Theme outline -

Main themes

A new capitalism – but what kind?

Do we need to save capitalism from itself? an attempt at a diagnosis. Economic liberalism is subject to a crossfire of criticism. If not economic freedom and the market, then what? Growth, yes, but not at all costs – in search of balance. Sustainable development in a new context. The economy’s social responsibility: environment, healthcare, ethics. Migration, crises and the European job market. New answers to the old question: how much state intervention in the economy? The state as a regulator and creator of economic policy, company owner and investor – what does the free market say?

A different Europe in a different world

A new plan for Europe needed – the status quo no longer works. Political transformations in Europe are inching towards populism and isolationism – what is their impact on business conditions? What does the European option associated with the free market in the economy and democracy in politics have to offer? The economy in Europe after Brexit. Repercussions for economic exchanges, the European job market and finance. Likelihood of other exits – a deterrent effect? Possible changes in European cohesion policy (budget reduction and a greater orientation towards competition).

The 4 th Industrial Revolution – our present reality

The exhaustion of available levers of economic growth. The knowledge-based economy and the European growth model. Reindustrialisation – in theory and practise. Modern industry as a foundation for development – towards European specialisations. How is value created in the economy today? – international division of labour and world superpowers in the light of technological progress. Facets of innovation – importance of the R&D sector in European industry. How to fund and sell it, or innovation in the market. Digitisation of the economy – pitfalls and opportunities. Information and big data management as a challenge to business, administration and citizenship. Cyberthreats – prevention is better than cure.

Man in the centre – economy, market, labour

Work, workers and the hierarchy of values in the economy. Man is most important – from catchphrase to management. Brain potential, i.e. human resources in the European economies. Qualifications determine development prospects. Disproportion, internal diversification and the openness of the European job market. Migration, the brain drain, competition for the most talented. How are the technologies of the future changing private and professional lives? XYZ, or a new generation of workers – an asset or a liability? Changes in national education systems in the light of employer expectations. How to educate for the market in an era of constant change? Social capital, a deficit good.

Creativity and entrepreneurship

Role of the private sector in the development of the market and the economy. Ideas that change the world – creative power in the economy and social life. Mission versus profit – an apparent contradiction. A culture of entrepreneurship vs. corporate efficacy. The role of leaders in contemporary business organisations: personality and ethical standards, decisions and their consequences. A state of war or co-operation? issue of trust in private business.

Theme panels

Energy

Climate policy – continuations and corrections

COP 24 in Poland in 2018. Hopes and expectations
Fighting the climate change in the new international situation
EU climate policy and the energy sector after 2020
The EU’s ETS reform. Derogations, negotiations, outcomes
Environmental norms and developing renewable energy sources. The target energy mix

The future of the ETS

Changes in the EU’s CO emission trading system. Where are we heading?
Higher CO prices – position of European energy companies
Potential impact of system changes on the Polish energy sector and the economy

Renewable energy sources

Renewable energy sources in Europe and Poland – their state, role in energy systems, determinants and development trends
Our preferences: move away from wind, bet on biomass, biogas and photovoltaics? Scenarios, opportunities, risks. Energy clusters. Opportunities for success
Renewable energy auctions. Mechanism assessment
Regulations governing support for renewable energy sources in Europe – diversity of solutions and their consequences. Opportunities for standardisation?
Cheaper, more effective and lacking negative side effects for the system. Towards “better” renewable energy sources?
Renewable sources in national energy mixes from the perspective of 2030

Energy system security

Stability of energy systems in Europe
Power supply and demand. The art of balancing. Necessary regulations
Power market and systemic services
The importance of the BAT directive
Consumer safety expenses and the risk of professional energy sector

European power market

Stable, available energy: experience of European countries
Polish ideas for the power market. For and against
State administration, energy producers and consumers in the face of the cost of new solutions

Coal-based energy

The European anti-carbon faction. Arguments, figures, doctrine
The national energy mix determines awareness? Structural differences between the energy systems of the EU Member States
Energy in a new form. Fuel and energy companies. Capital and trade connections between the energy sector and the mining industry
Energy security and independence vs. environmental policy – how to reconcile their contradictions?

Electrical energy market in Central Europe

Investments in infrastructure of key importance in the region
EU regulations that shape the energy market. Energy trade – facts and limitations
Energy trade in Poland and other European countries
Ukraine as fuel supplier, consumer and producer

Investments in the energy sector

Energy demand in Poland and across Europe. Energy efficiency and economic growth
Poland – investments in production capabilities. Necessity and choice options
Energy on a global scale. What does the world invest in?

Innovation and R&D in the energy sector

A technological revolution in global energy. Are we lagging behind?
A need for innovation in the energy sector and its chances for success
R&D outlays in the energy sector. Risk acceptance in the case of innovation
Co-operation between energy groups and smaller creative companies. Mutual benefits?

Heating and co-generation

Future of the heating sector in Poland
Continuing support systems for co-generation. What to expect after 2018?
Sector profitability and binding regulations
Fuel mix in the heat power industry. Directions of change
Fighting smog as an opportunity for district heating?

European gas market

Gas trade and imports to Europe – system, connections, EU-internal contradictions
Big gas consumers in Europe. Contracts and price formulas. Role of the stock exchange and spot purchases
Gas in Europe and the idea of an energy union. Particular interests and common security
The role of internal European infrastructural connections in gas trade and mutual backing in case of crises. Alternative imports (LNG, gas ports)
A gas pipeline to Norway, or gas for Poland and the region
Regional co-operation (in terms of gas imports) within the EU – more flexible and based on risk analysis. LNG in the region – will it pay off?
Transparency of gas contracts between companies. Control of provisions that are important for EU energy security

Investment in the gas industry

The issue of gas supply security
The role of gas ports and grid investments
Blank spots on the distribution map. What about LNG?
Gas market and the issue of security

Smoggy Poland – efficient campaigning for low emissions

The right to breathe healthy air. A change of social climate: no more tolerance of poisoners
Who will allow us to breathe clean air: the state or local authorities? Regional issues in combating low emissions, lending support to residents who give up coal-fired boilers
I know what I breathe in. Reliable information and education as the basis of an anti-smog campaign
The law and its application. Economic barriers to combating low emissions
The role of the heating sector
Advanced technologies come to the rescue: boilers, fuels, drones. Science at the frontline of the war against smog

The future of Europe

The place of Europe in the global economy

The mission and strength of Europe? Is Europe’s “soft power” but a distant memory?
European economy and global competition. Facts, strengths, weaknesses
Where does business go to from Europe? Social and economic repercussions
Knowledge, quality, creativity – how to capitalise on European assets

The new EU budget

Opportunities, needs, priorities. What should we give up?
Multi-speed Europe in the context of common finances: facts, figures, ambitions
A new vision for redressing European disproportions?
How much money for cohesion? How much competition?

Economy in Europe after Brexit

The schedule and scenario of the split: procedures, regulations, costs
Repercussions for trade, the European job market and finance
Countries and industries that will be hit the hardest. How to compensate for the costs?
Brexit as a chance and opportunity. New opportunities for competition and new market niches
Likelihood of other exits. The lesson of Brexit, or the strategy of deterrence

The Juncker plan – an important European experience

Investments within the Juncker plan – outcomes of activities to date
Continuation? How? With what budget?
The beneficiaries speak out – case studies of selected projects
Grounds for improvement – guidelines for the future

The Visegrad Group (V4) – a new chapter of co-operation

The future of the V4 in a changing Europe. A strong Group in a strong European Union?
What unites us and what sets us apart – effective co-operation despite differences?
Areas of shared activity: infrastructure, energy and resources, migration policy, support for the Balkans
Pragmatism, solidarity, security. The V4 in light of the current situation in the east of Europe and EU’s Eastern policy

Industry

Metallurgy under siege?

Situation of the steel industry in Europe. Under pressure: energy prices, climate policy and aggressive competition
Metallurgy and steel trade in the world. Global economic agreements. Protectionism and dumping
Steel distribution and processing – the sector in the throes of change to face new challenges
Metallurgy invests. The steel sector as a carrier of innovation. Towards specialisation?

Coal in Europe and Poland

Commitments and regulations. The dilemmas of climate policy and energy security
Coal in the backwaters? Carbon sovereignty? The energy mix as an issue for European debate. Areas and methods of compromise
A time to phase out? Prospects for hard coal mining in the light of current development trends in the European energy sector
The programme to restructure Polish mining: objectives, outcomes and future prospects
Clean combustion technologies. Ambitions, opportunities, reality

Defence industry in Poland

The updated programme to modernise the army before 2022. An experts’ view
Needs of the Polish army and budget constraints. Optimising the purchasing process
The role and share of the Polish Armaments Group in modernising the army
Co-operation of state-owned enterprises within the Polish Armaments Group with private and foreign industry
The Polish defence industry as an exporter? Areas in which we can specialise
Prospects for co-operation between Poland, the EU and NATO in the context of the international situation and existing commitments

Chemical industry

Development trends in the industry: specialisation, new products, colonising new market niches
A chemical industry sensitive to regulations? Domestic and European legal solutions and the prospects for the sector
A rational approach to innovation – the market, the client and new industry needs have the final say
Co-operation between companies and research institutions. Support programmes for innovation. Commercialising research findings
Structural changes: escape of the industry from Europe, a quest for cheaper energy and resources, mergers and takeovers
The Polish chemical industry as compared with Europe – scope for development and the distance to close

Automotive industry in Poland and Europe

Main trends in the European automotive industry. Are we manufacturing a car for the future?
Co-operation or competition? Standardisation or car customisation?
The automotive industry and the transfer of technologies
The automotive industry – a Polish speciality? The role of the sector in the economy
Electromobility – an important trend in the automotive sector

Man, job market and the economy

Employees and employers in the light of new technologies

The role of ICT and digitisation in modern companies
Human resources and tapping the potential of new technologies
Knowledge means investment. How to broaden competence?
Management and technology. Models of relations and the art of co-operation

Man as an asset to the economy

Human resources in European economies – the current state, dynamics, prospects
Qualifications that determine company development prospects
A deficit of competences? What entrepreneurs need and what the job market offers
Knowledge and skill management. HR policy today. Effective motivation tools
The company and me. Employees’ personal growth and loyalty towards the employer

Social capital and the art of effective co-operation

Mechanisms of co-operation between public institutions and local governments and their citizens
The role of the NGO sector in the development of social capital. The experience of the last 25 years
A deficit of trust and the rise of competition against the spirit of co-operation. How to change this?
Social capital in enterprise management. Volunteering, philanthropy, CSR
Against exclusion – education and information in the 50+ age group
Social entrepreneurship as a way to counteract social and occupational exclusion

Employee market in Poland and Europe

A job in search of an employee? Industries and specialisations with the highest HR deficits
How do employers handle labour shortages? Effective recruitment as an element of competition
Hiring is not enough. How to keep people at the company?
Managing limited resources. Payroll policy, incentives and work conditions in the light of job market transformations
Economic migration as an antidote to HR shortages? Potential, trends, social outcomes

Health and safety at work

A good workplace – what does it mean? Ergonomics, health, mood, social relations
Occupational medicine in Poland and other European countries. Necessary system changes
Employee absenteeism – costs for the employer and the economy
Pro-health measures at the company. Necessary prevention
The most frequent reasons for employees’ absence from work. More than illness...
A lethally dangerous job? Good practices with regard to work safety. The role of supervision

Socially responsible business facing new challenges

What does CSR entail? Company experience. Verification of effects
Current CSR trends and directions of development in Poland and across Europe. A survey of good practices
CSR from the employee’s perspective. The external image of the company and its internal relations as a form of capital
A duty of non-financial reporting for large stock-market companies – a burden or an opportunity?

Delegated staff on the European job market

Poland as an EU leader in terms of the number of seconded staff
Important changes in the regulations concerning staff secondment – consequences for companies and the competition
The issue of “social dumping” real or imagined? A way towards compromise?

Higher education – from quantity to quality

Education in Poland. Less means more. Changes in higher education
Educational reform and education quality challenges faced by teachers
The role of industry-specific schools in the future of the job market
Will a lower number of students improve the situation on the job market? Polish and European experiences
Dual education current trends, good Western models

Modern education – employment and innovation

Narrow specialisation or versatile, creative professionals? Trends in vocational education
Effective educational methods in industry-specific schools
Professions in high demand today and tomorrow. Filling gaps and predicting needs
Co-operation of schools and universities with employers – how to educate students for innovation?
The new strategy for science and higher education as assessed by schools and entrepreneurs

Management

Challenges of modern management

Leader or dictator? Optimal models of HR management
Three generations in one company – a new challenge. Diversity as a value in business and management
Motivating the team – how to improve work efficiency?
Business changes fast. Employee assessment is on its way out, what we need is feedback right here and right now
Management of the future. Turquoise companies in practice. An opportunity or a trap?
Mere gadgets or actual support tools for communication and decision-making? Technology in management

Family-run businesses

No successors! Ingrates? Hiring outside the family. Is selling really a failure?
The death of the owner and the fate of the company – legal changes. Sudden situations and the choice of managers
Company size and management rules. A new generation: leadership, innovation, takeovers, expansion beyond the region and the home country. How to fund investments.
Values and traditions in family-run businesses: a cohesive force and marketing asset. Another view: anachronism in the era of dog-eat-dog competition?

Innovation, digital economy, start-ups

Digital economy and digital society in Europe

A digital revolution in Europe – innovations in technology and the market
Digital technologies and the Internet transform the world. The rise of competition, industry transformations, new products and services
Food for thought: half of the production growth in the EU comes from investment in the ICT sector
Towards a uniform consumer-friendly digital market. Where do we stand?
Limits and barriers – how does the EU cope? Implementing the European Digital Agenda

Start-ups – a new business culture

A start-up revolution. A passing fad or actual change in the economy?
The role of young entrepreneurship in economic development. The perspective of large companies and corporations
A leap into innovation. Co-operation between small entities and business tycoons. What can we give one another?
Is it OK to lose? Failure in start-ups and traditional companies. Support for start-ups and risk acceptance

Innovation and the R&D sector

An idea is not yet innovation. Effective commercialisation and the market will have the final say
The culture of innovation in the economy. How to create it? Openness, freedom, effective support for creativity
Risk is difficult to accept. Company structure and mindset as a barrier to innovation. Failure as investment?
The small dream big. Young entrepreneurship and specialised daughter companies as “carriers of innovation”?
A common language for science and business. Do we still need a translator? Brokers of innovation, clusters, standards of co-operation between universities and companies

Big Data – a challenge for business

Data, information, knowledge – their potential and threats in the modern economy
Big data sets – how to process and apply them?
Mass information as an economic strength. Example applications – today. Prospects and opportunities – tomorrow
Open public data. Opportunities and issues

New consumers, a new economy

New trends relevant to the economy: disillusionment with the style of state governance and business management, the wellness culture, interest in ecology
Surplus economy challenged by the sharing economy. The precariat and the young generation reinterpret the concepts of work, income and stability
New lifestyles defining the areas of potential growth and new threats for the economy
Purchasing technology. Current trends in e-commerce. How to tap their potential for growth
Awareness and stereotypes concerning commerce and the market
Know your customer. Consumer behaviour models and their variability

E-commerce: smartphones and Big Data deal the cards

Top 10 trends on the online sales market
Analytics at the service of e-commerce
Integrating mobile payments and loyalty schemes
Logistics as a key ingredient of e-commerce success

E-citizens in the e-office

The information society and computerising offices
Changes in the way offices work – how business and technology can help
Cities opening their public data, the uniform control file, mobile documents
The Integrated State Computerisation Plan until 2020

Cybersecurity

Types of threats and their potential repercussions
Everyone is at risk – corporations, institutions and small companies are under threat
How to minimise risks? Prevention, ad hoc measures, consequence mitigation

Drones – technology for the people and the economy

Regulate and make available. The European Commission’s work on setting the conditions for the use of air space for commercial (and private) drone applications
Drones as part of everyday life? The vision of the future, the implementation of... today
The economic potential of “unmanned aerial vehicles”
A specialisation in flying? European ambitions and the development of drone technologies and applications
The Polish drone market. Outlooks, potential, plans

Space industry as a carrier of innovation

The value and prospects of the space industry in Poland and Europe
Activities, requirements and plans of the European Space Agency
The space industry as a pillar of the innovation economy in Poland?
The “Support Programme for Space Technologies in Poland” – the role of the administration and government agencies
Incubators, start-ups and acceleration programs – young entrepreneurship and the space industry
Together we can tap the space boom – consortia and co-operation

Electromobility and the automotive industry

Electromobility as a common goal of various activities and a field of relations between businesses and administration
Does it make sense? A limited domestic demand. A struggle to change the structure of car traffic
A chance for the Polish co-operative “hub” of the automotive industry (B+R, component design)
A technological revolution in the automotive industry as an incentive for young innovative companies
A potential place for Polish companies in final co-production (e.g. electrical engines, powertrains, batteries, components and equipment)
The e-Bus programme in the Strategy for Sustainable Development – a dream turned into reality
The “Polish electrical bus” project – the 2025 development framework. State aid (incentives for local governments to purchase e-buses), grants for research and development

Electromobility and electrical energy

The Polish electromobility programme (premises, objectives, implementation plan) in the context of European and global trends
Postulates of the energy sector, new power supplies – forecasts of increased energy demand
Necessary infrastructural investments – development of transmission grids, a network of charging stations
The logistics of electromobility and local government and transport policy in the communes
The fuel sector – losses and compensation, or involvement in the process (pilot eV charging stations)
Electromobility and the development of alternative fuels (LNG/CNG, hydrogen)

Global economic co-operation

China - Central Europe Economic Co-operation Forum

4th Forum of Economic Co-operation between Africa and Central Europe

Japan Economic Forum

Kazakhstan Economic Meetings

Poland - Vietnam Economic Meetings

Poland - Israel Economic Meetings

What next in the East? Economy in the shadow of politics

Economic prospects in an adverse political environment. Prospects, scenarios, riddles
Embargoes and prohibitions – a catalogue of restrictions. In search of an alternative: viable possibilities, a correction to business strategies
Examples of economic activities and strategies immune to political upheavals
Actual risk level versus stereotypes and irrational fears
Belarus – a promising destination for exports. Will economic pragmatism prevail?
Business first, politics second. Economy at the vanguard of normalisation

Global economic agreements or regional and national protectionism?

Regulatory instruments of competition in the global economy
Protectionism as a dominant trend. Outcomes for the free market
The fiasco of global free trade agreements with the US. What do we have instead?
A free market economy for China? When and under what conditions?
Dumping and the efficiency of the EU’s anti-dumping procedures
CETA – first experiences, current fears
The US in a new role – an overhaul of economic and political doctrine

The New Silk Road and Central Europe

The New Silk Road and the idea of One Belt-One Road. The evolution of the project through the meetings and agreements of 2016
Under the “political umbrella”: business agreements, logistics and market development contracts and their implementation
Opportunities and benefits for Central Europe and Poland – an increased number of railway connections with China, transport and loading services
Attempts at activating land-based exports – to China and other countries along the Road

The future of economic co-operation between Europe and the US

If not TTIP, then what? The current climate for transatlantic economic relations
The new role of the US in the world and in the economy. What are the emerging threats and opportunities (e.g. from the US giving up certain activities)?
What will TTIP leave behind? The work of negotiators and the experience of negotiation
Bilateral economic relations between the US and European countries – intensity and prospects
Economic relations between Poland and the US: yesterday, today and tomorrow. What changes should we expect?

Investment, foreign expansion

Investment conditions – a debate among entrepreneurs

When does the entrepreneur invest? – a survey of key conditions
Stimuli and barriers – selected incentives and deterrents. Such is life, or a handful of examples
What are the limits of “reasonable risk”? Calculations, projections and a decision-making process

Polish investments around the world – ambitions and outcomes

Achievements of state-owned enterprises and private investors as verified by investments’ profitability
New political context at home and in the world. Consequences for various industries (copper and other raw materials, oil, upstream, chemicals)
What are the current risks and opportunities? Where should we reassess our plans, including disinvestments?
Common features of investments that have proved profitable and immune to political upheavals around the world

Polish brands in the world

Producing under a foreign banner – lack of brands as a weakness of the Polish economy
Why can’t we create brands? What is the missing ingredient – competence, money, time?
Alternative brands. Start-ups yesterday, brands today?
New technologies as an area of rapid brand creation
Role of the media and the economies of scale. Lower cost barriers, rapid outcomes

Foreign investments in Central Europe

Foreign investors do not give up in hard times. Investment appeal of Central European countries
Incentives and requirements. How are foreign investors treated in the V4 countries?
Pro-investment state policy – a point of view of investors
Valuable, desired, attracted investments – the state’s point of view

The future of the BPO/SSC sector in Poland and Europe

Development of the business services sector in Poland and across Europe. Rising centres and development directions
A new challenge – human resources. Required skills and their availability. How to manage limited resources
Have human resources become a barrier to growth? New locations mean new employees
Reserves in the labour market? Role of recruitment, training and motivation
Infrastructure and commercial real estate versus sector expectations
Where is the BPO/SSC sector heading? The latest trends, internal evolution of industries, process automation

Economic diplomacy – a new opening?

Economy with political support – premises, practice, possibilities
A model of integrated support for national companies embarking on foreign expansion
Is there strength in unity? Benefits according to business
Support means understanding. A role of the dialogue in co-operation between the administration and entrepreneurs

The risks of foreign expansion

Types of risk on remote markets – general and specific features of culture and geography
Restrictions and acceptance. Available risk reduction tools, tested methods. Knowledge, co-operation, diversification
A role of the administration and economic diplomacy in minimising the risk and the consequences of failure
Right in time or a decision to disinvest. Experience as valuable capital
Giving up is not disaster. Should we give it one more try?

Infrastructure, transport, construction

Transport infrastructure in Central Europe and Poland

Recent road and railway investments and their outcomes in specific countries of the region
Is integration far away? National grids and trans-European connections
Disproportions, bottlenecks, blank spots – how to improve the European transportation system
Better together? Joint projects of the countries in the region?
Recent large EU funding for infrastructural investments. Using the best experiences of absorption thus far

Infrastructural investment – a new opening

Delays in railway transport. The risk of accumulating work and expenses, as well as failing to use the entire budget under the framework of the National Railways Programme
Road investments – money and time. Discrepancies between estimates, time pressure
What’s new in the Public Procurement Act. Less importance accorded to the price vs. tenders’ results
Dialogue between the Ministry of Infrastructure and Construction (MIB), the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways (GDDKiA), and Polish railway company PKP PLK and the construction market – soon to be tested

Public procurement

The new public procurement law in practice
Restrictions, a move away from the lowest-price criterion, social clauses – what is missing?
Examples of unfair competition, an issue for local governments and investors

Polish ports on the rise

A boom in maritime transportation and its impact on the activity of Polish ports. Alliances between container ship owners
Year 2016 – new loading records in Polish seaports. Sources of success
Completed and planned investments in ports (agro products, gas, liquid fuels). Break bulk cargo in containers. A competitive offer for loading and unloading services
Improving access to ports. Changes in the Central European road and the rail infrastructure and the activity of sea ports
Polish ports and private operators in competition for transit commodities. Assets and obstacles
The role of Polish seaports in Polish foreign trade and increasing energy security
The “Ports 24” programme. What else remains to be done before our ports can achieve Western standards?

Domestic cargo transport market

The rail cargo transport market in Poland. Evolution and competition
The European ambitions of Polish carriers and forwarders
Development and integration, i.e. the logistical base and transportation infrastructure
Air cargo – untapped potential

Water routes in Poland and Europe

Phase and timetable of state plans for the development of inland waterways in Poland for 2016-2020, with a perspective leading up to 2030. Polish ambitions against the background of other European countries
Key investments: modernising the Oder Waterway and the Vistula Waterway, building the Silesian Canal and the Koźle-Ostrava connection
Opportunities for internationalising Polish inland routes – interests of neighbours in co-operation and co-ordination of investment plans
Business and inland investments (participation, cascade hydropower plants, anti-flood protection)
Potential of the land infrastructure for supporting inland transportation (development plans for river ports; their communication with road, rail and air transportation)
Shipyards and fleet production. Carriers and forwarders on the market and their capabilities

Foreign expansion of Polish construction

Achievements and experiences of Polish companies building in European markets. Our competitive advantages
Comprehensive offers win – the necessity to co-operate and create consortia
Building abroad and the state’s support for Polish exports. The role of economic diplomacy and the finance and insurance sector

Residential construction in Poland

The Polish housing market – the current situation. Permanent features of the market and its specificity
Regional diversification. Economic, social and demographic determinants
A continuing boom or a slowdown? Supply of the developer housing offer and the Polish people’s resources and loans
How can we stimulate development after the end of the “Housing for the Young” subsidy programme? “Housing Plus” and its potential impact on the market
Contractor sector – potential and specialisation on the construction market

Housing Plus” Programme

The law concerning the programme for building affordable housing facilities to rent. Objectives, premises, implementation tools
Expected outcomes: social mobility, quality of life, demography and settlement structure, the job market
The impact of the Programme on the shape of the housing market in Poland and the boom in construction
Housing Plus” and the rental market. A response from developers and private owners
The National Housing Fund. The issue of land acquisition. The role of local governments

Attractive airports. Related investments

Development of regional airports – successful and less successful projects
A place that attracts, develops, enlivens. The airport as a phenomenon on the business and investment map
Airport facilities in a phase of intense development: cargo infrastructure, airport services, connections with the region, co-operating companies
New airport-related investments – hotels, conference centres and office buildings

General Aviation – the potential of Central Europe

Businesses want to fly. Opportunities for the development of the GA sector. Current needs, fleet, human resources
The current state of the airport infrastructure – potential of smaller airports. Development opportunities – who can benefit?
User-friendly regulations? How to change laws to promote the growth of air traffic

Local governments and municipal engineering

Local governments and businesses – a partnership of convenience

Preferable directions for the development of co-operation between local governments and representatives of science and business
Investments that bring benefits to businesses and the community alike
Joint initiatives of local governments and the business sector: PPP – good practices in Poland (concessions, revitalization, service privatisation, local currency)
Experiences and models worth popularising. Instructive failures
Local bureaucracy as a deterrent for entrepreneurs
Can businesses help local governments address social challenges?

The future of PPP in Poland

Government measures to develop PPP projects. Promotion, strategy, long-term policy
Inadequate preparation of the public sector for PPP? Facts and myths
PPP in the EU financial framework for 2014-2020 and hybrid PPP – a chance for a new opening?
PPP comparison – an innovative tool to assess enterprise potential

Active investors in Polish towns and cities

How investors change the face of Polish towns and cities. Necessary tools: imagination, audacity and money
Local government and capital, or effective partnership in practice. Models of relations, transparency, responsibility
Informed spatial management for people. The role of creative architects and urban planners
How businesses make profit, how the town benefits. The image is priceless. Good practices worth spreading

Successful revitalisation in practice

Neither renovation, nor upgrade. What does real revitalisation mean?
Private capital endows (devastated, post-industrial) space with new functions. Socially and economically active entrepreneurship
The role of monument conservators, local governments, administration – relations with investors. Public resources?
What does successful revitalisation involve? The most interesting case studies and attempts at a generalisation
Benefits for the town, its residents and the investor. Returns on invested capital, image and prestige

Free space. Idea and co-operation

Redundant” spaces in towns – post-industrial, devastated, unattractive. The scale of the phenomenon, its costs and burdens
Local government policy with respect to unwanted areas. The role of spatial planning plans
Sale or partnership? How to collaborate efficiently on untypical projects. Transparency, communication, responsibility
Investors with a vision – examples of developing parcels seemingly without a future

Culture and municipal development

The quality of life as a parameter of transformation in urban centres
Soft” pro-development elements (cultural offer, leisure and entertainment, education, mobility, accessibility, attractive public space) and their impact on the development of regions, towns and the economy
Attractive location as a component of business and investment offers. The fashionability and image of towns and cities
An environment friendly to creative industries. Traditional versus modern or inspiring confrontations. Freedom, diversity and tolerance
Preferences of younger workers who appreciate the balance between work and private life

Sports, business, infrastructure

How to use the sports infrastructure. Stadiums after the Euro Championships – still a problem and a burden?
Large sports arenas and stadiums – the art of managing the sports infrastructure. Foreign and domestic experiences
Who has ideas and who has the money? In search of a sponsor. The state? The commune? The business sector?
Sport as a common interest and promotional tool for regions and towns. The leisure industry as a mainspring of development
Health and lifestyle. Business and advertising. The long-term role of sports and physical culture in society

Public transportation

Efficient, comfortable, clean and cheap? The ideal public transportation system and its universal features
Public transportation as an element of enhancing the quality of life in Polish towns, and giving a competitive edge to towns and regions
Automation of public transportation, electromobility
Prosumers in transportation, sharing economy – a remedy for the transportation issues of contemporary towns and cities

Circular economy

Communal waste and the economy. The assessment of current waste management law
A world without waste. The idea of a “circular economy” and the associated practical challenges
A need to verify the quantity and type of waste processing installations. Have billions invested in incinerators gone down the drain?
Using waste in the energy sector and the cement industry, and also in the chemical industry (e.g. the recycling of plastic)
Knowledge and awareness. How to create a fashion for effective waste sorting
New jobs, new investments, new innovations: circularity at the service of the economy

Real property market

Commercial real property in Europe and Poland

Brexit, the “Trump effect”, and the crisis of the European Union. How does the current geopolitical situation influence the investment climate in the commercial real property sector?
Alternatives to London: Warsaw, Prague or Frankfurt perhaps?
A revolution in real property? What determines the place of Poland on the European map of commercial real property investments
Real property that attracts investors: shopping malls, offices, hotels, warehouses. Or maybe student dormitories and senior homes?

REITs in Poland – how to make profit from commercial real property

Opportunities for small investors. How do REITs work around the world?
A developer’s point of view – will the real property market shift up to the sixth gear?
A pension plan? REITs encourage saving

Finances and the law

A savings culture

A habit of saving? How to build social security based on private resources
To save, but how? To invest, but in what? Risk and stability. The dilemmas of the thrifty
Polish money drives the economy – the growth potential of private pockets

Financial market for the economy

Money for economic growth – needs and sources
The stock market capital. Investment funds. Alternatives?
Re-Polonising the financial sector. What will the impact on capital availability be?
The stability and future of the capital market

Optimal taxation

Directions for optimisation of the tax system
Just and efficient collection – easier said than done
Simplicity, transparency, unambiguous interpretation – a system friendly to the taxpayer and the entrepreneur
VAT – a never-ending problem? The European scale of pathology. Efficient methods of addressing the issue
Taxation and public finance. A tax system to stimulate growth

Funding investment and EU funds

The implementation stage of investments co-funded from EU resources. Changes in the new financial framework
EU funds for infrastructural investments in the 2014-2020 framework. How to put them to best use?
Issuing bonds or taking out a loan from EIB? Effective ways to acquire resources
Investors as a source of capital and ideas: models and partnership examples
EU feedback instruments
What to expect after 2020?

Business-friendly law

The quality of law and its impact on economic activity
The instability of regulations and multiple interpretations as a source of costs for companies
An efficient justice system – what changes do entrepreneurs expect?
Preference packages. Will businesses trust politicians? The role of a dialogue with the representatives of the community

Food market

Local companies go global

Large Polish food companies on the edge of key decisions – will they be forced by a generational change and succession?
Consolidation and scale. Dilemmas of co-operation
The Polish food industry – technologically advanced and ready for change
Growth stimulators for Polish food companies: financing, promotional funds
Legal, economic and political barriers to business growth and expansion

Exporting Polish food in the new global economic reality

CETA, TTIP, TTP – what is the future of the global free trade agreements?
Asia, Africa, South America: opportunities for Polish producers
The foreign expansion of Polish exporters – global political and economic determinants
Consumer nationalism” in the EU and the dynamics of exports
Better together. Consolidating and creating exporting consortia

Healthcare

Development of the pharmaceutical industry in Central Europe

Socially sensitive businesses? Company strategies, co-operation with the administration, responsibility and image
Competing under the pressure of politics. The role of regulations and the financing of healthcare systems
The pharmaceutical industry as a carrier of innovation. The role of the research and development sector.