Christian-Werner Loesch graduated at the Technical University in Vienna, where he received a Master of Science (Physics/Electronics) and PhD (nuclear and semiconductor physics). After working as scientific staff at the Institute of Experimental Physics, he qualified as Austrian candidate for CERN (Centre Europeen de Recherche Nucleaire), Geneva as Fellow (Research). Upon the successful completion of his research project he was delegated to Directorate for Scientific Affaires of OECD (Organisation Européenne de Cooperation et Developpement) Paris. During his work at OECD in Paris, IBM offered him a position in IBM. He choose Austria where he followed an IBM Career path including positions as e.g.: Director of the Vienna Branch office up to Assistant to the IBM President (EMEA). Consecutively he held various executive positions including Director of Plans and Controls, Director of Operations, Asst. General Manager for Eastern and Central Europe. In addition he was accomplishing various special assignments ranging from the introduction of the PC in Europe or the European Supercomputing Project. As Gen. Mgr. of the IBM Academic Initiative he initiated and implemented the establishment of Austria's international internet connection (backbone to CERN) and the Vienna node, as well as computing centers in Budapest, Prague, Warsaw and other Central and Eastern European capitals thus the integration of these former 'behind the Iron Curtain' university facilities into the international networks. Both during and after his activities at IBM up to the present Loesch was lecturing, key note speaker at conferences, holding seminars at various locations from Forum Alpbach to private consultancies and Universities. The special background and experience of Loesch combining technology, economy, business and assessment of future opportunities enables the multilateral scope of view and analysis you will find in these lectures.