Optimism in challenging times - Setting the Stage for TECH 2026

Dale Rickert, Managing Director at TECH by Handelsblatt & Moritz Schönleber, Head of Event Production at Handelsblatt
Europe is standing at a turning point — technologically, politically, and economically.
So how do we shape the future instead of just reacting to it?

In the first episode of season 2, Community Lead Moritz Schönleber welcomes Dr. Dale Rickert, Managing Director of TECH by Handelsblatt, and the voice behind The Optimist.
Dale shares his remarkable journey from growing up on a remote Australian farm to becoming a key figure in Europe’s tech and innovation landscape and explains why optimism is not naïve, but necessary.
This episode sets the stage for a season of bold conversations about Europe’s values, sovereignty, and the technologies that will define the next decade.

Press play and join the movement.

The Optimist is presented by TECH by Handelsblatt Media Group and independent from the Handelsblatt editorial team.
With the Technology Experience Convention Heilbronn (TECH), Handelsblatt Media Group, Handelsblatt and Schwarz Digits are creating a strategic platform to strengthen the European tech ecosystem. TECH‘s mission is to establish a „cluster of optimism“, connecting Europe’s most influential leaders across technology, industry, politics, and academia. More at tech-europe.org