respACT Business Lunch 2025 – from left to right: Meinrad Höfferer – Chairman and Chamber Director of the WKK (Carinthia Chamber of Commerce), Claudia Mischensky – Managing Director of the IV Carinthia and Deputy Secretary General of the IV Austria (Austria), Nikolaus Juhász – Chairman of the Board of BKS Bank and State Coordinator of respACT, Daniela Knieling – Managing Director of respACT, Christian Skilich – Initiator and Member of the Board of Lenzing AG. ©Caroline Knauder

How can responsible supply chains, digital technologies, and innovative materials make the textile industry more sustainable? This question was the focus of the Carinthian Business Lunch, which took place on Tuesday, July 8, in the exclusive setting of Seefels Castle. The event, organized by respACT together with BKS Bank, offered representatives from business, politics, and civil society a platform to exchange ideas about future-oriented solutions in the textile industry.

In focus: The pioneering work of Lenzing AG

With its innovative wood fiber technology, the company is paving the way for a circular textile industry. This commitment is complemented by the use of digital technologies such as blockchain, which ensure greater transparency along the entire value chain. Lenzing is thus making a decisive contribution to the credibility and future viability of sustainable textiles.

"We need courageous companies that demonstrate that climate protection, innovation, and economic success are compatible. Lenzing impressively demonstrates how technological solutions and responsible action can enable real change along the supply chain," explains respACT Managing Director Daniela Knieling.

Nikolaus Juhász, CEO of BKS Bank, added: "Sustainable development can only succeed through dialogue. The Business Lunch offers a valuable platform for learning from one another across industries, broadening one's own perspectives, and jointly developing solutions to the major challenges of our time. We are therefore all the more pleased by the strong interest in the Business Lunch, to which we were able to invite leading companies for the 15th time today/yesterday."

Sustainability and innovation hand in hand

Lenzing's sustainability strategy serves as a striking example of how ecological responsibility and economic innovation can go hand in hand. "Lenzing is taking continuous steps toward decarbonizing the global textile value chain and is doing everything it can to move from a linear to a circular business model," emphasizes Christian Skilich, Chief Pulp Officer and Member of the Management Board of Lenzing AG. Following the keynote speeches, participants had the opportunity to discuss the presented content in more depth and reflect on their insights in personal discussions.

About the event

The respACT "Business Lunch" event series emphasizes the central importance of private companies for the implementation of the Green Deal in Austria. These companies are making an important contribution to achieving the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which address global challenges while simultaneously opening up market opportunities and innovation potential. Ultimately, it's about increasing our competitiveness by reducing resource consumption and dependencies in supply chains. This exclusive format enables executives from Carinthia to engage directly with respACT members and other interested companies on current sustainability topics.