With the third roundtable in our “Healthier Soils for Future Generations” series, we’ve entered a completely new phase. For the first time, in addition to farmers, producers, and NGOs, we expanded the discussion to include stakeholders from administration, retail, and institutions.

Thanks to our three fantastic keynote speakers. Together, we explored how to create a “Local We” around sustainable agriculture. Willem Ferwerda, founder of the Commonland Foundation, provided an overview of the relevance of regions and landscapes. Sepp Braun, consultant for Regenerate, presented the “Regenerate” project from the Lake Constance region. He offered insights into the financing of additional eco-services by local businesses and other stakeholders and discussed consumer engagement. Ivo Degn, from Re:Source, spoke about the various roles within local agricultural networks and the particular importance of a coordinator.

The subsequent plenary discussion revealed the many aspects that need to be considered. The entire society must be engaged as a partner in shaping the future of agriculture. Bottom-up models are more effectivethan top-down approaches.

Next steps: After a detailed mapping of existing projects and funding sources, we will investigate what opportunities are available in Austria and Central Europe. The journey towards a “Local We” continues!

In our workshop “The Art of Dialogue in the Age of Digitalism” journalists, teachers, influencers, media experts, scientists and students gathered. We discussed the barriers that prevent genuine dialogue in social networks and digital communication. Often, constructive exchange doesn’t take place online. Instead, it’s a matter of disseminating entrenched opinions, and communication is seen as a one-way street. This leads to siloed thinking.

We were able to clearly demonstrate that, in addition to technical factors such as dependence on algorithms, there is also a lack of well-curated platforms that foster constructive dialogue. Furthermore, everyone must take proactive steps to improve the online atmosphere. More Educational work for society as a whole is necessary.

Next steps: The Forum Razumovsky is investigating which stakeholders can be brought together to create leverage that will also bring this mind shift to the wider public. We are connecting the dots!

For the first time, the Forum Razumovsky brought together leading figures in cultural management. In our workshop, “The Art of Decision-Making – Rethinking Leadership in Culture,” participants discussed how change can be implemented in large cultural institutions.

Decisions in cultural institutions are often not very transparent and can sometimes be used as tools of power. Together, we explored new, more human approaches to leadership. How do we engage all employees? How can decisions be made more transparent? And how must leadership positions be filled with competent individuals in the future? The overall question is obvious: How can we rethink management in the cultural sector so that leadership teams are not shaped by internal conflict but remain focused on the work itself — the connection to staff, artists, and audiences? Only in this way can art remain relevant.

Magdalena Schnitzler from the German National Theatre and State Orchestra Weimar presented her institution as a best practice example and demonstrated how modern cultural management can already be implemented. Thanks to alma, the Alliance of Leaders in Arts and Music, for their organizational support and cooperation.

Next Steps: The Razumovsky Forum will attempt to identify clear systemic pain points. We will explore how we can further refine the topic together with the participants and new stakeholders and how we can take our dialogue to the next level.

The Age of Depopulation – Your Voice for Tomorrow’s Job Market 3

At our third roundtable, Dr. Johannes Kopf (AMS) opened with a sharp overview of Austria’s demographic shift and the growing labor shortage.

The Age of Depopulation – Your Voice for Tomorrow’s Job Market 2

In the second workshop we welcomed both to business leaders and labor-market integration experts. Working in small groups, we explored strategies to bring more women, immigrants, and older adults into the workforce — an essential step to addressing future labor shortages.

The discussion underscored the responsibility companies have to actively support these groups and highlight their success stories. Visibility inspires action: leading by example encourages others to follow.

We thank all participants for their insights and look forward to continuing the series next spring.

Healthier Soils for Future Generations 

At our second “Healthier Soils for Future Generations” workshop, we brought together farmers, NGOs, and food producers for an inspiring exchange.

Together, we discussed how to grow and produce food in healthier, more sustainable ways — through stronger cooperation, better consumer awareness, and less food waste.

A key takeaway: we need to inform the consumers, only they can drive real change. More transparency about farming costs, ecological services, and finding new ways of connecting consumers and producers are essential and can have real impact.

Thank you to all participants for your ideas, commitment, and collaboration. We’re already looking forward to continuing the dialogue in spring 2026!

In June, we kicked off our dialogue series “The Age of Depopulation – Your Voice for the Labor Market of the Future”. Together with top business leaders, we explored how to tap into new talent pools and proactively shape the future of work in light of Europe’s demographic shifts. This change represents a profound social, economic, and political challenge, the scope of which has often been underestimated.

Public awareness of the impacts of depopulation is still too low. The next steps should therefore address three key levels: strengthening social debate, leveraging corporate responsibility, and demanding political leadership.

The dialogue continues this autumn, focusing on practical solutions and new approaches. An expanded group of participants will work together to explore how we cannot only manage depopulation, but also use it as an opportunity.

Healthier soils for future generations.

On March 27^th, we put farmers at the center of the discussion in our first workshop, “Healthier Soil for Future Generations.” Starting at the root of the value chain, we developed a shared vision for a sustainable bio-economy and identified key challenges.

This includes the urgent repositioning of agriculture in the center of society, increasing the visibility of its ecosystem services, and ensuring true costs. New ways toward cooperation and transparency, as well as education and training, must also be found.

In the next session, key stakeholders will join us to explore actionable solutions. This event launched an ongoing series, and we appreciate everyone’s dedication to driving change.