25 JUNE
Panel Discussion & Workshops
Hear from esteemed guests like Markus Hohenwarter and Thomas Chiu as well as many international experts on current challenges and opportunities in EdTech.
Program day 1
EdTech
Talents Summit.
Academia & Business Connected:
25 - 27 June 2025,
JKU Linz, OIC - Open Innovation Center, Stufenforum
Join us for the international EdTech Summit
Let’s shape the Future of EdTech - together!
Inspiring keynotes and in-depth workshops for thriving EdTech-Initiatives.
Hosted by JKU Linz School of Education & MatheArena, this three-day event brings together relevant stake-holders from research and industry to explore key aspects of the EU-funded EdTech Talents project.
Over three days participants will engage in discussions, workshops and activities aimed at exchanging knowledge and strengthening connections between academia and the EdTech sector.
Register today!
Workshops, Discussions, Panels & Networking
Highlights & Overview
26 JUNE
Interactive Sessions for EdTech Upscaling
Hands-on activities and collaborative formats to support the growth of EdTech startups and initiatives.
Program day 2
27 JUNE
Transnational Project Meeting
An internal session to align project milestones, impact strategies, and future collaboration paths.
Note: EdTech Talents members only
Meet the pioneers and experts of EdTech
Top Speakers
Eva Nittmann
EdTech Austria
Eva is driven by a strong commitment to equal opportunities for all. With a background in languages and international development, she was drawn to international cooperation to promote sustainable and inclusive development. She spent several years managing education projects across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. Last year, Eva returned to her hometown of Salzburg to join the EdTech Austria team, where she now contributes to shaping the future of education in Austria. Within the team she leads on the coordination of the EdTech Austria Fellowship programme.
Markus Hohenwarter
GeoGebra
Markus Hohenwarter studied mathematics and computer science at the University of Salzburg in Austria. As part of his master's thesis he designed and implemented the dynamic mathematics software GeoGebra linking geometry and algebra in one easy-to-use system for learning and teaching mathematics. After his PhD in mathematics education he spent three years at Florida Atlantic and Florida State University where he was working in projects with middle and high school teachers. In 2010, he joined Johannes Kepler University Linz in Austria where he is now leading the department of STEM education and closely collaborating with local teacher education colleges. In 2013, he received an honorary doctorate in Argentina for his work on the open source mathematics software GeoGebra.
Dr. Thomas Chiu
Professor of AI and STEAM education, Hongkong
Thomas Chiu is an Assistant Professor of Digital Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. He has a strong academic background in software development and mathematics and serves as the Associate Director of the Centre for University and School Partnership and the Centre for Learning Sciences and Technologies. Prior to these roles, he was also a Lecturer and School-University Partnership Director in the Faculty of Education at The University of Hong Kong, demonstrating his extensive teaching and leadership experience in schools. Between 2020 and 2024, he delivered over 150 talks locally, regionally, and globally about his research, which focuses on using AI for education, particularly in STEM domains and teacher education.
Yavuz Samur
Professor of Educational Sciences, Bahcesehir University
Dr. Samur, a Fulbright Scholar in Instructional Design and Technology from Virginia Tech, is a professor and dean at Bahçeşehir University’s Faculty of Educational Sciences, where he also led the CEIT department. He is the president of YEGAM and was named “Academician of the Year 2022.” His research focuses on educational games, gamification, and digital game design. He founded several initiatives, including GameFriendlySchool, and has published over 100,000 copies of his books and more than 15 indexed articles with over 500 citations. Dr. Samur has supervised over 100 theses in Educational Technologies and co-owns Ugur Games, a digital educational game company. He teaches various courses at all academic levels and leads government-funded educational projects, providing consultancy to numerous organizations. He enjoys giving lectures and training sessions for students, teachers, and parents.
Clemens Zillner
Startup consultant at tech2b
Startup consultant at tech2b and responsible for the early-stage incubation program "Ideate." Whether it’s spin-offs from universities and research institutions, startup incubation, or corporate open innovation – tech2b supports, accompanies, and accelerates innovation projects with scalable products in the technology hub of Upper Austria through consulting, coaching, and mentoring.
Birgit Wimmer
StartUp + SpinOff Consultant
Startup and spin-off consultant at JKU, formerly at tech2b. I support founders with business modeling and strategy because I believe people with ideas deserve the chance to become great.
Thomas Mitterlehner
Moldsonics
Thomas Mitterlehner's path into the world of industrial innovation began with an apprenticeship at ENGEL in Schwertberg (AT). There, he laid the foundation for his technical career, which led him to pursue a degree in Metal and Plastics Engineering at the University of Applied Sciences in Wels. After completing his bachelor's and master's degrees, he deepened his expertise through a PhD in plastics processing at Johannes Kepler University Linz. In 2021, Thomas co-founded the company Moldsonics together with two colleagues from his institute. The start-up develops, manufactures, and markets a novel ultrasonic sensor technology for the metal and plastics processing industries. The aim is to precisely analyze production processes, reduce scrap, and use resources more efficiently. Moldsonics was also the first start-up from Upper Austria to be accepted into the FFG Spin-off Fellowship Program. Thomas Mitterlehner has thus actively shaped the entire innovation process – from spin-off foundation and public funding to a market-ready product.
Miriam Plieninger
EdTech Consultant
Miriam Plieninger is an independent consultant with 20+ years of experience in edtech, based in Berlin/Germany. She advises a wide range of education technology companies and nonprofits on strategy, organization, leadership and operations, with a focus on product and learning content. Before becoming a consultant, she worked at the educational publisher Cornelsen and later at the language learning app Babbel - her last role there was Vice President of Educational Strategy. Miriam graduated with an M.A. in Media Studies, Intercultural Business Communication and English from the University of Jena in 2005.
Address & Directions
Location
JKU Linz, Open Innovation Center (OIC), Stufenforum.
Organized and hosted by JKU & MatheArena
Tentative Program
25 June
from 9:30
EdTech Talents Summit: Connecting Academia & Business and Inspiring Growth
🎧 Join via ZoomMeeting-ID: 945 1924 2805
Password: Edtech
| Time | 25 June - Program |
|---|---|
| 09:30 | Registration and Coffee |
| 10:00 | Opening words – Zsolt Lavicza and Filiz Mumcu |
| 10:15 | Keynote speech (JKU Rectorate & OIC Management) |
| 10:30 |
“EdTech Synergy: Leveraging Stakeholder Expertise for Educational Transformation” The speakers talk 10-15 minutes about growing an EdTech company followed by a Panel discussion with EdTech quadruple helix stakeholders |
| 12:30 | Lunch |
| 13:30 | AI in education An interactive workshop |
| 15:00 |
Upscaling EdTech Start-ups and Initiatives EdTech Talents Activity presenting
|
| 17:00 | Closing and Networking Cocktail |
26 June
from 9:30
Interactive activities for Upscaling EdTech Start-ups and Initiatives
🎧 Join via ZoomMeeting-ID: 993 0500 2497
Password: Edtech
| Time | 26 June - Program |
|---|---|
| 09:00 | Opening words by Zsolt Lavicza and Janika Leoste |
| 09:15 | Roundtable introduction of participants |
| 09:30 | Introduction of the following Capacity-building workshops |
| 09:45 |
Workshop 1: From Idea to Impact: Cultivating the Mindset for SpinOffs
|
| 10:45 | Coffee break |
| 11:00 | Workshop 2: How EdTechs measure the value of educational products |
| 12:30 | Lunch |
| 13:30 | Workshop 3: Game-Changing Education: Harnessing the Potential of Innovative Methodologies with EdTech by Yavuz Samur |
| 16:30 | Closing |
27 June
from 9:30
Transnational Project Meeting
Please note: Admission only for internal EdTech Talents members
🎧 Join via ZoomMeeting-ID: 932 5534 0731
Password: Edtech
| Time | 27 June - Program |
|---|---|
| 09:30 | Registration with coffee |
| 10:00 | Opening words by Janika Leoste |
| 10:15 | Secondments out - Voldemar Tomusk |
| 10:45 | Secondments in - Luis Pastor |
| 11:15 | Dissemination and communication - Slavko Rakić |
| 11:45 | Project Academy and Ecosystem Report - Madis Saluveer |
| 12:15 | Lunch |
| 13:15 | Administrative and financial issues - Merle Pajus |
| 14:15 | Sharing experiences in power-using AI in research, website programming,...? |
| 14:45 | Research and writing umarjanovic@gmail.com (Please feel free to recommend your title and topic) |
| 15:00 | Coffee break |
| 15:15 | Research and writing umarjanovic@gmail.com (Please feel free to recommend your title and topic) |
| 15:30 | Summarising TPM |
| 16:00 | Closing |
This is us
About EdTech Talents
EdTech Talents is an EU-funded project connecting researchers and EdTech companies with leading experts across European countries. It aims to foster innovation through collaboration, knowledge exchange, and talent sharing between academia and the EdTech industry.
>40
international partners
