Archive

Globalization and its perceived injustice to people and the planet make a demand for change. Capitalism in its purest form is being questioned as the main economic model. At the same time, the acceleration of the digital age is creating new paradigms about how we live and work. Fear, uncertainty, and dissatisfaction are growing. Politicians and businesses struggle to find solutions. The era of nation-state power is coming to an end. But what will replace it?

The modern world tackles unprecedented challenges: economic, social, environmental, technological, and even biological. Extensive financial support is required to overcome these challenges. Experts estimate that reaching the sustainable development goals will cost about $ 5 trillion annually for decades to come. Inaction, however, will cost humanity even more. Ukraine has set a lofty aim to respond to global challenges and take economic development to the next level.

In addition to changing the paradigm, mental models, and many policies, the implementation of ambitious development projects is resource-intensive. The main issue is where and how to use them. Investments, loans, grants, impact financing and even money emission - all this is in the arsenal of developmental finance. We are going to discuss the options currently available to Ukraine and ways to boost the chances of getting funding with international and Ukrainian visionaries and financial experts.

Infrastructure creates the conditions for any economy, state, or region. Whether a country will be successful and its development potential will depend on infrastructure financing. Without major investments in infrastructure, the development of Ukraine as a developing country is impossible.

We're looking for innovative approaches because that's exactly what we need to catch up with developed countries. At the same time, we must not copy experience, on the contrary, we must create new approaches and take a broader view, and develop our own solutions with a visionary component.

What is the infrastructure of the future and what should the state do to ensure its development today?

Today the entire world is experiencing an era of radical change. One thing that remains the same is that everyday leaders make lots of decisions and face challenges they never thought they could before. What worked yesterday can change instantaneously. The pace is immediate, the stakes are high, but those who can lead a team to consistently achieve outstanding results are highly rewarded.

During the panel, we'll discuss with big business owners how important it is for a leader to be on-trend, keep up with world events, and how to transform themselves and their businesses.

The East-West rivalry is gaining new momentum. According to the World Bank, the economies of East Asia are recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic twice as fast (+7.7%) as those of Europe (+3.9%). A fierce struggle for new markets is unfolding between the two systems. As an example: in 2019, total Chinese investment in Africa amounted to a staggering $110 billion. At the same time, investment from the U.S. steadily declined, reaching the $46.5 billion mark.

Does this mean the global economic center is shifting to the East? How does competition between East and West affect the global economy and politics? What ideology dominates now and do developing countries have a real alternative to the traditional centers of power?

Who owns the information rules the world. The 21st century has changed the way we think about media as an industry. Technology has helped the media greatly increase its influence on society. Today we must be clearly aware of what our brains consume, what we see, read, and listen to.

Media culture is actually a proper diet of consumption. By following it we can limit ourselves and the communities in which we live from an influx of destructive fakes and misinformation. Today's media culture is creating a new reality.

How can we avoid being in an information bubble and consume only quality and useful content? Why can technology both hinder and help? How can business processes be adapted to the digital rhythm of life, and what threats does the modern media culture pose? We will hear the answers from the leading experts in the field of media.

Emerging markets were among those hardest hit by covid-19. Yet technological advances and the absence of legacy policies and systems to hold them back are contributing to an extraordinary recovery. From Asia to Africa and Latin America, the resilience these markets have shown and the potential for growth could make them engines of global recovery. In this session we examine the performance of emerging markets by country and sector, and identify which among them can fuel worldwide growth. 

Research by Deutsche Bank showed that 89% of the interviewed market professionals think that the financial markets are currently in a bubble. This will be another test for Ukraine if we do not offer transparent and clear conditions for investors.

President Zelensky stated that Ukraine needs more than $270 billion of investments into the economy.

- What instruments can Ukrainian and international investors work with in Ukraine?

- How to attract capital to Ukrainian business?

- What tools do Ukrainian investors have for investing?

- What will be the Ukrainian capital market 2.0?

We will talk about this and much more with the experts during the panel discussion "Capital Market: New Opportunities to Attract Investments".

How does our brain perceive and process information? Every nanosecond is bombarded by endless streams of data, which are increasing in volume. We already know that much of what used to work for education and development is not working anymore. But do we know enough about how the brain can adapt to the new reality? Is it possible to "hack" it? Can we program ourselves to become efficient and squeeze the most out of our cognitive power? A discussion about neuroscience, the brain, education, and the new amazing world.

Covid-19 catalysed rapid advances in the delivery of health-care services and medical research. Businesses and policymakers collaborated to stave off a critical threat to the health and well-being of people everywhere. From the emergence and adoption of telehealth technologies and mobile care platforms to advances in drug discovery and gene therapy, the state of the global health-care ecosystem looks very different to what it was in 2019. The success of these advances will depend on how accessible they are to people regardless of income or social status. Policymakers and corporations will have to build on covid-influenced collaboration frameworks to enhance the delivery of care and improve access through universal health systems.

In this session, we will take stock of the vast and varied changes that have transformed the health-care industry, and debate ways to preserve the momentum of this evolution. 

Climate change is creating a harsh new reality, not just in the form of adverse weather conditions. The new climate policies of key global players are already reshaping entire industries, business models, and intergovernmental relations.

As a country with an open, export-oriented economy and limited financial resources, Ukraine faces difficult challenges: to implement its own climate policy balancing international commitments and economic opportunities; to implement effective sustainable economic development legislation; to respond to climate initiatives of international partners, while maintaining access to key markets and international financing.

What are the priorities of international climate policy and how will it affect business in Ukraine and in the world?

The size of the economy determines the capacity of the market, investment attractiveness and the country's reputation in the international arena. It doesn't matter what kind of champion you are if there is not enough water in the pool.

How to greatly increase Ukraine's GDP? How long will it take? What can government and business do for this? What tools should be used and in what areas can "national champions" be raised? We will discuss these and other issues with the world's best economists, Ukrainian investors and entrepreneurs as well as politicians. 

Developing countries are the most attractive for investors and global corporations. The risks are certainly great, but the opportunities to multiply investments are even greater.

Despite numerous difficulties, Ukraine still has an undeniable advantage - a large concentration of talents working in Ukraine and providing incentives for economic growth by creating startups that are already confidently conquering international markets and becoming unicorns. But is it enough?

How has the investment climate in Ukraine changed in recent years? Can we provide security for foreign investors? And in general, is it possible to normalize the investment image of Ukraine in the world?

For many years we have been taught to win. To build barriers, to boldly go into battle, to strike, to fight and conquer. It seemed to us that otherwise, it was simply impossible to defeat an opponent. Even today, we give those few successful Ukrainian businessmen who pioneered global markets a standing ovation. For us, they are heroes who survived a ruthless competition and prevailed in an uneven fight. And looking at them, not everyone is ready to repeat this feat.

But the world has changed, the strategy of the game has changed. Price wars have been replaced by cooperation. Today it is not necessary to prevail over the rival, cooperative consumption is a key trend that has greatly changed consumer habits. Paradoxically, you do not need to erect barriers to protect yourself from the effects of competition, it is important to remain honest and transparent with the consumer, socially responsible, and energetically charged with your business. It is not necessary to fight global challenges, it is important to develop the flexibility to find your chance. What strategy will yield the most significant results today? How to compete in global markets under the new game conditions? How to create and implement new rules of competition for your unique advantages? We will discuss with international and Ukrainian businessmen, economists and visionaries.

It's impossible to predict the future, but it's worth a try. Tomorrow is created on the basis of the decisions made today.

Futurologists claim that our lives will be profoundly and irreversibly altered. Computers, or more precisely artificial intelligence, will surpass humans. We will witness the emergence of a super-intelligence that will be capable of coming up with ideas that no human has ever thought of before.

There are already signs that AI is starting to take root in almost everything we do: context-aware Internet search, autonomous cars, unmanned delivery, Siri that answers your emails, and Google's virtual assistant that schedules your appointments. For safety and productive remote work there is Microsoft Viva. Platform for collaboration, communication, learning etc.

Businesses that don't follow the technological advances that we see becoming mainstream are losing out against those that already do.

What future technologies are available today? Will robots be able to replace your colleagues? And in general, technology in 2050: will it save humanity or destroy it?

Today we can observe the transformation of all spheres of activity. Old paradigms are breaking down, and there is a need for new solutions. Obviously, the role of the state in the development of the economy is changing. If a few years ago it was quite usual for the state to interfere in business processes, today it is becoming unacceptable. Not a person for the state, but the state for the person - a new format of relations between the state and the citizen, in which the state is a service and not a rigid regulator.

During the panel we will learn how state institutions are being transformed and what their role is in the development of the national and global economy.

Humankind has long put off innovation in food technology, but now the changes have started to happen very quickly.

The global FoodTech market was growing by leaps and bounds even before the pandemic. According to J'son & Partners Consulting, if in 2018 it was estimated at $191 billion, by 2025 its volume will already be $390 billion. As a result, according to calculations of the venture capital fund Fuel for Growth, in 2020 the amount of global investment increased from $10.17 to $16.33 billion compared to 2019. The market looked very attractive to investors. Several billion dollars a year is being invested in alt-protein technologies and by 2030, RethinkX predicts that more than 50% of the market will be in alternative proteins.

Population growth in Africa and South Asia, trends in craft products and healthy lifestyles, "here and now" (and D2C) requirements and other trends will drive the growth of the FoodTech market and corresponding investor interest.

What exactly attracts investors to FoodTech? Why is it worth paying attention to this industry? What are the prospects for FoodTech in the short and medium-term?

The ability to adapt quickly to new conditions is an important key to success in today's economy. Constant technological changes and challenges are forcing entrepreneurs to make decisions about business development faster and faster. Risks are growing, but there is less and less time to make decisions.

How to stay vigilant in the pursuit of trends and achieve sustainable business development? What is more effective: careful planning or the ability to react quickly to market demands? When starting a new business, what is the first thing you should pay attention to?

Let's talk about this with leading experts during the panel "New Business Strategies in the New Economy.

The value, behavioral and informational landscape of our era is changing.

But whichever way we go, east, west, north or south, it is always a journey into ourselves. The one who travels inwardly will eventually circumnavigate the earth. Great leaders have had a passion. Bill Gates had a passion for new technology, Mahatma Gandhi for human rights, Martin Luther King for equality. Oprah Winfrey, Founder of The Oprah Winfrey Network, articulated her mission as follows: “To be a teacher. And to be known for inspiring my students to be more than they thought they could be”.

Sir Richard Branson's personal mission statement, founder of The Virgin Group, is: “To have fun in my journey through life and learn from my mistakes”.

Many of today's leaders are true polymaths, and their cognitive style can be described as an innovative frontier. We will talk about the secrets of leadership in the 21st century with the brightest representatives from the world of art, science and business.

Dialogue about how to earn the first million in Ukraine and how not to lose it, how to find partners in business and how not to part with them after the first million, how to overcome personal crises and not turn into a charitable foundation, how to survive the shutdown of the entire industry and continue to develop.

Cultural code is the key to understanding a different type of culture. These are the mental and cultural characteristics of different nationalities that influence stereotypes of behavior, ways of making decisions.

It is important to be able to distinguish and identify the nuances of cultural codes of different countries. It is extremely necessary both for living abroad and for doing business.

How has the nation's cultural code transformed and how have the goals, missions, and pace of implementation changed?

During a discussion with representatives of civil society, business, show business, culture figures, and patrons of the arts, we will discuss the transformation of the nation's cultural code. We will consider the main lessons of the pandemic for different spheres and look for general conclusions for the country and each of us.

A few months ago, Ukraine became the first country in the world to launch digital passports and legally equate them to ordinary documents. In July, the Chinese government decided to limit the time children spend playing video games, and the tech giant Tencent announced it was rolling out facial recognition to implement this new directive. The massive cyberattacks got the analysts equating them to nuclear threats. If data is the new oil of a digital economy, how can we safeguard it? What are the rules that could balance privacy concerns with our desire for convenience? The digitization of business processes, government services, and our very lives, was accelerated by the global pandemic, generating plenty of excitement as well as anxiety. Every data-driven development taken to its extreme could be the first step towards dystopia - as the Netflix hit series so brilliantly illustrated. During this session, we’ll take a look in the Black Mirror and ponder humanity’s future in the digital age.

We dare to live longer then ancestors. To live healthier and stay ageless till the very end. Last years were a real challenge for this intention but we are proving our ability to fight with pandemy using modern weapons. What kind of steps should be integrated to reach the aim of long healthspan? Our Interdisciplinary team will discuss it on session Life 100+.

The coronavirus pandemic has had a significant impact on the development of the domestic economy in the creative industries. According to the results of 2020, the most profitable sectors were new media and IT, which have demonstrated revenue growth at the level of 46.6 billion UAH or 26.2% of the previous year. A decrease in incomes was observed in the field of audiovisual art, which lost 2,8 billion UAH or 8,1% in 2020.

The development of the creative industries had a positive impact on the amount of taxes paid. In 2020, the industry provided revenues to the state treasury at 26 billion hryvnias, which is 15.8% more than in 2019.

What are the prospects for the creative industry? How do creators boost the economy and improve the world we live in?

We live in a dynamic world in which change is the norm and innovation is the only way to stay afloat.

Many people are trying to navigate complex business processes related to human resources, supply chain, financial condition, customer engagement, and risk management. Old business models are changing and new ones are emerging.

Business process practices require innovative approaches, and new technologies are changing society. There is almost no time for reflection - you need to act.

How do the owners of a big business do this? What do you need to prepare yourself and your business for the uncertainty of the future? How has the architecture of the future changed and what lies ahead?

This year Kyiv International Economic Forum will finish with KIEF Closing Party, where everyone will have a chance to communicate with the speakers and participants of the Forum in a cozy atmosphere. After fierce battles during panel discussions, old and new friends will gather to celebrate the end of a great event.

A special guest of the event will be Valeria Chuprina, the finalist of the project "The Voice of the Country," also known as LEROY. Besides, we will give away 2 tickets to Istanbul from Turkish Airlines and a lot more prizes from the partners of KIEF for the participants of the KIEF Closing Party.