitalization & Entrepreneurship, as well as TechMBAs in Mobility Transformation and Operations & Supply Chain Management for the strategic and innovative shaping of sustainable transformation: The General Management (Management MBA) offers a broad basic management education - which can be completed within one year - and a highly customizable basis for management careers. Sustainable transformation particularly requires new strategies and innovative processes, products and business models. With the Strategic Management & Technology (Management MBA) and Innovation, Digitalization & Entrepreneurship (Management MBA), innovation managers can qualify to successfully continue their core organizations and at the same time create spaces for the future and thus for the long-term survival of companies. Especially Leadership & Ambidexterity, i.e. the combination of core business and innovation, are the assets of the TU Wien ACE, which promote an innovative and proactive design of the sustainable transformation towards the circular economy.
2. A redesign in Sustainable Construction (a master's program of TU Wien ACE) complements the very successful Real Estate area: Sustainability is a major focus at TU Wien ACE, as technology is the driver of sustainable transformation. In addition to the MSc programs on Renewable Energy and Environmental Technology & International Affairs, the MSc on Sustainable Construction has been realigned in cooperation with TU Graz. The course complements the very successful real estate courses (MSc Real Estate Management & Valuation, University Course Real Estate Management & Property Management) which are also fully booked in more than 30 years of existence. Especially architects, developers and construction companies can further educate themselves on sustainable construction and thus gain access to the latest research results and international construction trends in the field of sustainability.
3. Post-Covid continuing education shows that presence cannot be replaced by digitization: As a technical university, we see that participants in our continuing education programs demand face-to-face instruction. Since we are able to create a highly trusting atmosphere with great psychological security through the design of our learning architectures, a very deep exchange of knowledge and experience between the participants and a broad reflection of the content is made possible. This trust also promotes network building that extends far beyond the end of the programs. With group-dynamic outdoor exercises, especially in the leadership area, we also provide our participants with a unique experience in different roles and situations, which ensures deep feedback and thus lays the foundation for behavioral change in leadership practice as well. In the digital world, deep experience sharing, network engagement and learning from real-life situations fall by the wayside. That is why we will continue to offer as much presence as possible in the future.

All in all, we are optimistic about the winter semester in a very difficult economic and geopolitical situation, because the best thing that companies, public institutions and non-profit organizations can do now with their experts and managers is to invest in a broad knowledge base, since we do not know how the future will unfold exactly. Qualification creates the basis for survival even in very turbulent times!"

Sender

Mag. Sonja Murczek
TU Wien 
PR and Marketing
Resselgasse 3, 1040 Wien
sonja.murczek@tuwien.ac.at