IFA Berlin will host the CVC | Open Innovation Summit Europe 2026

European conglomerates, family-run businesses and small and medium-sized enterprises are working together to boost Europe’s technological and industrial competitiveness.

IFA Berlin, the world’s leading event for home and consumer tech, will host the CVC | Open Innovation Summit Europe 2026. From 2 to 4 September, around 80 executives from Europe, the US and Asia will gather at the Messe Berlin exhibition centre.

The focus will be on how European conglomerates, family-owned businesses and SMEs can better combine capital, innovation and strategy in order to bring new technologies into use more quickly and strengthen Europe’s competitiveness.

The carefully selected group of participants includes members of executive boards and management teams, owners and executives of family-run businesses, as well as those responsible for corporate strategy, corporate venture capital, transformation and open innovation. On Friday 4 September 2026, the first official day of the IFA, joint programme events organised by the IFA and the summit are planned.

“IFA is a place where new technologies become visible and can be experienced first-hand. As hosts of the CVC | Open Innovation Summit, we are also bringing onto our platform those who finance innovations, scale them within companies and bring them to international markets. In doing so, we are creating a direct link between technology, industry, strategic capital and practical implementation”, says Leif Lindner, CEO of IFA Management.

Working together to boost Europe’s competitiveness

Many European companies have recognised the pivotal technological and geopolitical changes. The greater challenge today lies in implementation: how can artificial intelligence, automation and new business models move from the pilot phase into core business operations? How do governance, capital allocation and decision-making processes need to be adapted? And how can corporate groups, family businesses, SMEs, investors and start-ups collaborate more effectively?

Other key areas of focus include Europe’s technological sovereignty, critical infrastructure, industrial resilience and international partnerships between Europe, the US and Asia.

The Summit itself is structured as an open innovation project. The participating companies and institutions develop the programme jointly, define key research questions and contribute specific experiences and challenges from their organisations and portfolios.

The European co-hosts for 2026 include, amongst others, BorgWarner, Evonik, High-Tech Gründerfonds, MANN+HUMMEL, SIGNAL IDUNA, and Swiss Post.

As co-host, HTGF brings its experience from over 800 funded start-ups and its perspective as a multi-stage VC platform – from seed stage to growth financing. With more than 45 corporates, mid-sized companies, and family offices as fund investors, it has been operating for over 20 years at precisely the intersection this summit is about: between ambitious founding teams and established companies looking to bring innovation into their core business.

Several of the organisations involved are collaborating in this constellation for the first time. Within just a few months, this has resulted in a joint European work programme.

“Europe will not secure its competitiveness through individual companies, investments or pilot projects”, says Philipp Willigmann, Chairman and Convener of the CVC | Open Innovation Summit. “New forms of collaboration are needed between large corporations, family-owned businesses, SMEs, investors and technology companies. The Summit creates a confidential space in which executives can work together to determine how capital, innovation and strategy can be brought together more effectively.”

“The Summit brings together decision-makers from CVC, innovation, and strategy at large global companies to address systemic challenges and align corporate innovation, venture activities, and strategic capital. It’s about honest discussions among decision-makers who genuinely want to drive innovation and development forward,” says Dr. Tanja Emmerling, Partner at HTGF.

“Germany and Europe have outstanding technologies, strong companies, and a unique industrial base. What matters now is speed in execution. AI in particular offers the opportunity to rethink industrial processes, value chains, and entire business models. A New Wirtschaftswunder doesn’t come from waiting, but from the close alignment of capital, industry, and the start-up ecosystem,” adds Sebastian Borek, Managing Director of HTGF.

A working summit rather than a traditional conference

The CVC | Open Innovation Summit is deliberately designed as a working meeting rather than a traditional conference. Participants do not simply come to listen, but contribute their own questions, experiences and proposed solutions in small, facilitated working sessions.

The working groups will address topics including the introduction of artificial intelligence, governance and decision-making processes, strategic capital allocation, corporate-start-up partnerships, and the transition from pilot projects to operational business.

HTGF brings to this discussion the perspective of how innovation can be built and scaled across different stages of development and financing, and brought to application faster in collaboration with industrial partners.

Selected insights will be compiled into white papers following the summit. These are intended to serve as a basis for further corporate dialogue, partnerships and joint initiatives. The aim is to turn this exchange into concrete follow-up activities and measurable impact.

The summit is supported by selected technology, knowledge, legal and ecosystem partners, including Deloitte, Dentons, RSM Ebner Stolz, the Bundesverband Beteiligungskapital, Berlin Partner and AsiaBerlin.

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Application to take part

The CVC | Open Innovation Summit Europe is a curated, invite-only event. It is aimed in particular at board members and senior management, owners and executives of family-owned businesses, as well as those responsible for corporate venture capital, strategy, transformation and open innovation.

Selected technology entrepreneurs, investors, academics and policy-makers will also be included in the programme.

Interested executives can apply to attend. Confirmation will be provided by the summit’s co-hosts.

Application to take part:

https://luma.com/wjp9t6oq

IFA Berlin 2026

IFA Berlin 2026 will take place from 4 to 8 September 2026 at the Messe Berlin exhibition centre.

The participating exhibitors are listed here: Exhibitors 2026 | IFA Innovation For All

Members of the media can register for IFA 2026 here: IFA Press Accreditation

About the CVC | Open Innovation Summit

The CVC | Open Innovation Summit is an independent, non-commercial platform that brings together executives from international corporations, family-owned businesses and SMEs with investors, technology companies and policy-makers from Europe, the US, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

The long-term ambition is to establish a globally trusted platform where executives can combine capital, innovation and strategy to help shape the future of business and society.

The Summit is organised in collaboration with an international group of corporate and institutional co-hosts and led by Philipp Willigmann as Chairman and Independent Convener. u-path supports the operational and international development of the platform and, through Inside CVC, produces an accompanying podcast on corporate innovation, strategic capital and transformation.

Further information:
www.cvc-summit.com
www.u-path.com

Inside CVC Podcast:
https://insidecvcbyupath.buzzsprout.com

About th co-hosts
The CVC | Open Innovation Summit Europe 2026 is being organised in collaboration with a strong group of European companies and institutions. The co-hosts include, amongst others: BorgWarner | Evonik | High-Tech Gründerfonds | MANN+HUMMEL | SIGNAL IDUNA | Swiss Post

About HTGF – High-Tech Gründerfonds 
Germany and Europe need a New Wirtschaftswunder, we are laying the foundations. ​We are Germany’s most active VC investor, funding deep-tech, life sciences and digital tech companies that secure technological sovereignty and build industrial strength. From the initial idea through to international scaling, we support bold founders as a multi-stage VC platform – seamlessly, reliably and for the long term. ​ 
350 active start-ups, 200+ exits and 5 unicorns. Over €10 billion in follow-on funding mobilised.​ 
Together with DTCF, we represent more than €3 billion in fund volume – and turn German and European innovations into global tech champions.​ 

More information at HTGF.de or on LinkedIn.  

About IFA Berlin
IFA Berlin is the world’s leading event for home and consumer technologies and celebrates over a century of innovation. Since 1924, IFA Berlin has been the premier global platform where technology leaders, innovators, and industry experts come together to showcase groundbreaking products and shape the future of consumer electronics and home appliances. The event takes place every September in Berlin. Journalists can register for IFA 2026 here. For more information on IFA Berlin 2026: www.ifa-berlin.com/de/

Press contacts

IFA Berlin
IFA Berlin Presseabteilung
press@ifa-management.com

Sonja May
Director PR & Corporate Communications
s.may@ifa-management.com

Thalissa-Jennifer Klaps
PR Manager
t.klaps@ifa-management.com

CVC | Open Innovation Summit Europe
Philipp Willigmann
Chairman & Convener
philipp.willigmann@u-path.com

Steve Schmith
Marketing & Communications
steve.schmith@u-path.com

Isabelle Born
Head of Marketing & Communications
i.born@htgf.de