World Investments Conferences: "Renewing Growth: Drawing on 10 Years´Experience to Design the Next Decade"

31/05/2012 - 10:10

Under the presidency of Clara Gaymard, GE International and Vice President & CEO, GE France, the 10th edition of the World Investment Conference will gather 500 business leaders and policy makers from across the world in La Baule, France, to devise policies to boost Europe´s attractiveness as a place to do business and turbo-charge economic growth.

The World Investment Conference Europe 2012 comes against an extraordinary economic backdrop. At a time of exceptional uncertainty, it offers the opportunity to review the very latest investment trends and hear directly from business leaders on where they think today´s opportunities and obstacles lie.

Entitled Renewing Growth, the 10th anniversary conference will examine the lessons of the past decade and explore Europe´s challenges and opportunities in an era of swift change and unprecedented competition in many fields. This year, the conference will deal with themes strongly inscribed in the European agenda:

Strengthening the financial foundations for growth and innovation: Shaping structures that can channel surplus cash to relevant and profitable innovation will be essential to future European growth and competitiveness.

Capturing Europe´s share of the value chain: As global companies of all sizes review where they will locate their operations, there is no single, inevitable trend. Europe competes at every point on the value chain.

Innovating in Europe: To stay at the forefront, Europe needs to ensure it has the skills and talents needed to underpin investments in research, development, and innovation.

Rejuvenating the European Dream: European values, ranging from empathy to entrepreneurship, are a global force. Communication technologies are distributing knowledge and power more widely, especially among the younger generation. Where are European technology, society, and ambitions headed?

The WIC debates will explore how Europe can best leverage its key strengths to accelerate recovery.

The much-awaited annual European Attractiveness Survey from Ernst & Young will be presented during the conference. It shows how international investors see Europe going forward and suggests ways in which the region could become more attractive and competitive.

In celebration of the conference´s 10th anniversary, an awards ceremony will honor three businesses that have made an outstanding contribution to economic development in Europe over the last 10 years through their direct investments.

Recommendations from the workshops and plenary sessions will be presented to the European Union and governments as an agenda to enhance the world-wide attractiveness of Europe and assure its future growth.

WIC: What´s new in 2012?

With its internationally renowned participants, the WIC provides a unique opportunity to discuss with economic leaders, officials, politicians, and the most innovative companies in the world.

This years´s participants include: Ferdinando Beccalli-Falco "´ President and CEO, GE Europe and North Asia & CEO, GE Germany; Philippe de Fontaine Vive "´ Vice President, European Investment Bank; Lionel Zinsou "´ Chief Executive Officer, PAI Partners; Franck Dangeart "´ Managing Partner, Harcourt; Stéphane Fouks "´ Vice-President, Havas and Executive President, Euro RSCG Worldwide; Jan Mülfeit "´ Chairman Europe, Microsoft; Sudip Nandy "´ CEO, Aricent Group; Tidjane Thiam "´ Global Chairman, Prudential; Christophe de Maistre "´ CEO, Siemens France & CEO, Siemens Cluster South-West Europe; Michel Mariton "´ President, Horiba Europe; Leo Sun "´ President, Huawei Brussels Office and Europe Affairs Department ; Jeremy Rifkin "´ Economist, President of the Foundation on Economic Trends; Joachim Bitterlich - Ambassador (ret); Executive Vice President International Affairs, Veolia Environnement Paris & Chairman, Veolia Environnement Germany; Peter Blach "´ Director, Offshore Center Danmark ; Jean-Pierre Raffarin "´ Former Prime Minister of the French Republic & Vice Chair, French Senate; Didier Houssin "´ Director, Directorate of Energy Markets & Security, International Energy Agency; Bernadette Andrietti "´ Director EMEA, European Union Region, Intel Corporation; Steve Bolze "´ Senior Vice President, GE & President and CEO, GE Power & Water; Karsten Langer "´ Partner at Riverside Europe Partners & Chairman of European Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (EVCA); Dominique Louis - Chairman of the Management Board, Assystem; Thierry Pilenko - CEO, Technip; Mark Otty, Area Managing Partner EMEIA, Ernst & Young.

This year, WIC Europe has two new strategic partners: Aricent Group and Havas, confirming a growing interest among businesses in this unique event which brings together political and business leaders from around the world.

To register and for more information on the program http://www.worldinvestmentconferences.com/conferences/europe-2012

About Word Investment Conferences

The World Investment Conferences (WIC) runs the leading conferences on cross-border investments. These unique platforms are dedicated to stimulating and facilitating FDI from around the world to specific and targeted countries or regions.

Since their launch in 2003, thousands of corporate and government leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors have gathered at the WIC conferences. The events have won worldwide recognition for shaping the future of international investment and the policies that help global economic growth, and for their significant impact on the business and political landscapes of today and tomorrow.

The WIC is supported by the Europe+ Foundation and its partners:

Strategic partners

Aricent Group - Assystem - GE - Havas - Lucien Barrière Group - PSA Peugeot Citroën - Siemens

Institutional Partners

DATAR - Invest in France Agency "´ Nantes Métropole - Pays de La Loire Region

Knowledge Partner

Ernst & Young