Programme

Europe accounts for at least half of the top 10 markets ranked by Global Competitiveness surveys over the last 10 years, due to strengths in their institutions, infrastructure, macro stability, labour force quality and social and environmental factors. Yet, it is also often depicted as slow growth, highly regulated, and fragmented with limited innovation. This makes it more difficult for Europe to produce global champions , and cope with rising global competition, particularly from Asia. Given the increasingly connected and challenging business environment, how will Europe perform over the longer term? What urgent changes are needed to make Europe and European businesses competitive at the global level and what role can investors and businesses play?

Asia has been a key target market for many European firms given its higher growth potential, large and increasing aspirational consumer market, and vast natural resources and manufacturing base. However, challenges include strong domestic competition, fragmented markets, governance and regulatory issues, adapting to local tastes, and in recent years, rising global geopolitical uncertainty. At the same time, numerous Asian corporates have built up a large business and/or are expanding their presence in Europe. For this session, we seek perspectives by some of the largest European and Asian firms looking at both regions. What is their approach to success and outlook for Asia vs Europe.

Sustainability, also referred to as ESG (Environment, Social, and Governance), has emerged as one of the biggest areas of concern for consumers, businesses and investors. While the rhetoric around ESG is not new, it is not until the last few years that we are seeing words being translated into action, with regulators and the capital markets playing an increasing role in driving change in businesses and disrupting industries. While companies with good sustainability practices are likely to perform better financially in the long term, meaningful implementation remains the main challenge given definition, measurement and control issues. For this presentation session, our esteemed speakers will discuss the topic of Sustainability through three lenses – Investing, Regulation, and Corporate Transformation.