Annual Meeting of the New Champions to Focus on Inclusive Growth in the Fourth Industrial Revolution

  • Over 2,000 participants from more than 80 countries will convene in Dalian for the 11th Annual Meeting of the New Champions
  • Meeting is the foremost multistakeholder gathering on science, technology and innovation
  • Under the theme “Achieving Inclusive Growth in the Fourth Industrial Revolution”, the meeting will examine the potential for innovation, science and technology to create economies that serve all sectors of society
  • For more information about the meeting, please visit: http://wef.ch/amnc17

Beijing, People’s Republic of China, 20 June 2017 – Over 2,000 prominent leaders from politics, business, civil society, academia and the arts will convene in Dalian, People’s Republic of China, from 27 to 29 June for the 11th Annual Meeting of the New Champions. The theme of the meeting is “Achieving Inclusive Growth in the Fourth Industrial Revolution”.

Established in 2007, the Annual Meeting of the New Champions has become the foremost gathering on science, technology and innovation. It serves as a platform for leaders to deepen their understanding of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This year’s meeting will focus on how technology and policy innovations can be deployed to accelerate the transition towards a more inclusive style of economic growth that prioritizes meaningful job creation and sustainable development.

“Technology and innovation have a huge role to play in helping to build societies that are resilient, prosperous and inclusive. The Annual Meeting of the New Champions is unique not only in its ability to equip leaders with the insights needed to successfully navigate this period of change, but also in the way it convenes leaders from across all stakeholder groups. We hope in this way that it provides leaders with a platform to build meaningful, multistakeholder partnerships to address the critical challenges our world faces,” said David Aikman, Chief Representative Officer, Greater China, Managing Director, World Economic Forum.

“The Forum has enjoyed privileged support from the Chinese central government over the past 10 years. For this year’s meeting, we are looking forward to the continued participation of Chinese senior leaders. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs will make an announcement in this regard in due time,” added David Aikman.

The 2017 programme focuses on four thematic tracks that will shape more than 200 sessions over the three-day meeting:

  • Scaling up human-centred technology: Exponential increases in knowledge bring risks as well as opportunities. What partnerships, policies and practices are needed to make sure the interests of humanity lie at the very centre of the technology we create?
  • Leading continuous reinvention: No industry will be left unaffected by the Fourth Industrial Revolution. How do companies build resilience in the face of unprecedented supply- and demand-side disruption?
  • Creating sustainable systems: We are consuming more of our scarce resources than ever before, but new technologies are coming online that hold the potential to improve quality of life while reducing our reliance on the global commons. How can leaders create more sustainable systems in areas such as energy, mobility, production, health, education, gender and work?
  • Responding to geo-economic shifts: Technological innovation is creating newly advantaged and disadvantaged stakeholders during a period of increasing geopolitical uncertainty. How can communities, companies and countries better prepare for the coming economic changes?

“The Annual Meeting of the New Champions is an important platform for Dalian and China. Dalian is honoured to successfully host five of the last 10 meetings. Dalian Municipal Government attaches great importance to the preparation of this year’s meeting with new innovative ideas in order to ensure that, once again, the meeting can best present the city as well as of the international standard,” said Lu Lin, Vice-Mayor of Dalian.

“The theme of this year’s meeting reflects a strong will of the international community to share the opportunities and face the challenges arising from technological innovation together. We expect the discussions and insights on the impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to bring us valuable inspiration and suggestions on how to build the world economy to be more creative, inclusive and sustainable,” said Liang Linchong, Deputy Director-General, International Cooperation Department, National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

As part of a broader effort to provide a narrative vision as well as a practical policy agenda for ensuring technology progress augments rather than substitutes human potential and employment, the World Economic Forum has today published a new report on Advancing Human-Centred Economic Progress in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In addition to providing a framework for much of the discussion during the Annual Meeting of the New Champions, the report also forms part of portfolio of thought leadership that has been specially commissioned ahead of this year’s G20 Summit, which is taking place on 7-8 July in Hamburg, Germany.

Leading personalities who will take an active role at the meeting are: Jean Liu, President, Didi Chuxing, People’s Republic of China (Young Global Leader); Alex Molinaroli, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Johnson Controls, USA; Shu Yinbiao, Chairman, State Grid Corporation of China, People’s Republic of China; Vishal Sikka, Chief Executive Officer, Infosys, USA; Maria-Elena Torres-Padilla, Director, Institute of Epigenetics and Stem Cells, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Germany (Young Scientist); and Xu Jinghong, Chairman, Tsinghua Holdings, People’s Republic of China.

Other key participants include: Young Scientists, the new class of 2017 Technology Pioneers, and representatives from arts and culture, academia and the media. Representing the Forum’s communities are: Social Entrepreneurs, Global Shapers and Young Global Leaders.

The World Economic Forum, committed to improving the state of the world, is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation.
The Forum engages the foremost political, business and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. (www.weforum.org).

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