Where competitive advantage takes shape

Where competitive advantage takes shape

18 June 2026, 09:00-16:00 Swiss Re Centre for Global Dialogue, Rüschlikon, Zurich

Why attend the 2026 summit?

How to drive competitiveness in a rapidly changing global economy

  • Priority access to 2026 World Competitiveness Ranking data​
  • Opportunities for direct engagement with international economic leaders and policymakers​
  • Strategic connections with C-suite executives from various sectors​
  • Valuable insights to guide competitive strategies and policy-making decisions​

The IMD World Competitiveness Summit is an exclusive annual forum coinciding with the release of the 2026 IMD World Competitiveness Ranking, hosted by the institution that sets the global standard for competitiveness assessment and leadership education.  

Anchored by IMD’s World Competitiveness Center, our experts convene senior government officials, enterprise leaders, and strategic thinkers to address the pressing challenges and emerging opportunities that determine which nations and organizations thrive.  

In an environment where adaptability and strategic foresight matter more than ever, the summit explores what drives sustainable prosperity through evidence-based analysis, real-world insight, and bold ideas. Success in an uncertain future requires understanding the competitive dynamics of today.  

Summit schedule – Thursday, 18 June 2026

08:00

09:00

David Bach, IMD President & Nestlé Professor of Strategy and Political Economy

09:15

09:30

Session lead: Stephen Carroll, television and radio journalist, Bloomberg

10:00

As a handful of hyperscaler companies and economies are leading the AI revolution, how can those outside the AI superpowers remain competitive and prevent a new digital divide?

Impulse talk

HE Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, UAE

Panelists:

Qing Wang, Non-Resident Honorary Fellow on Chinese Society at the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis
Catrin Hinkel, Corporate Vice President and CEO, Microsoft Switzerland
Joël Mesot, President, ETH Zürich

Expert lead: Sylvain Duranton, Managing Director and Senior Partner, Global Leader of BCG X
(and member of BCG’s Executive Committee)

10:35

As labor markets globalize and talent follows both money and technology, what can economies do to maintain their human capital edge in the age of AI? What is the role of human intelligence as AI adoption proliferates?

Panelists:

Esther Roman, Group Chief Human Resources Officer, Helvetia
Veronique Rodoni, Group Senior Vice President Human Resources Akkodis, the Adecco Group
Nicole Pieterse, Chief People Officer, Swiss Re
Stefan Seiler, Head Group Human Resources & Corporate Services, UBS

Moderator: Christin Severin, Business Editor, Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ)

11:05

As investment is increasingly concentrated in a few global markets, how can the rest of the world regain its competitiveness in capital markets?

Impulse talk

Bruno Le Maire, Visiting professor, Enterprise for Society and former French Minister of Economy and Finance

Panelists:

Robert W Staiger, WTO Chief Economist and Director of the Economic Research and Statistics Division (ERSD)
Mark Schneider, Board member, Siemens and Roche
Marni McManus, Citi Country Officer and Head of Banking for Switzerland, Monaco, and Liechtenstein
Lars Kramer, Group Chief Financial Officer, First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB)

Moderator:  Stephen Carroll, Television and radio journalist, Bloomberg

11:40

11:55

Digital connectivity, energy security, and data governance have joined physical assets as foundations of national competitiveness. Which matters most now, and how can economies adapt?

Impulse talk

Eiman Bin Habbas Al-Mutairi, Vice-Minister of Commerce, CEO National Competitiveness Center, Saudi Arabia

Panelists:

Maxine Ghavi, Executive Vice President and Region Head for Europe at Hitachi Energy
Virginie Darbo, Group Head of Strategy and M&A, Holcim

Moderator: Peter Vanham, Editor-in-Chief at The Cercle, business writer, and media strategist

12:30

Introducing and framing the thematic sessions

Matthias Tauber, Managing Director and Senior Partner, Head of BCG for Europe, the Middle East, South America, and Africa

12:40

As the formula of competitiveness changes, and geopolitics, technology, and policies shift, what can companies do to stay on top – and how does it impact the economies in which they operate?

Panelists:

Andreas Berger, Group CEO, Swiss Re
Lars Sandahl Sørensen, CEO, Danish Industry
Fred Hu, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Primavera Capital Group
Hajar Alafifi, CEO of OCP Africa

Expert lead: David Bach, IMD President & Nestlé Professor of Strategy and Political Economy

13:15

14:45

Resilience

Power

Examining the factors driving talent formation and workforce adaptation as the principal engine of economic prosperity.

Speakers:

Bettina Schaller, Head of Group Public Affairs, Adecco Group and President, World Employment Confederation
El Iza Mohamedou, Head of the OECD Centre for Skills
Lamberto Frescobaldi, President, Marchesi Frescobaldi

Session lead: Misiek Piskorski, Professor of Digital Strategy, Analytics and Innovation and Dean of Executive Education, IMD

Balance

As the world becomes more fragmented and contested, has the formula for improving competitiveness changed? Do economies, especially so-called “middle powers” and emerging markets, need to return to industrial policy to get or stay ahead? Or does the answer lie in more regional ties and integration as full-blown globalization retreats?

Speakers:

Hajar Alafifi, CEO, OCP Africa
HE Mridul Kumar, Ambassador of India to Switzerland
Thomas Schmidheiny, Honorary Chairman Holcim
Mariam Al Afridi, Executive Director, The Office of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE

Session lead: Simon J Evenett, Professor of Geopolitics and Strategy, IMD

16:00

Summit speakers
Steve Szu-Wei Wang - IMD Business School
Steve Szu-Wei Wang

Representative of the Taipei Cultural and Economic Delegation in Switzerland

Accommodation recommendations

The summit will be held at the Swiss Re Centre for Global Dialogue Swiss, Gheistrasse 37, CH-8803 Rüschlikon, Zurich, Switzerland.

View hotels near the Swiss Re Centre for Global Dialogue
Hotel Belvoir - IMD Business School

To reserve, you can contact:

Summit partners

202600506-WCS-Pardot-banner-600X150 - IMD Business School - IMD Business School