Coffee & sandwiches. Networking.

• “Tom’s Top Ten Trends for 2027”
• Introduction of The World Ahead 2027 Quiz

What will the global alliance system look like in 2027? A war with Iran has disrupted trade routes; Donald Trump remains in the White House after the midterm elections; Vladimir Putin continues his war against Ukraine — and confrontation with the West; and Europe is struggling to respond to the China shock.

Introduction by Alasdair Ross

Guest of Honour/ Distinguished Keynote Speaker

America’s role is changing. Russia is preparing for a prolonged confrontation with the West. European countries are rapidly rebuilding their military capabilities. But what does European security actually look like in 2027 – and who will ultimately guarantee it?

“Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has pushed the Nordic countries into a new era. Sweden and Finland are now in NATO. Defence, energy, capital, deep tech and critical infrastructure are drawing the region closer together, while new industrial alliances are beginning to emerge. Could “The North” become more than a successful collection of small countries — and emerge as a genuine economic and geopolitical force? Or must the Nordic model first reinvent itself?”

• Interview on stage

Is “The North” becoming an integrated defence-industrial bloc — or do we talk about Nordic co-operation more than we actually build it?

China’s vast industrial capacity is transforming the terms of competition in industries ranging from electric vehicles and batteries to pharmaceuticals, energy and advanced technology.

After years of enormous investment and even bigger promises, 2027 may be the year when artificial intelligence has to start proving what it is actually worth.

Has the AI boom become a conventional industrial race for capital, energy, customers and market share?Or are we still confronting a technological revolution without historical precedent?

AI diagnostics, preventive medicine, gene editing and new treatments are rapidly expanding what medicine can detect, prevent and treat.

What will genuinely change in 2027 — and what remains science fiction?

KEYNOTE + SHOWCASE

AI requires vast amounts of electricity. The outcome of the AI war between China and the West is all about power: electricity and computing. European industry needs energy that is both cheap and reliable. Emissions still need to fall. And geopolitics has turned energy security into national security.

Nuclear, fusion, renewables — or more fossil fuels? What will actually scale in 2027?

• PANEL DISCUSSION

Populations are ageing, competition for young talent is intensifying and the next generation will be expected to shoulder an ever greater economic burden. But confidence in the future is about more than demographics. It is also about the willingness to create, build companies, take risks — and believe that tomorrow can genuinely be better than today. And, ultimately, about having the confidence to start a family.

After the midterm elections, Donald Trump enters the latter half of his term. What does that mean for trade, NATO, Ukraine, China — and Europe’s relationship with America?

Speech: On Humanity shrinks data

Performance.

“Prepared for the World of 2027?” A Geopolitical Anasis of Risks and Opportunities.