Austrian Maritime Conference 2025 Set Strong Impulses for Austria’s Maritime Future

On November 14, 2025, the Austrian Maritime Conference 2025 clearly demonstrated how closely Austria – despite its landlocked location – is connected to the maritime domain. At the REWI Faculty of the University of Graz, more than 75 experts from Austria and across Europe discussed key issues of international security, economic and environmental policy.

The focus of the conference included global supply chains, energy security, geopolitical and ecological risks, as well as international legal frameworks in the maritime domain. The discussions highlighted how directly Austria is affected by developments at sea – economically, strategically and in terms of security policy.

Among the high-level speakers were representatives from politics, diplomacy and academia, including the Secretary General of the Federal Ministry of Defence, Arnold Kammel, as well as former ambassador and international law expert Helmut Türk.

The central message of the conference was clear: Austria needs a comprehensive engagement with the maritime domain in terms of security, economic and foreign policy. A national maritime strategy is increasingly seen as necessary in order to identify dependencies at an early stage and to make targeted use of emerging opportunities.

Sincere thanks go to all speakers, partners and participants, as well as to the dedicated team of the Faculty of Law at the University of Graz and ACIPSS, who made this conference possible both in terms of content and organization.