THEMES
PLENARY SESSION
Where East Meets West
- European economy here and now. Growth factors and barriers. Freedom vs protectionism. Opening vs isolation.
- Development opportunities and pitfalls related to the socio-political and economic situation within the EU and in the East: Belarus, Russia and Ukraine.
- Eastern neighbours of Poland and Europe in times of crisis. What should our economic cooperation be like at this difficult geopolitical moment?
- Eastern Poland on the flanks of a changing Europe. Political and economic contexts.
- New EU financial framework for the 2020-2026 period. Consequences for Eastern Poland.
Eastern Poland 4.0, or all sail for the future
- Strategic growth directions in Eastern Polish regions. Priorities, strategic goals, differentiation.
- A need for vision. Ambition, audacity, potential. Weaknesses and barriers to overcome.
- "Responsible Development Strategy" as an opportunity for Eastern Poland. Further government plans.
- New EU Cohesion Policy framework. Different, but how?
- Role of social capital, economic cooperation, start-ups, innovation.
- Eastern Poland 2030. Where are we? How are we perceived?
PANEL DISCUSSION THEMES
- New EU budget: funds, priorities, limitations.
- Support policy and mechanisms within EU programmes after 2020 – proposals.
- Changes in the Cohesion Fund – what do they mean for local government and the economy?
- Using development funds as a challenge for the region.
- The future of the "Eastern Poland" program. Funding communal and regional investments.
- Key factors behind the growth of digital economy.
- IT and digital accessibility in regions.
- Market and technology pressures. How to spur growth amid increasing competition?
- What should we bet on? Technologies, segments, industries and specializations with development potential.
- Updating? Modification? Reinforcement? What is the best strategy for the development of an innovative economy in the eastern macro-region?
- Food companies on African, Asian and South American markets. Expansion opportunities and barriers.
- Europe in search of new sales markets. Challenges of new free trade agreements.
- Food exports in the EU under the pressure of protectionism. How to cope?
- Building strong food and agriculture groups. Consolidation as an opportunity for the sector.
- Effective methods for supporting exports and expansion. Promoting Polish brands.
- From manufactories to automation – the Polish food industry success story.
- Food industry as a competitive asset of Eastern Poland. Naturalness and tradition.
- Ecology on a larger scale – myth or a real possibility? Shaping demand for natural and ecological food.
- Searching for innovation. New consumers, new trends, new company strategies.
- Presenting innovative technologies and solutions in the food and agriculture industry.
- Competition, assets, prospects. Polish companies in a face-off with tycoons.
- New quality – farmers at the centre of attention from processors and traders.
- Family-owned businesses in Poland – assets and weaknesses.
- Family-owned businesses in the Polish economy and the social model of Eastern Poland.
- The challenge of growth, or current problems faced by family-owned businesses.
- Parents and children – differences in management styles. Intergenerational dialogue in a multi-generational family-owned company. Values, emotions, business.
- Succession troubles: legal and social aspects.
- Consolidations, mergers, ownership structure. How to effectively manage the process of change?
- Externally driven maturity. Skills worth buying.
- EU funds for trans-border development. Opportunities within the European Territorial Cooperation programmes.
- Engines of trans-border cooperation – availability, safety, culture.
- Poland-Belarus-Ukraine 2014-2020 – opportunities for joint projects.
- Large infrastructure projects, cooperation across the Schengen border.
- Economic impact of trans-border contacts on a local and regional scale.
- Future of small border traffic.
- Technologies, management, investments. Cooperation: science – business – local government.
- Cities of tomorrow and new technologies – mobility, efficient resource management, environmental protection, the sharing economy.
- "Delimitation of Medium-sized Cities That Are Losing Their Social and Economic Functions". A report prepared for the purposes of Responsible Development Strategy.
- Opportunities for state intervention. Polish Development Fund and its offer for local governments ("Package for Medium-Sized Cities").
- International cooperation between partner cities – a practical dimension.
- Infrastructure development for urban, road and rail transportation in Eastern Poland.
- New investments in Eastern Poland and state programmes (Mieszkanie Plus, Mosty Plus, Pakiet dla Średnich Miast).
- Important role of investment in raising investment attractiveness, improving the quality of life and promoting new business ventures. New approach to development planning.
- Development prospects for the housing sector – a survey of implementation determinants.
- Investment funding sources. Role of local government, EU programmes, public sources.
- How to efficiently support exports and foreign investment?
- Polish expansion. Risks and fears. Looking for new paths and markets.
- Priorities and promising directions for foreign expansion from the perspective of state administration and business.
- Export production in the economic policy of Eastern Poland.
- Demands of foreign market players. Quality, distribution, logistics.
- Funding sources and cooperation models in funding transformation.
- Evolution of EU development programmes. Growing importance of financial engineering instruments.
- International financial institutions – offer and cooperation models (World Bank, European Investment Bank, Council of Europe Development Bank, EBRD).
- State programmes and institutions supporting the development of Eastern Poland. Experiences, opportunities, plans.
- Polish financial market activities: funds, external investors, Warsaw Stock Exchange.
- Job market in Eastern Poland – aspirations vs demographic problems.
- New jobs in the innovation economy.
- Demand for manpower and migrations. Where are the reserves? How to keep employees?
- Professional formation – the jobs of tomorrow. The dual model. Development of specialist education.
- Cooperation between entrepreneurs and schools and universities. Research and development.
- Social economy initiatives in creating jobs.
- Available investments vs needs. Situation of the energy sector in non-urbanized areas.
- Development of renewable sources (photovoltaics, biofuels, etc) and dispersed energy. Energy clusters in practice.
- Prosumers as comprehensive clients. Prosumer needs vs energy sector offerings.
- New services in the energy sector – power demand management, energy storage, electromobility.
- Anti-smog measures and programmes.
- Trends in the heat and energy market. Using waste. Cogeneration projects. Investments in the heat sector.
- Eastern Poland at the crossroads of transcontinental routes (Via Carpatia, Via Baltica, Rail Baltica, Eastern Poland Mainline, New Silk Road).
- Infrastructure 2023 – Eastern Poland in road and rail investment programmes. TEN-T network – implementation prospects.
- Improving road infrastructure, access to labour, high supply of plots for investment. Facts and myths.
- Border crossings and logistic centres in Eastern Poland and international trade. Eastern Poland as the gateway to the EU.
- Białystok, Lublin, Rzeszów – potential for logistics and warehousing investments and the role of SEZ.
- Competitive wood. Potential in residential construction.
- Domestic and export experiences of wooden house producers.
- Polskie Domy Drewniane – an idea to promote wood in housing.
- Polish centres for wooden construction exports – benefits for business, local government, society.
- Locating BPO/SSC centres in the academic towns of eastern voivodeships – Olsztyn, Białystok, Rzeszów, Lublin.
- What is the attractiveness factor of smaller towns? Needs of global business vs local government strategies.
- Competitive job markets. What do shared services centres have to offer and who do they look for?
- BPO needs offices. What do developers have to offer?
- Eastern Poland – a destination for active leisure. How to tap into the region’s potential?
- Multiculturalism and heritage as a way to promote tourism.
- Water route between the Augustowski Canal and the Masurian Lake District.
- Culinary trail in Eastern Poland and other tourist products.
- Tour agencies, Internet, social media, local government activity – how to help people discover Eastern Poland.
- Promotion through national and international tourist events.
- Business tourism as a factor in attracting investment.
- There are hotels, there will be tourists – how to spur hotel investment market growth in the region?
- Multiculturalism of Eastern Poland as a growth factor for the regional and local economy.
- State system for securing basic hospital healthcare services, i.e. the hospital network – evaluation, conclusions, proposed changes.
- Mapping healthcare needs – what are the scenarios for the region? State of healthcare infrastructure in Eastern Polish voivodeships – assessment and chief areas of investment.
- Changes in the Act on Medical Activity – expected outcomes.
- Coordinated healthcare in selected voivodeships – KOS-zawał and POZ Plus programmes.
- HR situation in healthcare facilities in Eastern Poland – selected issues.
- Role of medical innovation in the Responsible Development Strategy.
- E-health – innovative IT system for medical services.
- Research and development potential of medical universities and university hospitals in Eastern Poland.
- Examples of successful commercialization of R&D projects in the medical sector in selected voivodeships.
- Funding R&D and implementing new medical technologies.
- Medical start-ups in Eastern Poland.
- Where do we stand? Figures, phenomena, comparisons.
- The ecosystem of young entrepreneurship – support mechanisms and their functioning. Best practices, best start-ups.
- From inception to stability – further development of creative entrepreneurship.
- Roles of main players: start-ups, state bodies, local governments, investors, mature business
- Medical start-ups in Eastern Poland.
