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Southeast Europe's next growth story

Where will the region's next wave of growth come from, and what will companies need to take part? Economist and former Dean of INSEAD Ilian Mihov will examine the forces shaping competitiveness in the decade ahead, before joining Bartosz Ciołkowski, General Manager for Southeast Europe at Mastercard, and Erdem İnan, CEO of Trendyol Group, for "The New Rules of Competitiveness: Talent, Technology and Capital".

The economic programme will also examine how public policy can support investment, strengthen competitiveness and create the conditions for lasting growth. Romania's Minister of Finance Alexandru Nazare will address how economic ambition translates into prosperity.

Europe's next engines of growth will be explored by Ambrozie-Irineu Darău, Romania's Minister of Economy, Digitalization, Entrepreneurship and Tourism. The discussion will also feature Michał Baranowski, Undersecretary of State at Poland's Ministry of Economic Development and Technology.

Moldova's central bank governor Anca Dragu, Emir Kurtić, Vice Governor of the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Albania's Deputy Minister of Finance Endrit Yzeiraj will discuss central banking, economic convergence and stability. In a separate keynote, Victor Negrescu, Vice President of the European Parliament, will examine Southeast Europe's growth prospects in a fractured global economy.

Putting AI to work

As AI enters everyday operations, companies face decisions about where to use it, how much responsibility to give it and how to judge the results. The AI & Cybersecurity track follows those questions into the workplace, the customer relationship and the systems that support both.

Kelly Devine, President of Mastercard Europe, will put a fundamental question to the audience in her keynote, "What Problem Are We Solving?". It is a starting point for a wider conversation about where technology can make a meaningful difference.

Itai Green, Founder and CEO of Innovate Israel, will address enterprise AI execution. Andi-Lucian Cristea, Member of the European Parliament, Stefan Andonovski, North Macedonia's Minister of Digital Transformation, Nedim Baytorun, CEO of Vodafone Romania, and Marek Cynowski, Head of Eastern Europe at Adobe, will examine Europe's capacity to develop and scale AI. The programme will also feature a contribution from Diella, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence Albania.

The choices become tangible in banking. Tsvetanka Mintcheva, CEO and Chairperson of the Management Board at UniCredit Bulbank, and Dana Dima, Executive Vice President for Retail and Private Banking at BCR, will explore AI's role in cutting costs and building relationships. In digital commerce, Brice van de Walle, Executive Vice President for Core Payments Europe at Mastercard, will consider what happens to trust when a machine makes a purchase on someone's behalf.

As more business decisions depend on technology, security becomes part of the same conversation. Richard K. LaTulip, Field Chief Information Security Officer at Recorded Future, will examine enterprise risk in his keynote, "Enterprise Risk: The Cost of Missing the Mark".

The people who make growth happen

For founders, the distance between an opportunity and a viable business is measured in decisions about funding, hiring and customers. Radu Georgescu, Chairman of the Board at SeedBlink, will contribute to a discussion on Southeast Europe's investment momentum and the gaps in capital and talent that can constrain it. TrialHub co-founder and CEO Maya Zlatanova will bring the experience of introducing change in a highly conservative industry.

Olympic swimming champion David Popovici will add another perspective on how potential becomes performance. He will join Raluca Negulescu Balaci, Executive Director of UiPath Foundation, for a conversation about excellence, opportunity and AI in developing the next generation of leaders, moderated by Michael Atalla, Chief Marketing Officer at UiPath.

The value of place

The region's prospects also depend on how its cities and destinations develop. Marcin Moczyróg, General Manager for Mobility in Central and Eastern Europe at Uber, will examine the relationship between tourism, mobility and the green economy, while a discussion featuring Simona Constantinescu, President of the Federation of the Romanian Hotel Industry, will consider how destinations build resilience.

The new Culture track explores the role of the creative economy in the region's development. Representatives of Fortress of Culture Šibenik and the BONTE Foundation will discuss how places can build their future on the cultural heritage that makes them distinctive.

Beyond the stage

At Impact Bookstore, participants will be able to meet Anna Lembke; Nina Angelovska Stankov, President of the Macedonian E-Commerce Association; Itai Green; and Richard K. LaTulip during book signings. Curated networking, executive formats and the Evening Networking Cocktail will create opportunities to compare experiences and explore potential partnerships.

At last year's Bucharest edition, two companies signed an agreement to work together before the event was over. For international businesses, Impact SEE offers a gateway to Southeast Europe through the people shaping its markets. For companies from the region, it opens access to investors, potential partners and experience beyond their existing networks.

Participants can plan their networking before they arrive, using the published list of confirmed companies to identify organisations from the markets and sectors they want to reach.

Explore the full agenda and book your pass at impactsee.com.