
© Marko Kovic
CIMIx 2025 - A celebration of creativity, innovation and networking
With over 700 participants from 38 nations, the CIMIx - Hands on Edition, organized by Außenwirtschaft Austria, once again proved that creatives help define and shape the economy. Two days full of exchange, inspiration and exciting topics - and KAT was right in the middle of it all.
© Marko Kovic
© Marko Kovic
Jacquline Kaulfersch
© Marko Kovic
Wednesday morning, 8:30 a.m.: The doors of the Chamber of Commerce open and a colorful mix of creatives from all corners of the world stream in. From fashion and film to music and games - this is where the global creative scene meets. While presenters Cornelia Ertl and Marco Di Sapia go through the schedule again, the opening speakers are already wired up. The large Julius Raab Hall is slowly filling up, the first greetings and curious conversations about trends and projects fill the room. A final gong sounds, the audience quiets down and at 9:00 sharp the spotlights are turned on the stage. CIMIx 2025 begins - with a program to be proud of.
Full program: From bags made from mushrooms to new products at the touch of a button
With over 700 participants from 38 nations, 10 creative spaces and more than 100 speakers, CIMIx presented an incredible variety of topics and ideas. Delegations from eight countries contributed to global networking and opened up new perspectives for collaboration in the creative sector.
As Kreativwirtschaft Austria, we were not only able to be there this year as spectators, but also as cooperation partners. We couldn't help but shout "Wohoo" when our board of directors took to the stage and presented the KAT.
Meanwhile, in one of the event halls, fashion is being rethought. What we initially identified as photos of leather bags was quickly refuted. No leather, Mirum - a material 100% naturally derived from mushrooms and - as a bonus - with 10x less CO2 footprint. In another room, futuristic visualizations flicker across the screen, accompanied by a live demo of groundbreaking technical solutions. New products are created at the touch of a button thanks to AI. Here, between panels, workshops and networking, it became clear that CIMIx is bursting with diversity and shows how knowledge, innovation and creativity merge into a global meeting place.
The creative industries as a driver of innovation
CIMIx 2025 has impressively demonstrated that the creative industries are an indispensable driver of economic success. In a world of rapid change, it not only provides creative solutions to the challenges of digitalization, sustainability and society, but also the courage to break new ground.
Creative minds bring fresh perspectives, flexibility and innovation that make companies agile and fit for the future. The event showed once again: The creative industries are a real game changer.
we:transform - The key to sustainable transformation
A special highlight was the presentation of our new we:transform program by our project partner Marie Theres Zirm from Cardamom and the sustainability expert Max Niederschick from Niederschick, Wolfram und Partner.
This practice-oriented self-education program was specially developed to enable creatives from all sectors of the creative industries to find innovative solutions to digital, green and social challenges. Using a co-creation approach, we:transform supports participants in developing their ideas and making their projects or companies fit for the future.
Our conclusion - a hymn of praise of our own free will
CIMIx 2025 has once again shown how crucial it is to understand creativity as an integral part of the economy. Only when creative processes and entrepreneurial thinking go hand in hand will the ground-breaking solutions of tomorrow emerge. The variety of topics - from sustainability and digitalization to new business models - was inspiring and opened up new perspectives for us. And yes, we can say from experience: it's also a lot of fun.
A big thank you to the great team of Außenwirtschaft Austria - we are proud to have been part of this unique event! 😊