And for this first edition, the organisers are thinking big. “We are expecting more than 5,000 participants, around a hundred exhibitors, 200 speakers on four stages, 200 startups and a whole series of side events,” says , co-founder of Nexus2050. “It’s a great showcase for Luxembourg’s tech and innovation ecosystem, and many public and private initiatives will be presented.”
Announcements with 50 days to go
More than 200 startups will be exhibiting at Nexus2050. While there are of course startups from Luxembourg and the Greater Region, there are also some from Asia (New Delhi, Shanghai, Seoul, Tokyo, Taipei), Africa (Casablanca), the Middle East (Abu Dhabi, Tel Aviv) and many European countries (Germany, Spain, France, Czech Republic, United Kingdom). “We can welcome twice as many startups because we offer them the chance to exhibit one day, and to circulate and network the other day,” explains , Nexus2050 co-founder. “It’s more interesting for the startups, but also for the visitors, who will have 100 startups to discover each day.”
Although Nexus2050 is a private initiative by The Dots and Maison Moderne, who have created a GIE (economic interest group) for the occasion, the event is organised in collaboration with the Luxembourg government, the European Commission and the City of Luxembourg, as well as a number of institutions. “Thanks to these collaborations, Nexus2050 is already making its mark internationally,” adds Koedinger. “Whether it’s the ministry of the economy, the ministry of foreign affairs and foreign trade, the Chamber of Commerce, or the network of Luxembourg embassies and Luxembourg trade and investment offices, these are essential strategic partnerships.”
A must-attend event for the financial centre
For the financial centre, Nexus2050 is also a must-attend event. “We have created a finance district at Nexus2050, with numerous stands and its own stage,” explains Amroune. “We are working with the main organisations such as the Luxembourg Bankers’ Association (ABBL), Aca (the insurance and reinsurance association), Association of the Luxembourg Fund Industry (Alfi), Luxembourg House of Financial Technology (Lhoft), Luxembourg Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (LPEA) and Luxembourg for Finance to co-construct the conference programme. The presence of the regulator, the CSSF, is of particular interest to startups and international visitors. It’s unprecedented for a tech event. Thanks to Lhoft and Luxembourg for Finance, we have the presence of fintech incubators from Denmark, France and Germany, as well as from Asia.”
Nexus2050 is also collaborating with with the industry association Fedil for the organisation of the 10x6 Industrie 4.0, the Digital Learning Hub for a 10x6 focused on re- and upskilling in today’s AI world, IMS and Wide for roundtables, the Luxembourg Startups Association for a fireside chat and with the Luxembourg Ukraine Chamber of Commerce, which is coordinating the activities taking place as part of “Guest Country: Ukraine.”
200 speakers on the programme
In terms of , Eryka Lehr (chief of staff at Google), futurologist Anabel Ternès von Hattburg, entrepreneur and philanthropist Alexandre Mars, and Maximilian Tayentahl, co-founder of N26, will also be present. You can find , although the programme is still being put together and other experts will be added.
“Four months after its launch, the show is almost sold out,” says Amroune, “There are still a few stands left. We’ve managed to get some major Luxembourg companies to exhibit, as well as international brands.”
Practical details
Nexus2050 will be spread out over 11,000 m2 at Luxexpo (Luxembourg City) on 26 and 27 June. .
This international event will close with a sit-down dinner for over 1,200 guests. Table and seat reservations .
This article was first published in French on . It has been translated and edited for Delano.