Techarena Zero 2025 Highlights: Turning Sustainability into a Competitive Edge

“This may not be our biggest event, but it’s the most important one, and one that’s very close to both my heart and the Techarena team’s,” said Founder and CEO Omid Ekhlasi as he opened Techarena Zero 2025 in Stockholm.

The event gathered 350 participants from more than 40 countries, including leaders from business, technology, and policy, to explore how sustainability can strengthen Europe’s global competitiveness.

Panels throughout the day included “Green Advantage: Turning Sustainability into Europe’s Competitive Edge,” “Leading the Road to Zero – The Benefits of Staying Ahead,” “Circular Economy & The Future of Consumption,” and “Intelligent Impact: How Tech & AI Scale Sustainability.”

Topic-dedicated roundtables and panels

Roundtable discussions were also hosted by SPP, Stockholm Business Region, Mastercard, and the Swedish Institute, focusing on Nordic competitiveness, tech-driven transformation, circular business models, and global impact entrepreneurship.

In “Circular Economy & The Future of Consumption,” the panel agreed that circularity is moving higher on company agendas but that significant challenges remain. Anja Hannerz, Head of Sustainability at Nordea, highlighted the importance of collaboration and financial incentives to drive behavioral change.

“Financial incentives are key to changing consumer behaviors, regardless of their sustainability preferences. In addition, good role models to lead by example and collaboration beyond corporate entities are needed to accelerate the circular transition,” said Hannerz.

Panelists also discussed challenges such as declining consumer interest in sustainability, limited willingness among Gen Z to pay a premium, data privacy concerns around reused gadgets, and the difficulty of building profitable circular business models.

Networking and transparent chocolate

The day concluded with an inspiring talk by Teun van de Keuken, founder of Tony’s Chocolonely, who shared his story of challenging the chocolate industry to create fairer supply chains. His message was a reminder that meaningful change can start small — even with a single chocolate bar.

The event also featured dedicated networking sessions, where participants from across industries connected to exchange ideas and explore new partnerships. The atmosphere was charged with collaboration and a shared determination to turn sustainability ambitions into concrete action.

Techarena Zero 2025 was made possible through the support of Svenska institutet, Mastercard, Fabege, Teknikföretagen, SPP, Stockholm Business Region, and Tech Forward.

Techarena Zero is a niche event focused on the intersection of sustainability and business success, bringing together experts and leaders from across industries. It is held annually as part of Techarena’s commitment to driving sustainable innovation and growth.