One Young World Summit 2025

From 3 to 6 November 2025, Munich once again hosted the One Young World Summit, welcoming more than 2,200 participants from over 190 countries to the city.

Photo: One Young World

International conference for young leaders

Founded in 2009 by Kate Robertson and David Jones, One Young World has developed into one of the world’s leading platforms for young leaders committed to international cooperation, innovation, and sustainable development.

Each year, more than 2,000 emerging leaders and young professionals gather in a different host city to exchange ideas, co-create solutions, and advance initiatives that contribute to United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Website One Young World Summit

Munich as Host City

After first hosting One Young World in 2021, Munich once again welcomed the international community in 2025.The city formally received the host baton from Montréal at the 2024 summit in Canada.

As Host City, Munich organised the Opening and Closing Ceremonies as well as the Delegates’ Dinners—key moments that showcased Bavarian hospitality, Munich’s globally minded culture, and the city’s strengths as an innovation-driven European business hub.

The summit reinforced the importance of investing in young talent and underlined Munich’s commitment to fostering an open, sustainable and future-oriented economic ecosystem.

Grand Opening Ceremony

The summit began on 3 November with an impressive Opening Ceremony in the Olympiahalle. In addition to roughly 2,000 participants, around 1,000 Munich residents attended the event and experienced an evening of inspiring speeches, artistic performances, and a blend of international and Bavarian cultural elements—from hip-hop to alphorn techno.

Munich's Lord Mayor Dieter Reiter welcomed the attendees together with One Young World founders Kate Robertson and David Jones. They were joined by high-profile Counsellors including Queen Rania of Jordan and Live Aid co-initiator Sir Bob Geldof.

Representatives of Munich's Host City Partners also addressed the audience:
Dr. Nathalie von Siemens (Siemens AG), Elisabeth L'Orange (Deloitte) and Ilka Horstmeier (BMW AG) who entered the Olympiahalle in a classic BMW 1602e, accompanied by football world champion Philipp Lahm — a nod to Munich’s long-standing role as a centre of innovation and mobility.

Four days full of inspiration

Over four days, the summit focused on key global topics shaping the future, such as education and equal opportunity, the circular economy, responsible technologies, anti-discrimination, and peace and security.

Participants were joined by a diverse group of influential speakers, among them Sir Bob Geldof, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa, actor and activist Terry Crews, soccer legend Rio Ferdinand, and human rights advocate Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

The City of Munich contributed its own programme elements, presenting Munich as a centre of innovation, civic participation and sustainable urban development. At the Delegates' Dinners at Paulaner am Nockherberg, guests experienced Munich's hospitality firsthand.

Closing Ceremony at BMW Welt

The Closing Ceremony at BMW Welt marked the emotional finale of the summit. Dr. Christian Scharpf, Head of Munich’s Department of Labor and Economic Development, symbolically passed the host baton to Cape Town, the Host City of the One Young World Summit 2026.

Musical performances from Bavaria and South Africa highlighted the summit’s global character. A special moment was the Ribbon Ceremony, during which the participants made their personal commitments for the future and were officially appointed as lifelong One Young World Ambassadors.

Photo: One Young World

Partners of the City of Munich

The City of Munich extends its sincere thanks to all partner companies whose support made the One Young World Summit 2025 possible. Their dedication and engagement played a crucial role in enabling Munich to once again provide a strong international platform for collaboration, exchange, and forward-looking ideas—strengthening Munich’s position as a globally connected, innovation-driven business location.

Premium Partner: BMW Group

The BMW Group: More Than Just Cars

The BMW Group is more than a car manufacturer – with BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce, and BMW Motorrad, it is the world's leading premium provider of automobiles and motorcycles. And this has been the case for over 100 years.

Different Perspectives

With employees from over 110 nations, different perspectives and talents are a core strength of the BMW Group. Discrimination in any form has no place – company-wide and globally at all locations. In these areas, too, the company does not follow short-term trends but pursues a clear plan of balance and moderation.

Commitment for Society and the Environment

The BMW Group takes its responsibility for society and the environment seriously. Even today, the BMW Group is often part of the solution. Therefore, it is important for the company to support its employees in shaping their own future. A special focus is placed on promoting young talents.

Partnership with One Young World

The BMW Group has been a partner of One Young World since 2016. Since then, it has sent committed Young Leaders to the summits to discuss innovative solutions for global challenges and to develop talents.

Gold Partner: Siemens

Siemens AG is a leading technology company focused on industry, infrastructure, mobility, and healthcare.The company’s purpose is to create technology to transform the everyday, for everyone. By combining the real and the digital worlds, Siemens empowers customers to accelerate their digital and sustainability transformations, making factories more efficient, cities more livable, and transportation more sustainable. For everyone. Everywhere. Sustainably.

Silver Partner: Deloitte

Deloitte is the world’s leading professional services firm. We serve clients distinctively, bringing innovative insights and solving entrepreneurial challenges in more than 150 countries. We offer our talents an inspiring environment in which they can learn and grow. Deloitte’s over 460,000 employees are committed to making an impact that matters. Every day we challenge ourselves to do what matters most – for clients, for our people, and for society.

Bronze Partners:

ASMPT

As a global market and innovation leader with development and production facilities in Munich, Germany,
ASMPT offers integrated, future-oriented hardware and software solutions for intelligent electronics factories. The aim is to increase productivity, flexibility and quality through data-driven connectivity, optimization and automation of key workflows at line and factory level.

European Patent Office

The European Patent Office (EPO) offers inventors, scientists and companies from all over the world the opportunity to obtain patent protection in up to 45 countries with a single application in a centralised and uniform procedure. As the patent office for Europe, we grant high-quality patents and provide efficient services, fostering scientific and technological development, competitiveness and economic growth.

Microsoft Germany

Microsoft Germany employs over 3,000 employees. Together with our partners, we support companies in their digital transformation. Through our career network LinkedIn, we connect millions of people worldwide and offer a cross-platform gaming experience with Xbox. We invest in AI, cloud infrastructures, and the qualification of skilled professionals in Germany and are committed to a digital society that includes everyone.

Rohde & Schwarz

Rohde & Schwarz is a Munich based, global technology group striving for a safer and connected world. Privately owned, we can act independently, long-term and sustainably. Innovation has been part of our DNA since the very beginning over 90 years ago. Today, our 15,000 employees are pushing technological boundaries. That’s why we believe: The people at Rohde & Schwarz make the difference and ideas real.

Mobility partners:

Deutsche Bahn

Deutsche Bahn (DB) is the leading provider of public mobility in Germany and for logistics solutions in Europe. The DB Group is responsible for the operation of around 33,000 kilometers of rail network and 5,400 train stations throughout Germany. In addition to regional- and long-distance passenger transport, cargo, buses and logistics, the DB Group also includes the operational activities such as sales, security, technical services, digitalization and IT. Headquartered in Berlin, the DB Group employs around 337,000 people worldwide. DB supports the One Young World Conference since many years and is strongly committed to the topics of Sustainability, Diversity and Innovation.

Münchner Verkehrsgesellschaft (MVG)

The MVG, as a subsidiary of Stadtwerke München (SWM), operates public transportation with subway, tram, and bus services in the capital city of Munich, thereby providing attractive and sustainable mobility for everyone in and beyond Munich. To meet the demands of a growing city, we are planning the modernization and expansion of the network and working on innovative future concepts such as autonomous driving. Our MVGO app perfectly combines public transportation information with sharing offers.

Other partners:

Messe München

As one of the most important trade fair organizers in the world, Messe München showcases the world of tomorrow at around 90 trade fairs worldwide - including 12 world-leading trade fairs. With 1,300 employees, it organizes trade fairs in Munich, China, India, Brazil, South Africa, Turkey, Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Thailand and the USA. Around 3 million visitors attend the more than 150 events each year.

Süddeutsche Zeitung

Süddeutsche Zeitung is Germany’s largest national quality daily newspaper. And it is the flagship of Süddeutscher Verlag. We reach millions of people every day. Through SZ.de, our app, newsletters, podcasts, and print. Providing up-to-the-minute and in-depth news on politics, business, culture, media, sports and science.