The motto of this year’s edition of the Economic Forum was “Time for new leaders: shaping the future together”. As Zygmunt Berdychowski, chairman of the Program Council and creator of the Forum, said, the aim was to discuss what has become the greatest challenge for the Western world.
Key events included plenary sessions, the main themes of which reflected the most important thematic areas.
The event began with a session on “Building an Economic Future: Infrastructure, Innovation, Development.” Participants discussed key factors shaping the economy, such as technological development, globalization, and integrated supply chains. The discussion showed how important it is to adapt economic policy to the challenges of the modern world and what role investment in technology, education, and dialogue between business and politics play.
The impact of digital innovations on the development of the economy was the subject of the session of the second day of the Forum, “Central and Eastern Europe: The New Leader of Digital Innovation”. Participants agreed that artificial intelligence and digital innovations are an important factor in development, but to achieve economic success, cooperation between the public sector and private entrepreneurs is necessary.
– Only public-private cooperation can lead to a qualitative leap – said Krzysztof Gawkowski, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Affairs. As he explained, it is not about the state towing large corporations and letting them earn money. It is important to ensure that technological progress and digitalization take place at the level of micro and small enterprises.
A new financial instrument, the launch of which was announced during the Forum, is to serve the further digitalization of Polish companies. Krzysztof Gawkowski and Prof. Marta Postuła, First Vice President of Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego, signed an agreement thanks to which entrepreneurs will be able to use loans for digital transformation. The project with a budget of PLN 2.8 billion is part of the National Reconstruction Plan.
An important part of the Economic Forum was the first-ever AI Forum, co-created by the Ministry of Digital Affairs, the University of Warsaw, the AGH University of Science and Technology, the Kraków University of Technology, the Wrocław University of Science and Technology, and the Poznań University of Technology. Over 250 professors participated in it, including almost 30 rectors.
In addition to digitalization and artificial intelligence, one of the main topics of the Forum was security. Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense, Prof. Dr. Hab. Piotr Wachowiak, Rector of the Warsaw School of Economics, Brigadier General Prof. Dr. Hab. Eng. Przemysław Wachulak, Rector of the Military University of Technology in Warsaw, Prof. Dr. Hab. Eng. Andrzej Szarata, Rector of the Cracow University of Technology, and Zygmunt Berdychowski signed a letter of intent in Karpacz regarding the creation of the report “Supply Chain Security in the Polish Defense Industry”.
Security was also discussed during debates and the plenary session “It was calm. Europe and the war in the East”.
– The war in Ukraine opened our eyes, but did it change the economies in Europe? Did it shift the industry towards total activity for security? More and more, but not yet fully. Europe, the European Union must be responsible for the arms industry in its territory, we must renew production capacities. This is why, for the first time, a commissioner for defence is being appointed, or rather for the defence industry – said Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz at the Forum.
The theme of the last plenary session was: “Partnerships for a Sustainable Future”.
During the XXXIII Economic Forum, topics from the areas of health, energy, ecology and international politics were also discussed.
Traditionally, the report prepared by SGH and the Economic Forum was premiered. For the seventh time, analyses were presented on the most important economic and social issues in Poland and Central and Eastern Europe. This year, the SGH Report was prepared in cooperation with the European Investment Bank.
The highlight of the event in Karpacz was the award ceremony. The Forum Program Council awarded prizes in three categories this year.
The winner of the most important one – the Economic Forum Award in the Person of the Year category was Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz. The award in the Company of the Year 2024 category was given to Budimex.
During the Forum, Krzysztof Gawkowski received the Józef Oleksy Award. The SGH Award was given to Prof. Henryk Skarżyński, founder and director of the Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing and the World Hearing Center in Kajetany. The Marshal of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship Awards and the Local Government Ranking Awards were also presented in Karpacz.
In total, during this year’s Forum, almost 600 events were held, including plenary sessions, special sessions, panel discussions, debates, report presentations, special events, author meetings, workshops, press briefings, galas and concerts.
The event was organized by the Foundation Institute for Eastern Studies, in partnership with the Lower Silesian Voivodeship (main partner), the commune and city of Karpacz (host city), the city of Wrocław and the Wrocław Airport.
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