Networking Days 2025
In June, over 1,000 representatives from the fields of food, feed, and sustainable mobility and materials gathered in Uzwil, Switzerland, to address the challenge of building successful businesses that can feed and move 10 billion people sustainably by 2050. Under the theme of “multiplying impact together,” the Networking Days 2025 highlighted the courage to navigate uncertainty and the solutions that are available now to strengthen business success and bring about positive impact at scale.
Michèle Bodmer, November 2025
Set against a backdrop of global transformation marked by political and economic shifts, accelerating climate challenges, and growing demands for sustainable food and mobility, the event served as a call to action. On June 23-24, representatives from industry, business, and academia exchanged practical solutions to ongoing and emerging challenges at this unique platform designed to advance innovative approaches, foster meaningful partnerships, and spotlight education and leadership. The goal: to point the way toward resilient businesses with measurable impact. One of the strongest messages to emerge was that resilience demands courage, and courage is magnified through collaboration.
Bühler Group CEO Stefan Scheiber described the power of cooperation to multiply the impact of innovation. “Every breakthrough, partnership, and bold decision has the potential to create ripples – spreading knowledge, inspiring action, and driving progress,” Scheiber said. “But their true power lies in the multiplier effect: When these ripples connect, they create waves of change. By working together, businesses and industries don’t just add incrementally to progress – they accelerate it by compounding their influence and scaling solutions far beyond what any single effort could achieve.”
Chief Technology Officer Ian Roberts built on this idea, emphasizing the need to move decisively from dialogue to action. “It is so clear now that we must act with focus and collaboration to bring about the impact necessary to preserve the healthy state of our planet,” he said. “I am energized by the potential and willingness shown by our guests – not to simply talk, but to build concrete actions and to share what they have already achieved to accelerate group learning and impact multiplication.”
Every breakthrough, partnership, and bold decision has the potential to create ripples – but their true power lies in the multiplier effect.
Stefan Scheiber,
CEO Bühler Group
We must act with focus and collaboration to bring about the impact necessary to preserve the healthy state of our planet.
Ian Roberts,
CTO Bühler Group
This call for bold leadership was echoed by keynote speaker Ranjay Gulati, Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. “The currency to survive in an era of uncertainty is courage,” he said. “Uncertainty causes fear, and fear can be paralyzing. But to survive and thrive, you must be bold and take action.”
His remarks reflected the themes of his 2025 book, How to Be Bold: The Surprising Science of Everyday Courage. Gulati argues that courage is not an innate trait but a discipline that can be cultivated individually and collectively. His message: Boldness is not reckless but principled – and it is indispensable for leadership in volatile times. This mindset of embracing uncertainty with purpose shaped many conversations at Networking Days, particularly the recognition that sustainability is no longer a “nice to have” but a business imperative.
The currency to survive in an era of uncertainty is courage. Uncertainty causes fear, but to thrive you must be bold and take action.
Ranjay Gulati,
Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School
Professor Johan Rockström, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and architect of the Planetary Boundaries framework, reminded participants that industry must operate within Earth’s safe limits. He stressed that sustainability is central to resilience, competitiveness, and long-term success and encouraged leaders to speak openly about the business value of sustainability. “We must think of sustainability as central to competitiveness, security, stability, and health,” Professor Rockström said. “When a decision improves your performance, attracts talent, opens new markets, or enhances resilience, communicate that clearly. Show that sustainability is not a burden – it’s a competitive advantage.”
We must think of sustainability as central to competitiveness, stability, and health. It is no longer optional – it is essential to success.
Johan Rockström,
Director, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
Leaders across sectors echoed this framing of sustainability as a driver of profitable growth. Calls were made for accelerated innovation in digital tools, process technologies, and business models that deliver more value with fewer resources.
Johan Westman, CEO of plant-based oils producer AAK, offered a compelling example of how environmental and economic goals can align. Since 2019, AAK has transformed its palm oil supply chain, prioritizing sources verified as deforestation-free. By 2024, 91 percent of its palm oil supply met this standard. “Palm oil offers yields per hectare four to 10 times greater than any other plant-based oil. That is important when you need to feed the world,” Westman explained.
Collaboration between science and industry emerged as another powerful lever for change. Thomas Zurbuchen, Leader of ETH Zurich | Space and former Head of Science at NASA, spoke about how scientific ideas gain impact when industries bring them to scale. He cited satellite imaging as a breakthrough that enables farmers to make precise decisions about fertilizer use. “Industry has the ability to take scientific ideas and transform them into innovative solutions that make a real difference,” Zurbuchen said. “Sometimes the future is already here, you just need to scale it.”
Industry has the ability to take scientific ideas and transform them into innovative solutions that make a real difference.
Thomas Zurbuchen,
Leader of ETH Zurich | Space and former Head of Science at NASA
Circular economy principles offered further proof of how collaboration can unite profitability, growth, and sustainability. Julia Binder, Professor at IMD, described it as an ecosystem approach: “The circular economy is an ecosystem play – it’s very customer-centric, it’s extremely collaborative. The companies that really make money in the future will be those that use the license to innovate.”
Industry examples reinforced this perspective. Michele Andriani, CEO of Andriani S.p.A., explained how his company developed new markets by reusing side streams from its food production business with the support of Bühler and other partners. The materials were converted into new product lines, such as pet food and nutritional supplements, while residual material was used for energy generation. “Sustainability is not a goal, but a way of acting and doing business,” Andriani said. “For us, circularity is not just a sustainability concept – it’s an engine for innovation and growth that has opened doors to entirely new sectors.”
Similarly, Andrea Illy, Chairman of illycaffè S.p.A. and Co-Chair of the Regenerative Society Foundation, described how illycaffè has created a new business stream by repurposing coffee byproducts as bio-active ingredients for the cosmetics sector. The company is also working closely with its growers to advance regenerative farming practices.
“We all need to move away from businesses that depend on the destruction of natural capital and toward a new model where you turn a vicious circle into a virtuous one in which you regenerate the biosphere as you grow the economy,” Illy said.
We all need to move away from businesses that depend on destroying natural capital and toward models that regenerate the biosphere.
Andrea Illy,
Chairman, illycaffè S.p.A.; Co-Chair, Regenerative Society Foundation
For Bühler, the flagship event was also an opportunity to report progress on its own commitments. At Networking Days 2019, the company promised to have solutions ready to multiply by 2025 to reduce energy, waste, and water in its customers’ value chains by 50 percent. Since then, Bühler has invested nearly CHF 500 million in research and development to deliver on that promise. It has analyzed the savings potential of 15 key value chains and developed new technologies and solutions. “Reflecting the urgency with which we need to act, our efforts go beyond simple compliance, drawing on partnerships, innovation, and a focus on building businesses that deliver measurable reductions in environmental footprint, while supporting profitable growth for both our customers and our company,” Ian Roberts said. “This work not only benefits the environment but also drives operational efficiency, creates jobs, and builds long-term resilience. We are helping our customers achieve significant reductions in energy consumption, waste generation, and water usage – delivering real impact up and down the value chain.”
Bühler’s analysis of 15 value chains shows that savings potential can exceed 80 percent in some chains when its technologies are combined with others. For example, the CO2e reduction potential in processing is 71 percent for aluminum, 77 percent for cocoa to chocolate, and 65 percent for rice. These results highlight how technological progress can directly reduce environmental impact while also improving operational performance.
Day two expanded the conversation to global trade and food systems. Stefan Legge, Vice Director and Head of Tax & Trade Policy at the University of St. Gallen, challenged narratives of deglobalization: “Deglobalization is not yet showing in the data. Global trade is still growing, just at a slower rate,” he said. Yet Legge warned that volatility and mistrust are on the rise, making reliable partnerships more valuable than ever.
Shifting demand in China and Africa is already reshaping global grain flows, noted Rabobank Senior Analyst Vito Martielli, driving investment in infrastructure such as ports and storage in Brazil and Southeast Europe. Meanwhile, technology is playing an increasing role in managing supply chain disruptions. Neil Barua, CEO of the software company PTC, stressed the importance of robust data: “AI is going to help organizations handle supply chain disruptions more effectively. But you need robust data on your supply chain to make that happen.”
The focus then turned to feeding a growing global population. Abigail Stevenson, Chief Science Officer at Mars, underlined the rising importance of nutritional density in packaged foods, pointing to initiatives to add more whole grains, nuts, and pulses. Collaboration, Stevenson argued, is essential: “Looking beyond our industry is critical for broadening perspectives and for really thinking differently. By coming together with people from different parts of the industry and the ecosystem, we find novel ways to think about how to address the challenges we all face.”
Florian Schattenmann, Chief Technology Officer at Cargill Incorporated, added that improving nutrient density is a delicate balancing act. “Products need to offer the right taste, the right nutrition profile, the right sustainability profile, and the right cost,” he said. “And of those, taste is king.”
Looking beyond our industry is critical. By collaborating across sectors, we discover new ways to address the challenges we all face.
Abigail Stevenson,
Chief Science Officer, Mars
Perspectives from Africa highlighted how global trends play out locally. Simon Tecleab, CEO of Naval Group, described how his company expanded from Eritrea into neighboring countries, building processing and logistics infrastructure and is now partnering with Bühler to create a food park in Angola. Mandla Nkomo, CEO of Partners in Food Solutions, stressed the importance of linking African food companies with global expertise. “Talent is evenly distributed, but opportunity isn’t,” he said, calling for the creation of “an opportunity superhighway” to unlock the continent’s full potential.
Talent is evenly distributed, but opportunity isn’t. We need an ‘opportunity superhighway’ to link African food companies with expertise.
Mandla Nkomo,
CEO, Partners in Food Solutions
True to tradition, Networking Days extended well beyond the food sector. This year’s program included sessions on sustainable mobility and advanced materials, tackling issues such as vehicle weight reduction and the scaling up of battery production in Europe.
The event also marked a milestone for Bühler itself: the 50th order of its Carat megacasting solution, a technology that is reshaping how automotive components are manufactured. Visitors in Uzwil were able to see innovation up close in the company’s research and training facilities – from AI-driven process optimization and advanced milling technologies to new extrusion systems and energy-efficient solutions for plant-based proteins.
As the event drew to a close, the conversation returned to leadership. Francois Pienaar, captain of South Africa’s Rugby World Cup-winning team in 1995, and founder of the Make A Difference Leadership Foundation, shared lessons on resilience, integrity, and the responsibility leaders carry to strengthen their communities. Pienaar’s message underscored a broader truth: Whether on the field or in business, leadership demands courage under pressure and principled decision-making.
Leadership requires courage under pressure, resilience, and integrity. It’s about responsibility – building stronger teams and communities.
Francois Pienaar,
Captain of South Africa’s Rugby World Cup-winning team in 1995 and Founder of the Make A Difference Leadership Foundation
That theme was carried into the closing remarks of Stefan Scheiber, who urged participants to move from discussion to action: “We need the courage to take decisive action – action that accelerates growth and drives the sustainable transformation of businesses, value chains, and entire industries. By doing this, we will shape a better future for our businesses and our societies and truly multiply impact together.”
Gupfenstrasse 5
Uzwil
9240
Switzerland
