The 1995 EU-Türkiye Customs Union transformed bilateral trade, but in an era of digital commerce, climate urgency, and global disruptions, it is no longer sufficient. As the Customs Union approaches its 30th anniversary at the end of this year, the need for a forward-looking renewal has become more pressing than ever. This panel will unpack the strategic imperative to modernise the Customs Union- integrating services, e-commerce, public procurement, and dispute resolution mechanisms. In addition to these sectoral expansions, modernisation efforts must also address new fundamentals shaping 21st-century trade, notably the green and digital transitions. By addressing technical barriers and regulatory misalignments, panellists will explore how a new trade blueprint can create a more resilient and competitive economic corridor between Türkiye and the EU, fostering deeper value chain integration and innovation-led growth.

Türkiye's growing role in digital innovation, bolstered by its participation in the EU's Digital Europe Programme, opens doors to unprecedented collaboration. This session will spotlight joint strategies in artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, and smart governance. Experts will assess how Türkiye and the EU can co-invest in digital ecosystems, reduce the digital divide, and shape global tech standards together - positioning themselves as agile leaders in the digital economy while strengthening democratic digital governance.

In an era of evolving security challenges and shifting geopolitical dynamics, EU-Türkiye cooperation in defence and security stands at a pivotal moment. Türkiye’s strategic location, NATO membership, and growing defence capabilities position it as a valuable partner in addressing shared threats and enhancing regional stability.

This session will explore opportunities for deepening collaboration across areas such as defence industry partnerships, counterterrorism, cyber resilience, and military mobility. At the same time, it will consider existing political and institutional challenges that require careful navigation.

By fostering an open and pragmatic dialogue, the panel aims to chart a constructive path forward - one that balances mutual interests and promotes stronger, more coordinated security cooperation in an increasingly complex environment.

The EU Green Deal and Türkiye’s new Emissions Trading System signal a shared commitment to a low-carbon future. At the heart of this transformation lies energy - how it is produced, traded, and integrated across borders. This session will explore opportunities for EU-Türkiye cooperation in renewables, clean hydrogen, grid integration, and the sustainable sourcing of critical raw materials essential for the green transition.

As Europe and Türkiye reshape their energy landscapes, aligning policy, investment, and innovation will be key to unlocking new growth. The discussion will outline a shared vision for resilient supply chains, competitive industries, and secure, sustainable energy systems. By linking resources to technology, and markets to climate ambition, the session will highlight how a deeper EU-Türkiye partnership can power both regions toward a greener, stronger, and more connected future.

Türkiye is already a hub for automotive manufacturing- but the electric and autonomous vehicle revolution demands new models of cooperation. This panel brings together mobility leaders and policymakers to discuss co-investment in battery production, software integration, and sustainable logistics. With the EU setting ambitious emission targets and Türkiye investing in local EV brands and infrastructure, this discussion will spotlight how joint ventures and regulatory alignment can drive the future of clean, connected transportation.

Meeting Europe’s most pressing priorities - from innovation and security to productivity and technology - depends on the joint contributions of the public and private sectors. Each brings distinct capabilities essential to driving these transformations. Yet despite this shared mission, cooperation often falls short of its full potential. More systematically involving businesses in the policymaking process would strengthen the impact of Europe’s industrial and innovation agenda. Within this shared mission, there is a significant opportunity to deepen collaboration and ensure it delivers its full potential - to the benefit of Europe’s economy and its citizens.

An evidence-based dialogue can unlock synergies between public and private actors, strengthening the impact of Europe’s industrial and innovation agenda. Firm-level data provides a valuable reality check on how effectively Europe’s policies foster competitiveness and innovation. For example, how many European firms feature among the global top 100? How many startups manage to scale? What role do leading European companies play in driving productivity, investment, R&D, and employment? These insights can help assess Europe’s performance and identify practical ways forward.

The discussion will explore how EU policymaking can evolve to better measure and enable the performance of Europe’s corporate sector, ensuring that public and private efforts reinforce one another in advancing sustainable growth and resilience.

Europe’s workforce is undergoing profound demographic transformation, driven by ageing populations, declining birth rates, and changing migration patterns. These shifts are deepening skills shortages and mismatches while widening disparities in labour market participation across regions and social groups. Strengthening Europe’s human capital has become an urgent priority. Investing in skills, education, and lifelong learning is essential to ensure access to quality jobs and to equip people to adapt to technological, social, and demographic change. Inclusion plays a central role in this effort: empowering women, young people, older adults, migrants, and persons with disabilities to participate fully in the workforce is vital for both fairness and economic resilience. Europe must therefore advance a Union of Skills, promoting upskilling and reskilling, vocational education, and skills mobility, while ensuring that opportunities are inclusive and future-oriented. Building a skilled, adaptable, and diverse workforce is key to sustaining Europe’s competitiveness, innovation, and social cohesion in the face of demographic change.

In today’s volatile geopolitical landscape, cyberattacks have become a core instrument of hybrid warfare and economic disruption. From critical infrastructure to supply chains and government systems, European organisations face a constant test of their resilience. This session will explore how Red Teaming (the simulation of sophisticated, real-world cyberattacks) has become an essential strategic tool to anticipate, withstand, and respond to emerging threats. Beyond compliance or routine testing, Red Teaming exposes the true readiness of people, processes, and technology under pressure.

Drawing on real European experiences, the discussion will illustrate how organisations integrate Red and Blue Team collaboration to build continuous defence improvement, and how a sovereign European SOC can ensure trusted, data-sovereign monitoring and response capabilities. In a time where digital sovereignty is synonymous with national security, Red Teaming is Europe’s frontline in cyber defence.

Europe’s ability to stay globally competitive relies on the strength and resilience of its energy sector. As the world shifts toward cleaner and more secure systems, the EU must lead, not only through next-generation technologies, but by strengthening supply chains, industrial capacity, and its strategic response to growing global competition. This transition also demands a workforce equipped for change. Evolving technologies are reshaping skills across the energy value chain. Investing in education, training, and regional development will be key to ensuring all sectors and communities benefit.

This session will explore how Europe can build a more competitive, innovative, and inclusive energy sector. By aligning its green agenda with competitiveness—through green finance, technology diplomacy, and global partnerships—the EU can turn the energy transition into a driver of growth, jobs, and influence.

Europe’s startups and scale-ups generate world-class ideas, yet expanding across borders remains challenging due to complex and fragmented regulation. In a time when both simplification and trust are crucial, this panel will explore how streamlining and clarifying regulations can empower innovation—creating a regulatory environment that supports growth.

The discussion will focus on how the EU can build a coherent, future-ready regulatory framework characterised by legal certainty, credibility, and predictability. Such an environment is essential to foster business confidence, encourage investment, and enable innovators to plan for long-term success. How can Europe transform regulatory complexity into a competitive advantage? And what steps are needed to design a flexible framework that evolves with innovation rather than obstructing it?

The panel will also touch upon initiatives like the European Commission’s proposed Omnibus directives and the forthcoming European Innovation Act, which aim to simplify and harmonise the regulatory landscape, making it easier for innovative companies’ startups and scale-ups to thrive across Europe. Importantly, it will consider how research and innovation policy can contribute to shaping smarter, innovation-friendly rules, ensuring Europe’s regulatory environment not only keeps pace with scientific and technological advances but actively drives them and helps to turn them into commercially successful products and services.

The discussion will focus on the often overlooked psychological and workplace impact of infertility, a challenge affecting one in six people worldwide. I will examine how businesses can better support employees undergoing fertility treatments, improving well-being and retention while addressing broader demographic and labour challenges in Europe. The session will also unveil a new Ferring report, developed by Ferring as a champion of the UNFPA Coalition for Reproductive Justice in Brussels, outlining the business and human case for action.

As Europe accelerates its digital transition, the resilience of its financial infrastructure has become a cornerstone of economic competitiveness and security. The payments ecosystem - connecting consumers, businesses, and governments across borders - is a driver of innovation,  and ensuring the trust, stability, and security of this ecosystem is vital to achieving Europe’s broader priorities.

The fireside chat will explore how resilience - across infrastructure, cybersecurity and fraud prevention-underpins not only business continuity but also public confidence and Europe’s global competitiveness. It will examine how resilience in digital payments and beyond is the foundation of any economic competitiveness, technological leadership, and security - and how it aligns with Europe’s strategic priorities for a strong, innovative, and trusted digital economy.

As Europe intensifies its energy transition, the need for secure, affordable, and sustainable energy solutions has become increasingly urgent. Recent geopolitical developments have revealed the fragility of energy supply chains, underscoring the importance of diversifying sources and reducing dependency on imports.

Against this backdrop, biomethane is attracting renewed interest as a complementary renewable energy source. Working alongside renewable electricity and hydrogen, it can strengthen the resilience and balance of the energy mix. The discussion will focus on exploring the relevance, scalability, and strategic role of biomethane in today’s energy landscape, particularly in light of geopolitical challenges.

Europe stands at a crossroads in the digital race. Despite strong research and a solid regulatory base, fragmented markets, high energy costs, talent shortages, and complex rules slow the adoption of AI, quantum computing, and cloud. SMEs, key engines of innovation and jobs, often lack the scale and investment to compete globally.

Meanwhile, AI leaders abroad are advancing rapidly, and Europe still lacks a strong home-grown competitor. With €1.3 billion committed to “strategic” AI technologies and growing pressure for simplification, the challenge is to shift from policy design to effective implementation, boosting innovation while safeguarding rights and values.

This session will examine how the EU can accelerate AI adoption, scale startups and SMEs, and strengthen the Digital Single Market. The debate will also highlight the need for investment and talent to secure long-term leadership, keeping sustainability and inclusivity at the core.

The decarbonisation of Europe’s transport sector has largely focused on passenger cars, but heavy-duty vehicles—trucks, buses, and freight haulers—pose one of the toughest challenges to the EU’s green ambitions. Dependent on diesel, complex logistics and cross‑border refuelling, they face debates over electrification versus hydrogen or synthetic fuels, cost burdens and uneven infrastructure readiness. Proposed CO₂ standards, road‑user charges and low‑emission zones risk industry pushback, freight diversion to non‑EU routes or “carbon leakage” into rail and maritime modes.

This panel will ask: What’s the fastest, most cost‑effective route to zero‑emission trucks—battery electric, hydrogen fuel cells, or synthetic fuels—and who pays for the required charging and refuelling networks? How can we design CO₂ standards, road‑user charges, and low‑emission zones that drive change without triggering carbon leakage or freight diversion? And what role should public‑private partnerships, cross‑border agreements, and EU funding play in ensuring that clean heavy vehicles become a core pillar—not an afterthought—of Europe’s green agenda?

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged to put research and innovation at the heart of the EU economy last year and the Mario Draghi report on EU competitiveness warned that Europe risks focusing too much on the industries of the past, whilst global competitors surge ahead in high-tech sectors. To keep pace, how can Europe step up its investment in cutting-edge research and spur innovation?

With the “Choose Europe for Science” initiative, the EU more than ever aspires to be a hub for the best scientists globally, also attracting those from abroad.

By spotlighting the transformative power of science, the ERC session at the EBS will gather leaders in a conversation on the role of research and innovation as the bedrock of Europe’s competitiveness and resilience in a rapidly changing world.

As Europe accelerates its energy transition, the question of how to remain globally competitive has become more urgent than ever. This lunch will discuss the policies, investments, and structural changes needed to secure a resilient, affordable, and sustainable energy system. The conversation will examine Europe’s strategic choices, the implications for businesses and citizens, and the opportunities emerging from a forward-looking energy model that strengthens competitiveness while advancing the green transition.

Ukraine’s partnership with the EU can become a catalyst for a more secure, innovative, and competitive Europe. This session spotlights agrifood cooperation amid supply shocks, climate disruptions, and shifting geopolitics showing how resilient value chains and smart regulation can strengthen European strategic autonomy.

The discussion will showcase practical, win-win projects linking Ukrainian producers and EU markets, with a focus on climate-smart agriculture, carbon farming, and data-driven innovation. It will also explore cross-sector synergies from energy efficiency to dual-use technologies that lift productivity and reduce risk.

By aligning recovery with the green transition and industrial renewal, participants will examine how Ukraine can co-architect Europe’s bioeconomy: scaling sustainable outputs, crowding in private finance, and fostering technology collaboration. The goal is clear  to translate cooperation into competitive advantage, shared prosperity, and long-term resilience.

Europe’s circular economy is becoming a key element of competitiveness, resource independence, and industrial renewal. As the continent raises recycling targets and increases demand for critical raw materials, it faces important challenges linked to the global effects of these shifts.

This panel will delve into how closing policy gaps, improving supply chain transparency, and fostering equitable partnerships can help create a circular economy that delivers shared value, technological collaboration, and accountability across borders. By addressing these issues head-on, we can ensure that Europe’s circular transition is not only efficient and economically robust but also fair and sustainable on a global scale.

Through dialogue and innovative approaches, this discussion aims to advance practical solutions that balance industrial growth with the ultimate goal to build resilient supply chains and foster cooperation. 

In an era marked by geopolitical uncertainty, rapid technological advancement, and shifting trade dynamics, the European Union faces an unprecedented challenge in how to safeguards the block’s economic strength and strategic autonomy. This panel will delve into how the EU can maintain competitiveness amid global turbulence—ranging from energy instability, supply chain disruptions, and escalating global rivalries.

The session aims to explore what tools are needed to reinforce Europe's position in global trade, reduce dependencies on volatile partners, and adapt industrial and trade policy to a rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape. The session aims to uncover actionable insights for policymakers and business leaders striving to ensure EU can remain resilient, united, and economically strong in the face of intensifying global instability.

The EU’s 2025 Vision for Agriculture sets a new direction, aiming to attract a new generation of farmers and strengthen environmental outcomes. With over half of European farmers aged 55 or older and only 12% under 40, generational renewal is critical. At the same time, sustainable intensification - through eco-schemes, biopesticide fast-tracking, carbon farming, and methane-reducing feed - is gaining traction as a way to meet climate goals without compromising productivity.

Trade pressures and climate risks continue to challenge resilience and competitiveness. Aligning import standards with EU sustainability rules, improving land access, and expanding digital innovation are essential steps toward a greener, smarter, and more secure agricultural future. This panel will explore how these priorities can be aligned to create a future-ready EU farming sector.

The European Commission’s new Water Resilience Initiative aims to protect and restore Europe’s water systems— protecting Europe’s water for a sustainable, resilient, smart, and competitive water economy in the bloc. However, now it also needs to address increasing pressures from climate change, pollution, ageing infrastructure, and growing industrial demand. As the EU seeks to ensure sustainable and equitable access to water, the strategy opens a critical conversation about how to modernise infrastructure, encourage innovation, and better coordinate across regions and sectors.

This panel will take a look at the strategy’s ambitions, strengths, and gaps—from its approach to governance and financing to its integration of nature-based solutions and stakeholder engagement. A particular focus will be on the financial component: how funding mechanisms can be designed or improved to support large-scale investments and incentivise private sector participation in water resilience projects. The session will explore how to strengthen implementation and ensure Europe’s water resilience efforts are both inclusive and future-proof.

Europe’s competitiveness depends on SMEs that can scale across borders with less friction and greater digital capability. This workshop, in cooperation with Amazon, moves beyond rhetoric to show how practical tools from streamlined VAT and EPR compliance to Digital Product Passports and smarter cybersecurity reporting cut red tape and unlock growth.

The session will illustrate how platforms and public–private collaboration boost market access, productivity, and resilience, while highlighting gender-specific barriers and opportunities in digital entrepreneurship.

Participants will explore evidence from recent research and live demonstrations of solutions that simplify administration, expand exports, and build trust. The objective is clear: to translate Europe’s simplification agenda into measurable SME outcomes faster compliance, wider markets, and a stronger, more inclusive single market.

Europe continues to lag behind global tech leaders like the US and China in commercialising breakthrough technologies, particularly AI. Estimates suggest that last year, 50-80% of Chinese companies were already using generative AI, compared to 13.5% of European businesses. The Draghi report identified this gap as a major barrier to improving productivity and long-term competitiveness. The continent is now at a pivotal moment in shaping its digital and economic future as the latest AI legislation comes into force. 
SMEs and startups have a crucial role to play in closing the innovation gap. Their ability to adopt digital assets and create and commercialise AI-driven solutions effectively will be critical to driving Europe’s economic prosperity and strategic autonomy. However, regulatory complexity and shortages in computing power, as well as financial constraints, are cited as some of the challenges companies face. As the urgency to act grows, efforts are focused on collaboration and the development of policies, infrastructure and investment conditions to accelerate AI adoption and scale digital businesses.

In today’s fiercely competitive global economy, Europe’s digital landscape faces unprecedented challenges, where cyberattacks, disruptive technologies, and geopolitical tensions threaten critical infrastructure and economic stability. The financial repercussions of cybercrime are staggering: by 2029, global losses could reach $15.6 trillion, fuelled by rapid digitization and the proliferation of AI-powered attacks. By 2030, with 40 billion connected devices online, the potential entry points for malicious actors will multiply exponentially.

Cyber resilience is now a cornerstone of economic growth. It protects assets, enables digital innovation, and strengthens Europe’s position in the global marketplace. To safeguard Europe’s prosperity, cybersecurity must be viewed not just as a defensive measure to protect and strengthen Europe’s digital sovereignty, but as a driver of trust, innovation, and competitive advantage.

The ability to anticipate, adapt, and respond to threats will define the region’s economic resilience. Organisations must embrace agile, intelligence-led security strategies that evolve in step with technological change and adversary tactics.

Two days after the Berlin Summit on Digital Sovereignty and one day following the Commission’s release of the Digital Omnibus package, Artificial Intelligence stands out as a key driver of Europe’s competitiveness and resilience. The conversation will explore how the EU’s emerging AI framework can be transformed into a true catalyst for innovation, economic investment, and strategic autonomy, , while exploring how these developments can translate into tangible progress for Europe’s digital future.

AI companies in third-countries have taken the world by storm – yet, despite Europe’s strong research foundation, it lacks a home-grown AI competitor. With €1.3 billion committed to developing "strategic" AI technologies and 13 member states advocating for "simplification" and "deregulation" in the digital sector, the challenge now lies not just in policy design, but in effective implementation.

This session will examine how certain measures—such as the AI Act’s “gatekeeper” rules and strict high-risk classifications—might unintentionally hinder startups from scaling. It will also explore how practical tools like regulatory sandboxes, faster certification pathways, and harmonised data governance can support innovation while safeguarding safety and ethics.

Finally, the discussion will connect these issues to the EU’s broader Digital Decade targets—focusing on how to accelerate AI adoption across sectors and ensure that Europe not only regulates but actively enables a competitive and values-driven AI ecosystem.

Military theorist Antoine-Henri Jomini wrote in 1837 that while strategy determines where action should occur, logistics ensures that troops arrive promptly and are positioned effectively. Nonetheless, experts have said that moving troops and armament across EU Member States still remains problematic.

With NATO urging countries to guarantee rapid response times and quicker access to deployment areas, military mobility plays a crucial role, allowing for the swift deployment of military personnel, equipment and supplies. Resolving Europe’s military mobility challenges – including bureaucratic delays, poor infrastructure, low levels of EU-NATO coordination, insufficient action, and unpredictable funding – is paramount. This panel will address how military mobility can become a functional pillar of continental defence and how political will can match strategic necessity to promote Europe’s capacity for self-defence.

2025 has confirmed that defence and security are no longer peripheral issues for the European Union — they are at the heart of Europe’s ability to remain safe, sovereign, and globally influential. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, instability on Europe’s borders, and the exponential rise of drone warfare and hybrid threats have accelerated the need for a comprehensive European defence posture. At the same time, the EU must balance industrial cooperation, strategic autonomy, and transatlantic coordination, ensuring that the Eastern Flank is secure while building cutting-edge capabilities in emerging technologies.  The discussion will explore how Europe can reinforce deterrence on its Eastern Flank, achieve readiness against drone and technological threats, and strengthen its defence industry through cooperation and innovation. The session aims to deliver concrete steps toward a unified European security architecture that ensures both resilience today and sustainability for the future.

The Chairs’ Agenda is closing these European Business summits, advancing parity of perspectives on leadership, an initiative born in Europe.

This high-level session convenes the EU commissioner for Equality, Risk Management and Preparedness and European Chairs as decision-makers to reaffirm our collective commitment to parity in governance and leadership influence from Europe. The Chairs’ Agenda represents a strategic platform for shaping the future of board and institutional leadership. Its mission is to empower female chairs globally, position them as catalysts for sustainable and inclusive leadership, and embed parity as a cornerstone of effective decision-making. Developed in Copenhagen and now endorsed by global ambassadors and their representative female chairs, the initiative reaches over 3 billion people across more than 20 nations. It offers a European, globally nuanced perspective on the evolving role of the chair, addressing critical challenges where geopolitical decisions, societal expectations, and technological transformation converge to redefine leadership imperatives.