• Arrival of international delegates in Vienna

• Pitch coaching & warm-up sessions (Hotel Superbude Responder)

Day 2 - Global Impact

Wednesday, May 20 - Palais Wertheim

• Opening of WSA Global Congress 2026

• Keynotes, panels and fishbowls on AI, digital sovereignty, ethics, and financing impact

• Fishbowl session on AI and ethics

• Global Digital Compact Townhall Meeting

• WSA Winners Pitches & Category Roundtables (Learning & Education, Government & Citizen Engagement, Health & Wellbeing, and Environment & Green Energy)

• Get2Gether at a “Heuriger”

Day 3 - Built for Real Needs

Thursday, May 21 - Palais Wertheim

• Keynotes, panels and fishbowls on inclusive digital infrastructures, and Democracy in the Digital Age

• Panel on gaming for peace and community technologies

• Peer2peer exchange for social entrepreneurs

• WSA Winners Pitches (Culture & Heritage, Smart Settlements & Urbanization, Business & Commerce, Inclusion & Empowerment and Young Innovators)

• Get2Gether at ViennaUp Homebase

Day 4 - Work Hard, Play Hard!

Friday, May 22

• Digital Democracy Event - Urban Innovation Vienna

• Digital Accessibility Event - Zero Project

• Skills Workshops for Impact Founders - Vienna Business Agency

• Digital Solutions for the UN SDGs - UNIDO

• WSA Award Ceremony and Gala
  Celebration of WSA Winners 2025 at Jugendstiltheater
  WSA is not only known for excellent thought leadership and networking opportunities - it's also known for great parties!

Why Vienna?

From May 19–22, 2026, Vienna will prove that Digital without Harm is possible, welcoming 500+ changemakers from 90+ countries.

Renowned for its commitment to digital humanism, the city offers the perfect backdrop to explore how technology can be ethical, inclusive, and human-centered. Set within ViennaUP, Central Europe’s largest startup and innovation festival, participants will have access to a wide range of events, gatherings, and networking opportunities, connecting with innovators, policymakers, and impact-driven founders from around the world.

Vienna is consistently ranked one of the most livable cities in the world, with excellent public transport, vibrant culture, historic architecture, and world-class food and coffee — the congress is the perfect occasion to finally (re)visit this city.

Winners

[winners year=2025]

Visas

As Vienna is part of Schengen, the visa requirements are as follows (click the image for more information).

If you need a visa, then you'll need a Letter of Invitation from WSA. If you need that, just fill out the form below and WSA will send you one as soon as possible!
Request your Letter of Invitation

Partners

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