The European Economic Congress 2021 – dates and news

One of the most important debates on the prospects and directions of development of the European economy is adopting a new formula, which will be enriched by online activities spread over time – exclusive interviews, webinars, debates, opinion polls and reports. The European Economic Congress in Katowice will be held in May or September 2021. An introduction to the main debate on the economy will be the EEC Trends Online conference scheduled for 17–18 February 2021.

The pandemic year 2020 brought with it new experiences and affected the way companies, institutions and events operate, including the European Economic Congress (EEC). In response to the lockdown and other restrictions, the organiser of the event – the PTWP SA Group – has implemented measures that allowed the idea behind the largest business meeting in Central Europe to develop. They will become part of a strategy planned for a longer period of time and will allow the implementation of new initiatives under the EEC brand.

The first of such events will be the EEC Trends Online (17–18 February 2021), while the 13th European Economic Congress in Katowice is planned for 24–26 May or 20–24 September 2021. Continuity of the congress project under the banner of EEC in the coming year will be ensured by online activities spread over time – from talks and exclusive interviews to webinars and debates, to opinion polls and reports.

‘We have developed a new concept for carrying out our activities within the framework of the EEC, which goes far beyond what we have done to date. At the beginning of 2021, the epidemic situation will certainly not be stable yet. That is why we are starting with a remote conference. The EEC Trends Online will allow us to prepare the content for the subsequent meetings scheduled for the coming months’, said Wojciech Kuśpik, the organiser of the European Economic Congress.

The preliminary thematic areas of the EEC Trends debates will include: EEC GREEN (sustainable development, climate protection, and objectives of the Green Deal – in the strategies pursued by companies/enterprises, in the realm of technology, and in business offers; and the innovative solutions for the green economy); EEC DIGITAL (the role of groundbreaking technologies in industry and economy; robotisation and automation of production; the accelerated process of digitalisation of the economy; and cyber threats – prevention, education and regulations); EEC INVEST (high-end investments and their environment: technologies, the labour market, and advanced infrastructure as a determinant of the quality of life; investments carried out as part of the transition of the energy sector; and investment financing within the scope of the new EU measures); EEC INNOVATION (knowledge-based economy as an element of competitiveness; financing of innovation; creativity, flexibility and resilience – business challenges in a time of pandemic and economic reconstruction; and co-operation between start-ups and large industrial companies); EEC FUTURE (the economy, finance and the labour market in the reality of the pandemic crisis; forecasts; Europe in the face of the challenges of jointly breaking the impasse and building a new reality; and global market and trade – the dilemmas of independence and broad co-operation).

The EEC Trends Online will be held on 17–18 February 2021 and will include the presentation of the ‘WNP Awards’.

‘We want to organise the 13th edition of the European Economic Congress in Katowice on 24–26 May 2021. If the administrative conditions allow, the event will take on a hybrid form – with its stationary part taking place at the International Congress Centre and with the possibility of remote participation in it. Of course, it will all be in compliance with the epidemic safety standards applicable at that future point in time’, said Wojciech Kuśpik, the organiser of the EEC. ‘Taking into account our experience to date and the uncertainty about the epidemic situation in the long term, as well as for the sake of comfort of our partners, we have also secured alternative dates for the Congress, namely 20–24 September 2021’, he added.

The European Economic Congress brings together the circles interested in economic and technological development, and has been accompanied by the Start-up Challenge competition for five years now. In 2020, the EEC brought together 3.5 thousand stationary guests and 6.7 thousand online participants, recording over 100 thousand unique users following the debates online. Rebroadcasts of all sessions are available on the event website.