Discover the full programme

The Transformation of the Retail Ecosystem: A Green, Digital and Resilient Future

The retail ecosystem is the biggest of all industrial ecosystems. Its successful recovery and green and digital transition will have a positive impact on Europe's competitiveness in the long run. This session will therefore look at the transformation of the ecosystem and its most urgent needs. And did you know that 15-20% of retail and wholesale workers are younger than 25? Our panelists, representatives from key European retail associations and companies, will therefore also touch upon the role of youth in the retail ecosystem.

Towards a resilient, innovative, sustainable and digital energy-intensive industries ecosystem

The session aims to give impulse to the co-creation process of the Energy Intensive Industries Transition Pathway; showcasing the commitments and pledges made by stakeholders of the energy intensive industries ecosystem and thereby illustrating the good practices and the way forward for other industrial actors.

Proximity & Social Economy ecosystem

The digital and green transitions open unprecedented opportunities for Europe, yet they also bring certain challenges. Inequalities across Europe caused by globalisation, technological change, previous economic crisis or current COVID-19 pandemic are hampering sustainable growth and can lead to social conflict, reduced participation in society, increased social exclusion, potentially undermining the future of our youth. Joint forces of industry and civil society can provide solutions to those societal challenges beyond the creation of jobs and growth and become a resilient provider of prosperity, by making production respect the boundaries of our planet and placing the wellbeing and participation of the industry worker at the centre of the production process. At the same time, the industrial transformation should serve to create new relationship with a wide set of stakeholders at the local level and in our “proximity economies”. At this level, citizens engagement models can cross-fertilise with business models. Those belong to the heart of social economy. Those business models are very attractive for young entrepreneurs, but also for young citizens to engage in a business process, such as for example a cooperative society or a volunteer association amongst other forms. Bringing those actors together with public authorities in a “local proximity and social economy ecosystem” is therefore a promising avenue for new or reinforced public private partnerships.

Moderator:

• Diana Dovgan

Speakers:

• Mohammed Ridouani
• Francesca Montalti
• Anna Athanasopoulou
• Henrik Barkman
• Maryline Filippi

Greening Your Plate: Towards a More Sustainable Agri-food Ecosystem with the EU Code of Conduct

With the launch of the EU Code of Conduct for Responsible Food Business and Marketing Practices, one of the first deliverables of the EU Farm to Fork Strategy has been achieved. The Code sets out common aspirations and indicative actions which actors ‘between the farm and the fork’ can align, commit and contribute to in support of the transition towards sustainable food systems. But what are the main ambitions and goals of the signatories? What challenges are they facing in relation to the Code? And how will they work together to make the Code a success? Join this session to get the latest insights from frontrunner associations and companies about this key Farm to Fork initiative.

The mobility ecosystem on the path to the green and digital transition

The panel session will be a first exchange of views with representatives from the automotive, waterborne and rail supply industries as well as social partners and Member States on the main challenges linked to the transition of the ecosystem and their expectations for the upcoming co-creation exercise launched in the preparation of the transition pathway.

Digital Ecosystem - Europe’s leadership in industrial data, cloud and edge

The discussion will focus on key enablers to tackle Europe’s strategic dependencies in the cloud-edge supply chain. In the context of the recently launched Alliance for Industrial Data, Edge and Cloud, participants will be invited to share their perspectives on existing challenges and solutions to build a thriving and sovereign ecosystem to foster a highly secure, resource-efficient and open data infrastructure and services for Europe.

Strengthening the European pharmaceutical supply chains: what role for industry?

The session will address from an industry perspective the remaining gaps and existing challenges threatening the resilience of European pharmaceutical supply chains. Ways to reinforce the transparency and robustness of industrial value chains will be explored to strengthen the strategic autonomy of the Health industry and its contribution to the EU preparedness for future health crisis.

Transition for the EU chemicals industry

A new long-term vision for the EU's chemical policy is now defined by the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability. It proposes a transformation of the EU chemicals industry becoming global leader in the production and consumption of safe and sustainable chemicals and materials, including through low-carbon, zero pollution and energy- and resource-efficient processes and technologies. It is now necessary to define the pathway to be followed by the chemicals industry and all main stakeholders for this transformation to happen. This session aims to identify the key elements - e.g. Safe and Sustainable by Design - as well as the challenges, opportunities and milestones of the transition pathway in a discussion with representatives from the EU institutions, the chemicals sector, civil society and the audience.

Addressing EU strategic dependencies in a co-creative way

Addressing the EU’s strategic dependencies is one of the key pillars of the updated Industrial Strategy (May 2021). A first comprehensive analysis of the EU’s strategic dependencies and capacities accompanied the updated Strategy, which highlighted that “the Commission will engage with Member States, industry and social partners, including with the support from the Industrial Forum… to deepen this analysis and further address the identified strategic dependencies.”

In order to further deepen the preliminary findings of the analytical work identifying EU strategic dependencies, the involvement of relevant European stakeholders is of critical importance. In that context, a dedicated Task Force on Strategic Dependencies (TF3) has been established by the Industrial Forum in June 2021 to collect input from relevant stakeholders and feed into the work of the European Commission in this area. The work of the Task Force covers both (1) identifying and better understanding EU strategic dependencies across different industrial ecosystems as well as (2) reflecting on relevant policy tools to address them.

The TF3 panel session will bring together experts from the French Presidency of the Council of the EU, Member States, key stakeholders and the Commission. It will a) report on the work conducted so far by the Task Force; b) provide a snapshot of relevant policy and other work in relation to strategic dependencies; and c) share views of invited experts on strategic dependencies (e.g. in relation to supply chain shortages, the twin transition) as well as possible approaches to address them.

Spotlight session: R&D investment and EU green technologies leadership

The session will showcase R&I-based success stories and discuss how to support industrial eco-systems in their green transition and how to build on EU leading position in green technologies. The starting point for the conversation will be the new figures from the EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard 2021 which shows that EU companies are among the global leaders in green technologies but must nonetheless increase their efforts in R&D investment for Europe's industry to lead the green transition in the global economy.

Session organised by the European Economic and Social Committee - How will industrial ecosystems contribute to the strategic autonomy of the EU and the well-being of Europeans?

The aim of this workshop is to look at how industrial ecosystems can contribute towards boosting Europe's resilience and what kind of strategic autonomy the EU should target. We will also discuss how these ecosystems can preserve and sustain the well-being of Europeans. These topics are the subject of an EESC exploratory opinion requested by the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Session organised by the European Committee of the Regions - EU regions towards a climate-neutral industry: transition challenges

The session will focus on the place-based dimension of the EU industrial policy, providing a chance to present some key implementation challenges of industrial transitions at local and regional level. Invited speakers will reflect on the modalities to connect industrial ecosystems and regional innovation ecosystems, through instruments such as smart specialisation (S3), Digital Innovation Hubs (DIHs) and digitalisation as a key enabler of green industrial transitions in EU regions.

Pay on time: a win-win solution for resilient supply chains

Delaying payments to suppliers disrupts the cash flow of businesses and, ultimately, jeopardizes the resilience of the whole supply chain. Payment delays impact SMEs negatively, much more than larger business. The session will explore the causes and effects of late payments and will showcase how supply chain resilience relies on responsible practices and prompt payment.

An industry perspective on resilient supply partners

The panel discussion will unpick how companies are dealing with current supply chains shortages and risks linked to the geographic concentration of some inputs. Particular attention will be paid to the role of public authorities, notably at the European level, and how they can support supply chain resilience and sustainable growth. The speakers will discuss the main challenges to supply chain resilience in their sectors of expertise and will be expected to offer insight on such questions as: - Could you tell us what are the main challenges your business faces when trying to diversify their supply chains. - How can partnerships create new business opportunities and supply chain resilience?- What can governments (especially EU) do to ensure security of supply of critical goods? - If you had one policy recommendation/priority to pitch to the EU, what would you say?

Driving the sustainability transition for European SMEs: support to change and innovate

This session will explore the main actions and instruments that should be deployed for the acceleration of the sustainability transition of SMEs. The discussion will inspire and give advice to authorities, business and civil society organisations on how to jointly develop and put in place adequate mechanisms that identify and support SMEs access to green and sustainable technologies, business solutions, R&D partners and facilities, skills, dedicated funding and markets and thus facilitate their innovation, growth, resilience and competitiveness.

Net environmental impact of digital innovations in different ecosystems

Speakers from leading European ICT companies will present cases, where the use of ICT already had a measurable impact on the environment and the carbon footprint. Additionally they will discuss their vision of the role of ICT for sustainability. As to date there is a lack of agreed methodologies to measure net environmental impact of digital solutions, the necessity and work of the European Green Digital Coalition will be outlined as well.

Spotlight session on The EU Pact for Skills: towards the up and re-skilling of the European workforce

Introduction by Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights

Panel discussion on the Unitary Patent System and SME support in the area of intellectual property

Intellectual property (IP) improves the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and provide a potential source of revenue. SMEs have specific needs, such as understanding the importance of IP for their businesses, tailored advice in assessing their intangibles, financial support to protect and enforce their IP and better access to finance provided by investors and banks to help them scale up. This session will provide a practical guide for SMEs on the different EU initiatives available to European SMEs in the area of intellectual property and present the benefits of the upcoming Unitary Patent System.

Future-proof: how foresight helps policy makers and businesses anticipate and shape the future

Change in climate, digital technologies and geopolitics are having a profound effect on the lives of Europeans and people around the world. These transformations are taking place at all levels, from grassrotts politics to global power structures. To support the transitions to a green, digital and fairer Europe, the EU and other institutions, e.g. OECD or national governments, are strenghtening their culture of preparedness and evidence-based anticipatory policy-making. This session will present foresight as a tool which helps policy makers and businesses prepare for and shape tomorrow. Speakers from the OECD? Finnish government and the European Commission will showcase specific foresights tools developed at different levels, and by different actors.

How can industry contribute/ benefit from a stronger enforcement of Single Market?

Ensuring compliance and implementation of single market rules are essential assets to accelerate Europe’s economic recovery, green and digital transitions, and serve as a springboard to compete globally. As Guardian of the treaties, the European Commission is using different tools at its disposal (infringement procedures, EU Pilots, package meetings, SOLVIT, dialogues for better transposition of directives or preventive mechanisms like the notifications procedure for technical Regulations). It is also continuously working with Member States to implement European legislation. An illustration of this strong partnership is the Single Market Enforcement Taskforce that was set up during the Covid-19 crisis when restrictive measures challenged the functioning of the Single Market. It led to some very concrete results that will be presented by one of their Sherpa members along with their work programme for this year. We know that there are still unjustified barriers to be eliminated and we count on you to tell us very concretely about them in order to achieve tangible and quick results in terms of growth, innovation, job creation, consumer choice and new business models

After the awakening: sustainable business models and the role of young people as environmentally and socially conscious consumers

This session aims to underline the negative externalities of corporate irresponsibility, the tools that EU industry and policymakers need to leverage in order to deliver the European Green Deal and the Action Plan on the European Pillar of Social Rights, and the role of start-ups, NGOs, and certification bodies for the green and socially just transition of EU industry.

After 2008, after 2020: the impact of the 2008 financial crisis and the 2020 COVID-19 crisis on young Europeans

This session will zoom in on the impact of the 2008 financial crisis and the 2020 pandemic crisis on the youth, by providing a space for discussion regarding youth unemployment, rising living costs, precarious work, among other similar topics.

After our interconnected past: reflections on social inequality, the role of youth activism in promoting social inclusion, and the steps that need to be taken by EU industry and institutions to speed up positive change

This session aims to deliver a diverse, intersectional analysis of inequity and discrimination, draw attention to the changes that industry and public administration on all levels (EU, national, regional, and local) must go through in order to knock down social barriers, and highlight the benefits that EU industry can reap from inclusion and diversity.

Fostering breakthrough technologies for the CCIs ecosystem’s growth

Moderator:

• Jacki Davis

Speakers:

• Natasja Paulssen
• Volker Helzle
• Spiros Nikolopoulos
• Michela Magas
• Luca Morena
• Lisa Lang
• Anna Athanasopoulou 
• Rehana Schwinninger-Ladak 

Your Europe Business – a portal which you must know when doing business abroad

Starting with a short summary of the history of YEB and the SDG (YEB exists since many years, since December 2020 the SDG is the backbone of the portal, explaining what has changed: links to national pages, assistance service finder, search engine, feedback tool) and giving an outlook to the online procedures. · Showcasing the portal - what’s in for SMEs, giving concrete examples · Maybe using short video sequences from influencers who were involved in the digital roadshow · Presenting Your Europe Advice and Solvit and how SMEs can benefit from these two services Speakers (please give strong consideration to geographical, gender and age balance): · All are from within DG GROW, who exactly will be decided at a later stage.

Bridging gaps between European “Davids and Goliaths”

How the European Innovation Council can support the cooperation between big companies and start-ups.

During the last 4 years, the European Innovation Council (EIC) has focused on creating business impact, learnings and know-how: among its objectives, this programme aims to fill the gaps between big companies and start-ups and to create a fruitful cooperation. This panel discussion will gather around the same virtual table two young, small companies and two bigger corporate companies. All of them have benefited from the cooperation with smaller or bigger entities. What can we get from their experience and what are the gaps to watch out? The audience will get to know the companies’ experience on this subject and will listen to their inputs and vision. A special focus will be given to the EIC programme and its benefits for the companies’ business.

The attractiveness of the social entrepreneurship for young people: innovative and inclusive way to do business

This session is fully dedicated to youth social entrepreneurship and its attractiveness. It also gathers relevant experts from the EU, international and local levels that will present opportunities of EU policies, the state of play of young social entrepreneurs but also challenges that still need to be tackled followed by concrete recommendations

Organiser: EUROPEAN NETWORK OF SOCIAL INTEGRATION ENTERPRISES (ENSIE)

Moderators:

• Pauline Bonino
• Aziza Yussupova

Speakers:

• Patrick Klein
• Julien de Beys
• Antonella Noya
• Angela Achitei
• Thomas Laleu

New SME Fund - Intellectual property voucher for post-Covid-19 recovery and green and digital transitions

The European Commission and the European Union Intellectual Property Office launched a €47 million fund to protect intellectual property of EU SME. This new grant scheme aims at supporting SMEs in the Covid-19 recovery and green and digital transitions. The fund offers reimbursements of trade mark, design and patent application fees as well as IP pre-diagnostic services for 2022-2024. If you are an EU SME, join the session and learn about this new funding opportunity.

Early Warning Europe – How to support SMEs in time of crisis

Bankruptcies ensue huge societal and financial cost; they ruin livelihoods of entrepreneurs and employees alike. In particular, in times of recovery they can put the bounce back in danger. Many companies facing financial difficulties can be rescued, if they are helped early enough and in an efficient manner. Early Warning Europe initiative was lunched in parallel with the proposal for a new Directive on Restructuring and Insolvency with the aim to develop a blue print methodology on how an efficient early warning mechanism provided for in the Directive could be established. The early warning mechanism offers entrepreneurs in financial difficulties an impartial and confidential advice and mentoring to help them rescuing their businesses. The main objective of this session is make entrepreneurs in distress aware that it is worth seeking external advice and mentoring at an early stage, as this can help put their business on the right path and make it more resilient to future crises.

Data-driven green transition

Description of the session including topics/questions to be discussed: Disrupting current ways of doing business is necessary to cut emissions substantially and to increase the GHG handprint of European industries. Data sharing and collaboration within value chains and cross-ecosystems open new business opportunities, enhance circular economy and resilience. The session shares concrete examples and practices of how industries and businesses of varying size co-create low carbon and circular business models and solutions by deploying data and going digital. After the introductory notes by the Moderator the panel discussion will focus on three key topics/questions: · Case examples of how data is being used and shared within value chains and ecosystems? Lessons learnt? · Reinventing collaboration – What are the key things that make an ecosystem successful? How to create winning concepts of next decades business models and solutions? · What are the most important actions needed to speed up scaling up data- driven business solutions for the green transition and cross-border collaboration in the Single Market? The role of businesses, citizen, the Members States, and the EU?

Organiser: Technology Industries of Finland TIF

Preparing the workforce for the future of manufacturing

Organiser: CECIMO - European Association of the Machine Tool Industries and related Manufacturing Technologies

Catalonia Strategy to Create Shared Value through Clusters

Organiser: ACCIÓ - Catalan Government’s agency for business competitiveness

Advanced Materials, enabling the green and digital transition at the core of European Alliances for competitiveness, climate neutrality and sustainability

Organiser: EMIRI - The Energy Materials Industrial Research Initiative

Industrial clusters contributions to the EU transition pathways

Organiser: European Clusters Alliance

Industrial company and digital start-up – synergy towards circularity?

Circular economy can bring opportunities at business level, but challenges related to a missing business case and a trade-off between different goals as well as administrative burden remain · The session intends to look into those challenges, companies' different points of view and what is needed from a business's perspective to make the implementation of stronger circular economy aspects operational · Main questions to be tackled: o What are the challenges that businesses face in becoming more circular, and what kind of incentives and provisions are required to overcome them? o How can digital tools help industrial manufacturing companies implement more circularity? o How should the regulatory framework for a digital product passport and circularity requirements be developed in order to keep it manageable for businesses?

Organiser: EUROCHAMBRES

Reshoring the Solar PV Industry in Europe with the European Solar Initiative

Solar energy is a central component of Europe’s transition to a climate-neutral economy. The Commission estimates that the deployment of new solar generation capacity will reach 18 GW per year from now to 2030 and as high as 34 GW per year 2030 onwards. It is therefore critical to ensure that the solar panels that will meet Europe’s energy demand are "Made in Europe" and trigger growth and job creation locally. The European Solar Initiative, firmly anchored in the new Industrial Strategy for Europe presented by the Commission, aims at scaling up the European solar PV industrial ecosystem at the 2025 horizon and at providing a for industry and policy-makers to come together and deliver this objective. This session will take stock of the initiative one year on, present three large-scale PV manufacturing projects across the value-chain, and discuss what can be done to help projects reach the scale and speed needed to reshore the PV industry.

Organiser: EIT InnoEnergy

Photonics and AgriFood: the synergy through cross-ecosystem collaboration

Agri-food sector is identified as one of the 14 industrial ecosystems spanning across the EU, so cross-sectorial R&D collaboration and innovations are essential to ensure the ecosystem’s future sustainability, accelerate green and digital transition. On the other hand, photonics is a key enabling technology that plays an important role in building more circular EU economy, a climate-neutral and digital single market. Adapting light technologies to the Agri-food sector will enable new tools for twin transition. During this session we will discuss cross-sectorial collaboration towards twin transition, what kind of support schemes for demo projects already exists, what success stories do we already have, and what the future holds.

Organiser: AgriFood Lithuania DIH /LITEK

Woodworking industries endorse the green growth for a climate positive economy and society in Europe

Organiser: Homo Silvestris Europae