Project: New Europe 100 Leaders Action Group – Global Challenges to Business and Democracy in CEE

Foresight solutions for global democratic challenges

27 July 2023

The project aims to build a New Europe 100 Leaders Action Group that will advocate for solutions and provide best practices through foresight in relation to global challenges democracy faces.

The project aims to analyse the decision-making process of innovative tech companies in the CEE region to identify weak spots in western-based digital business cooperation. The resulting report includes a toolkit of scenarios and narratives for better communication strategies. Additionally, the project utilises a strong network of the top Central and Eastern European ICT innovators based on our New Europe 100 laureates to build an advocacy program for dialogue on issues related to Central and Eastern European action towards business and political decisions. This includes identifying key pressure points on governments for protective actions through a series of online events.

Events:

26 July 2023 – report launch event

During a hybrid, closed-door roundtable discussion, the Visegrad Insight team, led by Editorial Director and author of the report Miles R. Maftean, presented the results of the project report centred on the role of values in businesses and the prevalent issues surrounding ESG practices. Of notable interest was the discussion on the integration of young migrant adults into local economies and the strategies to combat the shortage of skilled labour across various sectors.

Read our new report here

19 May 2023 – Prague, Czechia: Foresight discussion

During a hybrid, closed-door roundtable discussion, top CEE digital business leaders delved into the indispensable role of values in businesses and the prevalent issues surrounding ESG practices. Of notable interest was the discussion on the integration of young migrant adults into local economies and the strategies to combat the shortage of skilled labour across various sectors.

13 April 2023 – Budapest, Hungary: Foresight discussion

During a closed-door roundtable discussion, top CEE digital business leaders addressed several challenges related to the media industry the role big tech companies play. The discussion also centred on the need for a European player to counter this influence, as well as the impact AI will have on the industry.

29 March 2023 – Bratislava, Slovakia: Foresight discussion

During the roundtable discussion led by Visegrad Insight’s Editorial Director, Miles R. Maftean, top CEE digital business leaders surveyed and mapped out weak spots in western-based digital business cooperation while analysing the role of values, cultural sentiments, and personal attitudes. Key discussion areas included the aftermath of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, surveillance, digital safety and security, and the role of corporate philanthropy in securing economic and democratic stability in CEE. Read the full description of the event here.

13 December 2022 – Warsaw, Poland: Foresight event

How can resilient business practices be used as part of the broader security architecture? This future-oriented policy debate on resilience took place among 50 different CEE stakeholders from civil society organisations, governmental officials, NATO representatives, journalists and policy circles. The discussion was led by Editorial Director Miles R. Maftean and included Tony Housh (Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Poland), Zoltan Varga, (Chairman of the Board, Central Médiacsoport), and Anna Wiącek-Kocot (Partner in the IT Strategy and Transformation Team, Deloitte). Read the full description of the event here.

ABOUT THIS PROJECT:

Central and Eastern Europe is becoming a battleground for major global tech providers, with the US, China, Russia, and EU member states competing for consumers, strategic investments, and cooperation with private companies. Chinese companies, in particular, are putting pressure on US and EU-based technologies, using a range of tactics such as economic and scientific espionage, price dumping, and corruption. This raises concerns about data leaks, espionage, and digital economic dependency. The project aims to address these issues by building a New Europe 100 Leaders Action Group that will analyse the decision-making process of ICT business leaders in the region and advocate for solutions and best practices.

The project will conduct a survey of top Central and Eastern European ICT innovators to analyse the impact of political sentiments, values, and international relations on digital transformation, cybersecurity, and global competition. The survey will result in a report that identifies potential weak spots in western-based digital business cooperation, and provides scenarios and narratives for communication strategies that facilitate better understanding of the needs and values of the innovative business community in the region. The project will also build an advocacy program that engages top ICT innovators in fostering dialogue on issues related to Central and Eastern European action. The goal is to identify indicators of tech-enabled sharp power in the region and find key pressure points where protective actions should be taken. This will be done through a series of online events organised on the local and regional levels.

This project is supported by the Center for International Private Enterprises (CIPE).

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