On Tuesday evening, around 90 entrepreneurs and stakeholders from Liechtenstein and the surrounding region gathered at the University of Liechtenstein. The goal of the event was to present concrete approaches for how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can successfully meet the challenges of sustainability regulations.

Business and Sustainability – A Profitable Symbiosis

Deputy Prime Minister Sabine Monauni opened the event with the words: “Business and sustainability are not mutually exclusive – on the contrary: they complement each other and create new opportunities for growth and innovation.” Precisely because the term sustainability is now used almost to excess, she emphasized the importance of bringing it to life through such events and the various practical case studies presented.

Impulses for a Sustainable Future

Antonio Hautle from the UN Global Compact Network Switzerland & Liechtenstein highlighted in his presentation the opportunities that arise from a sustainable business strategy. Fabian Schierscher from Terramo AG shed light on the impact of new regulations on SMEs, while Mario Semadeni from Plaston AG provided practical insights into the implementation of sustainable measures in day-to-day business operations.

A “mood barometer” conducted by Hartmut Hübner (Meet Your Purpose) revealed the participants’ main challenges: roughly one-third cited “unclear strategies” and almost as many “lack of knowledge” as the biggest obstacles to achieving sustainable goals.

Panel Discussion: Perspectives and Solutions

In the panel discussion moderated by Rector Christian Frommelt, Christoph Ospelt (Lenum AG) explained: “The Rhine Valley region has numerous large companies that are supported by a dense network of regional suppliers. These suppliers will increasingly be drawn into the reporting obligations of large firms in the future.”

Brigitte Haas from the Liechtenstein Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LIHK) emphasized that major companies such as Hilti, ThyssenKrupp, Herbert Ospelt Anstalt, Ivoclar, and Hoval place strong emphasis on knowledge-sharing when it comes to sustainability. She noted: “The first step is often the hardest.” Hilti put it succinctly: “Seek the CO₂ and find the money.” Large companies can help SMEs identify stumbling blocks and overcome them.

Marco Büchel (Büchel Blech AG) encouraged participants: “For anyone who doesn’t know how to start: just get started. Sustainability is important for small companies, too.” Katja Gey, Head of the Office of Economic Affairs, added: “Sustainability today is synonymous with profitability and is an essential part of modern corporate management.”

Practice-Oriented Workshops for SMEs

To conclude, the University of Liechtenstein presented the workshop series “SME Practice Forum: Mastering Sustainability Regulation”, which will provide SMEs in 2025 with concrete tools and best-practice examples. Topics range from sustainability management and ecological responsibility to digital transformation and social responsibility.

Culinary Finale and Networking

The LIHK-sponsored aperitif, prepared with regional products from Vegaluna, offered plenty of space for stimulating discussions after the event. Companies and speakers took the opportunity to network and share their experiences.

Sustainability as an Engine for Liechtenstein’s Business Location

The event, supported by LGT Private Banking and the government, impressively demonstrated how companies can strengthen their competitiveness through sustainable strategies while also contributing to the development of Liechtenstein as a business location.

Further information and registration: www.uni.li/weiterbildung

Five students from the University of Liechtenstein have been honoured with the I&F Family Wealth Preservation Award, presented by the Liechtenstein trust company Industrie- und Finanzkontor in cooperation with the University of Liechtenstein.

The starting point was a fictitious case study that required the development of a wealth structure: two siblings from an entrepreneurial family had founded a start-up and intended to establish additional companies in different countries in quick succession, as well as to enter into partnerships with relevant manufacturers and developers. In addition, they wanted to take early measures to ensure that future business shares would be kept together across generations and remain in family ownership.

The students’ task was to develop a structuring proposal for the siblings, with particular attention to:

• Consideration of relevant jurisdictions and legal entities
• Ensuring that interested family members can participate in the group of companies at various levels in the future
• Ensuring that family members without interest do not suffer any financial disadvantage
• Proposing suitable family governance measures to ensure the sustainable continuation of the business structure
• Appropriate measures to protect the financial privacy of the two families

The case required a multifaceted approach and a broad understanding of the family situation, the siblings’ objectives, as well as cross-border issues and various areas of law.

For the fifth I&F Family Wealth Preservation Award, five students qualified. Their work convinced the jury with a high degree of practical relevance and academic expertise. They were honoured by H.S.H. Gisela Bergmann, Princess of Liechtenstein, CEO and Managing Director of Industrie- und Finanzkontor Ets.

The proud winners from the Executive Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Corporate, Foundation, and Trust Law are:

1st place: Adrian Vogler (Switzerland)
2nd place: Veronica Hermes and Lukas Voellmecke (Germany, joint project)
3rd place: Katja Moosleithner (Liechtenstein) and Dr. Miriam Schüssler (Germany)

The I&F Family Wealth Preservation Award represents an important link between academia and practice and has developed into a valuable cooperation between the Liechtenstein Business Law School at the University of Liechtenstein (within the LL.M. in Corporate, Foundation, and Trust Law) and the Vaduz-based trust company Industrie- und Finanzkontor Etablissement.

Statements at the Award Ceremony

Prof. Dr. Alexandra Butterstein, LL.M., Programme Director of the Executive Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Corporate, Foundation, and Trust Law and Dean of the Liechtenstein Business Law School, and Prof. Dr. Francesco A. Schurr, Head of the Institute for Italian Law at the University of Innsbruck and visiting professor at the University of Liechtenstein:

“We are very pleased to have been able to host the I&F Family Wealth Preservation Award together with the Liechtenstein trust company Industrie- und Finanzkontor Ets. for the fifth time. As in previous years, this award offers students of the Executive Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Corporate, Foundation, and Trust Law a special opportunity to prove themselves in handling a complex wealth structuring task and to gain further sound, practice-oriented knowledge. In addition to the practical and legal challenges of the Liechtenstein trust sector, it is particularly important for students to consider the many aspects of family governance in long-term wealth structuring.”

H.S.H. Gisela Bergmann, Princess of Liechtenstein, CEO and Managing Director of Industrie- und Finanzkontor: “The task set for the fifth I&F Family Wealth Preservation Award shows how multifaceted the work of a Liechtenstein trustee is. Complex asset situations are structured in a forward-looking and targeted manner from a long-term perspective, taking into account both the family and non-family environment. The core of trustee work is not primarily to establish legal entities, but to secure the long-term, intergenerational preservation of assets and values through various mechanisms.”

Award Recipients’ Perspectives:

• Veronica Hermes: “The intensive engagement with a case study set as part of the I&F Family Wealth Preservation Award allowed me to deepen the specialist knowledge I had acquired during my studies.”

• Katja Moosleithner: “The award allowed me to apply theoretical knowledge directly to a case study and become familiar with academic work. It also provided an excellent preparation for my upcoming master’s thesis.”

• Dr. Miriam Schüssler: “The award made it clear that comprehensive entrepreneurial understanding is needed to secure assets for entrepreneurs and their families in the long term. The case study sharpened my awareness of the diverse requirements involved in building wealth structures.”

• Lukas Voellmecke: “The award showed that family values are essential — and that there is no standard solution for wealth structuring.”

• Adrian Vogler: “The award enables the application of knowledge gained during the programme in an interdisciplinary case study. The challenge lay in identifying the clients’ interests and translating them into a legal structure.”