Where competitive advantage takes shape
IMD World Competitiveness Summit
Where competitive advantage takes shape
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 policy makers
- Strategic connections with C-suite executives from various sectors
- Valuable insights to guide competitive strategies and policy-making decisions
Where competitive advantage takes shape
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
Arrival
09:00
Opening and presidential welcome
David Bach, IMD President & Nestlé Professor of Strategy and Political Economy
09:15
Keynote: Presentation and insights from the 2026 IMD World Competitiveness Ranking
Arturo Bris, Professor of Finance and Director of the IMD World Competitiveness Center
09:30
Panel: Government representatives of the Top 5 economies
Session lead: Stephen Carroll, Television and radio journalist, Bloomberg
10:00
The Frame: Introducing and framing the thematic sessions
Matthias Tauber, Managing Director and Senior Partner, Head of BCG Europe, Middle East, South America & Africa
10:10
The scramble for AI competitiveness
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?
HE Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications
Qing Wang, Asia Society Fellow, award-winning journalist, podcaster, and social media influencer from China
Jermaine Loy, Managing Director, Singapore Economic Development Board
Expert lead: Sylvain Duranton, Managing Director & Senior Partner, Global Leader, BCG X
10:40
Human capital in the age of AI
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?
Joel Mesot, President of ETH Zurich
Esther Roman, Group Chief Human Resources officer, Helvetia
Veronique Rodoni, Group Senior Vice president, Human Resources, Akkodis Academy
Lamberto Frescobaldi, President, Frescobaldi
Expert lead: Misiek Piskorski, Professor of Digital Strategy, Analytics and Innovation and Dean of Executive Education, IMD
11:10
Break
11:30
Capital Concentration: The new competitive constraint?
As investment is increasingly concentrated in a few global markets, how can the rest of the world regain its competitiveness in capital markets?
Bruno Lemaire, Visiting professor Enterprise for Society, Center and Former Minister of Economy and Finance
Robert W. Staiger, WTO Chief Economist and Director of the Economic Research and Statistics Division (ERSD)
Mark Schneider, Board Member, Siemens and Roche
Moderator: Stephen Carroll, Television and radio journalist, Bloomberg
12:00
Energy, data, and the shifting shape of infrastructure
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?
Eiman Bin Habbas Al-Mutairi, Vice-Minister of Commerce, CEO National Competitiveness Centre
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
The view from the top: decision-making under structural uncertainty
When geopolitical blocs, regulatory regimes, and AI timelines all shift simultaneously, what does leadership actually require?
Andreas Berger, Group Chief Executive Officer, Swiss Re
Hana Al Rostamani, Group CEO, First Abu Dhabi Bank
Fred Hu, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Primavery Capital Group
Hajar Alafifi, CEO of OCP Africa
Expert lead: David Bach, IMD President & Nestlé Professor of Strategy and Political Economy
13:00
Lunch
14:30
Deep dive streams: Resilience, Power, Balance
Resilience
From lean to resilient: How companies can readjust in a volatile world
Exploring how organizations can move beyond efficiency-driven models to build resilience and adapt to sustained uncertainty and disruption.
H.E. Ms. Hanan Mansour Ahli, Managing Director Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre, United Arab Emirates
Eiman Bin Habbas Al-Mutairi, Vice-Minister of Commerce, CEO National Competitiveness Centre Mark Schneider, Board Member, Siemens and Roche
Session Lead : Arturo Bris, Professor of Finance and Director of the IMD World Competitiveness Center
Power
The readiness dividend: How talent formation ensures economic competitive advantage
Examining the factors driving talent formation and workforce adaptation as the principal engine of economic prosperity.
Bettina Schaller, Head of Group Public Affairs, Adecco Group and President, World Emplyoment Confederation
El Iza Mohamedou, Head of the OECD Centre for Skills
Nicole Pieterse, Chief People Officer, Swiss Re
Session Lead: Misiek Piskorski, Professor of Digital Strategy, Analytics and Innovation and Dean of Executive Education, IMD
Balance
The role of middle powers and the Global South within a realigned global order
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?
Jermaine Loy, Managing Director, Economic Development Board, Singapore
H.E. Mridul Kumar, Ambassador of India to Switzerland Hajar Alafifi, CEO of OCP Africa
Session Lead: Simon Evenett, Professor of Geopolitics and Strategy, IMD
16:00
Closing
Featured IMD faculty
The summit will be held at the Swiss Re Centre for Global Dialogue Swiss, Gheistrasse 37, CH-8803 Rüschlikon, Zurich, Switzerland.
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