XXXII Economic Forum in Karpacz
On 5-7 September 2023, representatives of the Wyższa Szkoła Biznesu - National Louis University took part in the XXXII Economic Forum in Karpacz. The event opened with the presentation of the SGH Report and Economic Forum 2023. Experts from the Warsaw School of Economics presented a report on economic and social issues in Poland and Central and Eastern Europe for the sixth time. This year's Forum was held under the motto 'New values of the Old Continent - Europe at the threshold of change' and attracted key politicians and entrepreneurs from across Europe. The report, which is an integral part of the event, was presented by a number of experts and analysed, among other things, the impact of inflation, the energy transition and an ageing population on the economy. The entire publication was available to Forum participants in paper and electronic versions.
Our university was represented by rector dr Dariusz Woźniak, prof. WSB-NLU, who took part as an expert in the panel 'Local Patriotism in the Economy. Origins matter', focusing on the important role of local business in the global economy. Our representatives also included Ms Aleksandra Jimenez, a lecturer and legal adviser, who spoke as an expert in the Lower Silesia Zone in the discussion 'Artificial intelligence in business. How does an algorithm help you make money?".
During the panel 'Local Patriotism in the Economy. Origins matter', the topic of local patriotism in the context of the economy was discussed, highlighting the role of local businesses. They discussed the challenges and benefits of business development at the regional level, the problems of competition with multinational corporations and the need to promote local solutions. Also discussed were the relationship between the younger generations and local business, the role of local government in supporting entrepreneurs, and the influence of origin on consumer decisions. The panel concluded with a reflection on the future of local business and its cooperation with local government.
The panel "The Future of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Business and Science" was extremely inspiring and brought together experts from various fields. Panellists representing the world of international business, online banking leaders and the scientific community from universities presented their point of view in a very diverse way.
Artificial intelligence is already playing an important role in our lives, affecting areas such as weather forecasts, city navigation and movie recommendation systems on streaming platforms. Panellists discussed specific applications of AI in various industries. Mr Jacek Łęgiewicz's presentation of algorithms that automate the operation of telecommunications networks and numerous applications in Samsung electronics perfectly illustrated how AI contributes to generating profits for companies. The discussion also continued on the importance of AI as a tool to increase competitiveness, its role in products and services and the impact of its presence on reducing costs, speeding up processes and innovating, which are essential in today's business environment. The difficulties in convincing customers and clients to use AI were discussed. Challenges related to the inadequacies of today's AI products and privacy issues were addressed. Panellists shared strategies on how to convince the unconvinced and how to engage employees in change processes towards AI implementation.
The Economic Forum is the largest political and economic conference in Central and Eastern Europe. Each year it attracts thousands of experts, entrepreneurs, politicians and thinkers. This year's edition attracted more than 5,000 participants and provided space for more than 470 debates.
On the second day, during the Gala of the XXXII Economic Forum in Karpacz, awards were presented in the categories of Man of the Year, Company of the Year and Prize of the Warsaw School of Economics. Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego received the Company of the Year Award, with a laudation by Tadeusz Białek. The award of the Warsaw School of Economics was received by Czesław Lang - Director of the Tour de Pologne with a laudation delivered by Rector Piotr Wachowiak. The Man of the Year Award, on the other hand, went to the US Ambassador to Poland, Mark Brzezinski, with a laudation from Zygmunt Berdychowski, and on the last day, during the closing of the XXXII Economic Forum in Karpacz, there was a Gala hosted by Tomasz Sanpruch and Adrianna Machalica. During the event, 3 Local Government Ranking Awards for 2022 were presented. The commune of Michałowice was recognised in the rural commune category for its sustainable development and the award was received by the mayor, Małgorzata Pachecka. Warsaw won the award in the city with district rights category, mainly for its actions in the year of the pandemic and its support for refugees from Ukraine. The award was received by Aldona Machnowska-Góra, Deputy City Mayor.
Take a look at the photo gallery.
