The 2025 annual meeting of the World Economic Forum will be held from January 20 to 24 in the mountain resort of Davos, Switzerland, the highest city in Europe, in the presence of world leaders under the title “Cooperation for the Smart Age.”
Discussions will revolve around geo-economic uncertainty, cultural polarization, trade tensions and climate anxiety.
On the other hand, the forum will emphasize the importance of innovation, artificial intelligence, quantum computing and biotechnology with the aim of enhancing living standards and enhancing productivity.
For more than 50 years, this annual meeting has been trying to embody the “Davos Spirit” of openness and cooperation, and the “Davos Statement”, established in 1973 and renewed in 2020, defined the capitalist principles of stakeholders or a system of common corporate goals.
Does this year’s edition achieve the essence of Davos’ mission?
Diverse participation
Diverse sectors, industries and generations participate in this year’s edition, a diversity that “constitutes a key element of the Forum’s approach to ensuring that the world’s most important issues are discussed as broadly as possible and solutions are designed through a diverse, multi-sectoral lens,” according to a press release issued by the World Economic Forum. .
More than 350 government leaders are expected to attend, including 60 heads of state and government, such as newly elected US President Donald Trump, who will join via a live video link for an interactive dialogue, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Parliament President Roberta Mizzola, and Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid, and Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Muhammad Mustafa.
The meeting will be attended by more than 1,600 business leaders, including more than 900 CEOs and Board Chairs of Davos member companies and partners, and more than 120 of them are global innovators, technology pioneers and startups working to transform industries.
More than 170 civil society leaders will also participate, from trade unions, NGOs and indigenous peoples to experts and heads of leading universities, research institutions and think tanks.
More than 160 forum members, including startups, technology pioneers, global influencers, the Young Global Leaders Forum, and the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, will attend the meeting to showcase local innovations and solutions to global challenges.
Smart era
The choice of this year’s theme, “Collaboration for the Smart Age,” is based on Forum CEO Klaus Schwab’s suggestion that converging technologies are rapidly reshaping the world, pushing us to a turning point of “an era that transcends technology alone, and that is a societal revolution that has the potential to lift humanity.” , or even break it,” according to Schwab.
From autonomous, AI-powered production lines and digital twins that mimic entire supply chains to next-generation robotics, manufacturers are looking to leverage leading-edge innovations to build smart, agile and flexible operations.
In the session on the first day of the Davos Forum, companies will discuss ways to leverage these pioneering innovations and scale them to future-proof their operations.
Leaders of countries will try to extract unified answers to many questions, including: How can we build a smarter future? How can innovation address crises, such as climate change and the misuse of technology? Does collective action and responsible leadership contribute to promoting equality, sustainability and cooperation rather than deepening existing divisions?
Gloomy look
In a related context, a number of observers expressed their gloomy outlook regarding this year’s edition, especially in light of the opening of the forum with the inauguration of Trump, who promised to destroy the Paris Climate Agreement and increase customs tariffs on imports, and appointed an anti-vaxxer in charge of the health system in the United States.
In addition, the foundations of the liberal pro-globalization consensus were shaken after Brexit cast a shadow over the unity of the European Union, and the positives of free trade fell into the trap of economic interests, as well as the risks of supply chains that followed the Ukrainian war and the closures due to the Corona pandemic.
5 main axes
The meeting was organized in 5 important areas, the most important of which is “Reimagining Growth,” which serves as a very important pillar for building stronger and more resilient economies and identifying new sources of growth in this new global economy.
The second axis is “Industries in the Smart Age” because all industries are obliged to adapt their business strategies to take into account major geoeconomic and technological shifts.
Participants will attempt to answer the question: How can business leaders find a balance between short-term goals and long-term imperatives in transforming their industries?
Then comes “Investing in People” as one of the forum’s themes in light of geoeconomic changes, green transformation, and technological progress at all levels, from employment, skills, and distribution of the revolution to health care, education, and public services.
Under the theme “Protecting the Planet,” innovative partnerships and dialogues that enable investments and deployment of clean climate technologies will be crucial to making progress in achieving global climate and nature goals, as well as addressing the energy triangle of achieving equitable, safe and sustainable energy systems.
In an increasingly complex and fast-paced world, societal divisions have deepened, geopolitics has become multipolar, and policies have shifted towards protectionism, which hinders trade and investment. Therefore, the organizers of the Davos Forum saw the need to highlight the principle of “rebuilding trust” to find new ways of cooperation and finding solutions, both at the international level. Or within communities.
