26 Oct Interview with Stephen Langer, Executive Director & Jorge Fernández Vidal, Managing Director of Agriculture and Food, Liechtenstein Group
Liechtenstein Group is headquartered in Vienna and operates globally through a diversified network of subsidiaries. Can you give us an overview of the company’s mandate and key focus areas?
LANGER: We are a group of companies owned by the Foundation Prince Liechtenstein; the ruling prince is our ultimate beneficial owner. Our focus spans four key sectors: agriculture and food, forestry, renewable energy and real estate, with around 800 employees and operations across four continents. For centuries, the family has been actively engaged in these areas, with some companies held for decades and others for hundreds of years. Our vision is to produce resource-efficient and high-quality food; manage climate-adapted and biodiverse forests; generate clean energy on our own lands; and sustainably oversee historic real estate in Austria. Our guiding principles emphasize sustainability and innovation, which we believe must align with economic success and responsible entrepreneurship. We operate globally and invest along the entire value chain of each sector, including in infrastructure and technologies that drive research and development (R&D) and innovation.
What major milestones has the group’s agriculture segment passed in recent years?
VIDAL: Agriculture is deeply rooted in the family’s traditions, going back centuries. For a long time, the group has managed the family’s agricultural assets with a strong commitment and passion for the industry. In particular, Prince Hans Adam II has a scientific interest in agriculture, which led him to launch RiceTec in the 1980s and pioneer hybrid rice seeds in the American market. RiceTec became a leading player after significant R&D, which inspired further agricultural investments. At the moment, our investments focus on agricultural technology that aligns with the family’s interests, including pollination, irrigation, water management, bio-inputs and digital sustainability solutions. Alongside these technological investments, we have also expanded our farming operations outside of Central Europe; we now own and operate farms across multiple continents.
How important is R&D in meeting the group company’s long-term goals?
LANGER: Innovation is one of our core principles; we aim to lead in each sector we operate in, especially agriculture. Forestry is also significant; the family is among Austria’s largest forest owners. In the 1980s, we pioneered the German-speaking world’s first container forest seedling nursery. This small nursery has grown into one of Europe’s largest reforestation operations, producing 30 million seedlings annually. With climate change affecting forest demands, we focus on creating climate-adapted forests. This requires careful, long-term planning, partnerships with universities and other scientific institutions and thorough R&D to select the right seedlings for specific climates — a responsibility we embrace to ensure sustainable forestry for decades to come.
What specific disruptive technologies is the company leveraging to increase efficiency and value?
VIDAL: We use internal and external digital technologies to boost productivity and innovation. For example, at RiceTec digital tools help us improve seed breeding; we use automation, big data and artificial intelligence to accelerate bringing better seeds to market. We also leverage these technologies with our customers and recently launched an app in India to drive more sustainable farming practices as part of our Full Page Rice Transformation initiative. Agritask, an Israeli platform, is providing agronomic insights and supporting sustainability for food and beverage companies. Our approach is to adopt or develop technologies that advance our operations and benefit our clients.
LANGER: Furthermore, our forest management software Palos, which we recently acquired and have developed further, exemplifies the family’s expertise as forest owners and extends their forestry work to include digital technology for better forest management. As a leader in forest digitalization, we are pioneering advancements in an otherwise traditional sector.
What is Liechtenstein Group doing to cut carbon footprints and introduce more sustainable practices around the world?
LANGER: Sustainability is core to our mission and the Princely Family’s legacy. It is evident in how we manage agriculture, forestry and other operations. We are developing a robust environmental, social and governance strategy with multiple initiatives throughout our portfolio. One of our portfolio companies, L-Recycling, builds and operates sewage sludge recycling plants to recover phosphorus. Our experienced team has developed a circular solution to recycle phosphorus through pyrolysis instead of burning it, creating a sustainable approach to wastewater treatment. This process produces biochar for agricultural use and generates carbon dioxide certificates. We also aim to play an active role in the energy transition. We already operate small hydropower plants, wind farms and photovoltaic installations on our land and are now building the largest agri-photovoltaic plant in Lower Austria by combining our agricultural expertise with photovoltaic technology.
What is the company doing to create more synergies between its companies under its new growth strategy?
VIDAL: We have two long-term goals in agriculture: expanding our farming operations by leveraging best practices across our global network and pursuing strategic, value-chain investments. Our farming operations are independent of one another, but we manage them all with the same operating principles. Our technology investments are also carefully selected to complement our portfolio, address challenges and explore adjacent opportunities. For example, Green Universe Agriculture, a leading bio-input company, collaborates with RiceTec on seed treatments; N-Drip develops irrigation solutions for rice fields; PowerPollen aids in rice pollination and Agritask offers digital services to RiceTec and other agriculture and food and beverage clients. Our long-term vision is to grow our companies and invest in areas where we can add value both as investors and operators.
What are your top personal priorities in your new distinguished roles in 2024?
LANGER: I’ve been with the group for a while now and feel very privileged to work with our great portfolio companies alongside our talented employees and managing directors. Our focus is to strengthen and sustainably grow our existing portfolio. We want to leverage our internal expertise to create synergies across our companies. As responsible entrepreneurs, we prioritize sustainability and innovation and ensure these principles guide how we operate.
VIDAL: While we have grown as a group, our strategic focus remains unchanged. We have clear growth plans for our companies and a vision for leveraging synergies between them. We manage mature companies efficiently, expand global opportunities and scale younger ones. In addition, we continue to add valuable companies and assets that align with our goals and complement our portfolio. Our focus is on growth and acquiring synergies that enhance what we are building.