For the third consecutive year, Venice Sustainability Foundation (VSF) will participate in the Economic Forum in Karpacz, Poland, taking place from 8 to 10 September 2026. This year’s edition marks a new milestone in the partnership between VSF and the Foundation Institute for Eastern Studies: for the first time, VSF will organise and coordinate a panel as part of the Forum’s official programme.
Now in its 35th edition, the Economic Forum is one of Central Europe’s leading platforms for political and economic dialogue, bringing together representatives of institutions, businesses, academia and civil society to discuss sustainable development, innovation and the major challenges shaping Europe’s future. Each year, the Forum welcomes more than 6,000 participants from around 60 countries and hosts over 500 plenary sessions, panel discussions, workshops and thematic events. Owing to its scale, the calibre of its participants and the breadth of its programme, it has become one of the region’s foremost venues for international dialogue on issues affecting Europe and the wider global community.
The 2026 edition, entitled “Architecture of the New Order – Stability in Times of Change”, will focus on the profound transformations reshaping today’s geopolitical and economic landscape. Discussions will address topics including security, economic development, the energy transition, infrastructure, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, healthcare, regional policies and sustainability, providing a platform to explore the key challenges facing Europe and the international community.
The partnership between VSF and the Foundation Institute for Eastern Studies, established in 2024, has steadily strengthened the Foundation’s presence at the Economic Forum. As an institutional partner, VSF contributes to the Forum through the participation of its representatives in the official programme and by promoting high-level discussions on sustainability-related issues.
At the 2026 Forum, the panel organised by VSF will focus on the major pressures currently affecting tourist cities, from climate change to the management of visitor flows, and will explore innovative tools and approaches to support more sustainable and resilient models of urban governance.
VSF’s participation in the Economic Forum reaffirms the Foundation’s commitment to fostering international dialogue on sustainability. The Forum also offers an opportunity to showcase, on one of Europe’s leading platforms for political and economic dialogue, the expertise and projects developed together with its members and partners to advance the sustainable development of Venice and the Veneto region.
