About the Forum

The IEDC Annual International Presidents’ Forum is the event of the year that regularly attracts numerous top executives and governmental representatives from the region and beyond. The topics of the forum reflect the most current issues impacting business processes and world economies. The speakers of the forum are prominent thought leaders and experts in their respective fields. Consequently, the forum serves as an excellent platform for exchange of opinions and creation of ideas, as well as an ideal setting for networking and establishment of new cooperation. 

About the Topic

Competitive Europe – Paradise Lost or a New Drive

The Annual Presidents Forum this time will explore the evolving landscape of Europe's competitiveness in the global economy.

The fact that the EU has fallen behind the US and China is so many critical sectors comes as no shock to anyone familiar with the strengths of the world’s two superpowers. What is a surprise is that fair assessments of the EU’s current trajectory of decline are so absent from the public discourse. Europe’s leaders, and the business and political elites of its nation states, lack a clear vision on how to re-start the engines of value creation. The “in-depth analysis and recommendations” of Mario Draghi’s report, The Future of European Competitiveness, is a case in point.

The keynote speech of Prof. Casas-Klett will review some of the key elements that Europe is missing: genuine risk-taking; strategic thinking; creative destruction; European elite business models and a European elite system; geopolitical power; and narratives for the world. Prof. Casas-Klett will stimulate the discussion with a prescient, provocative, and constructive analysis of the current state of Europe, framed by the Elite Quality Index (EQx2024) and its underlying theory, assessments of the sustainable value creation of European organizations, and the general benchmarks that the US and China provide. Theoretical disquisitions will shed light on the potential inadequacies of a ‘club of nation states’ facing major 21st century challenges and will be complemented by practical insights on areas ranging from the manufacturing industries to AI technology.

The keynote speech of Director General Kerstin Jorna will explore why Europe is well positioned to remain a top global investment destination. Starting from the Single Market as a key asset that Europe has in terms of competitiveness, she will explore the different aspects of the business case that need to be boosted to ensure a new drive for European competitiveness: access to inputs, energy, financing, markets, skills and technology. She will also highlight the enabling conditions that are needed to level the playing field for EU industry globally. Last, she will underline the strength that arises from Europe’s collaborative approach to industrial policymaking.

When

Start date: November 15, 2024 at 9:00 AM

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