The event brought together experts from technology, business, startups, academia, and established corporates to discuss Europe’s future competitiveness and the emerging industrial transformation.
A central theme of the conference was humanising technology — recognising that innovation is not only about technological tools and digital capability, but equally about people, purpose, creativity, empathy, and responsible leadership. These values strongly align with IEDC’s educational philosophy and its longstanding commitment to developing leaders who combine competence with conscience.
One of the key moments of the program was the conversation between Prof. Dr. Stjepan Orešković — internationally active academic, investor, co-founder and majority owner of Bsquare Invest, respected author featured in leading scientific publications, and President of the Supervisory Board of IEDC–Bled School of Management — and Katja Šeruga, Director & Editor-in-Chief of N1 Slovenija, who moderated the discussion with clarity and professionalism.
Prof. Orešković shared several insights relevant to Europe’s future:
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real gamechangers do not simply follow existing rules — they change them;
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competitive advantage increasingly comes from connecting science, business, and technology;
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business growth today is driven by scientific discoveries turning into practical solutions;
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Europe can remain competitive only by cultivating entrepreneurs who are ambitious, disciplined, and eager to succeed.
He also highlighted the Future 500 initiative, aimed at identifying and supporting 500 European companies with strong growth potential and helping them scale internationally while remaining anchored in Europe.
IEDC is proud to support such initiatives by developing leaders who are strategic, globally minded, and responsible — leaders who not only adapt to change, but actively shape it.
We extend our thanks to the organizers, the Gamechanger team, the speakers, and all participants. We look forward to continued collaboration and further contributions to the European innovation and leadership ecosystem.