For the third consecutive year, Venice Sustainability Foundation (VSF) will participate in the Economic Forum in Karpacz (Poland), scheduled from September 8 to 10, 2026. This year's edition marks an evolution in the collaboration launched with Foundation Institute for Eastern Studies: for the first time, VSF will organize and coordinate a panel included in the official program of the event.
Now in its thirty-fifth edition, the Economic Forum is one of Central Europe's leading platforms for political and economic dialogue, serving as a key benchmark for discussion among institutions, businesses, academia, and civil society on development, innovation, and sustainability. Each year, it gathers over 6,000 participants from around 60 countries and offers a rich program featuring more than 500 sessions, panels, workshops, and thematic meetings. In terms of size, participant profile, and program scope, it represents one of the most significant international venues for discussing the challenges shaping Europe and the global context.
The 2026 edition, titled “Architecture of the New Order – Stability in Times of Change”, will focus on the major transformations redefining international balances. The program will address topics such as security, economic development, energy transition, infrastructure, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, healthcare, regional policies, and sustainability, providing a space to discuss the main challenges facing Europe and the international community.
The collaboration between VSF and Foundation Institute for Eastern Studies, established in 2024, has steadily strengthened the Foundation's presence within the Economic Forum. As an institutional partner, VSF contributes to the event through its representatives' participation in program sessions and by promoting dedicated discussions on sustainability issues.
In the 2026 edition, the panel hosted by VSF will examine the primary pressures currently affecting tourist cities—ranging from climate change to visitor flow management—exploring innovative tools and approaches to support more sustainable and resilient governance.
The participation in the Economic Forum reasserts VSF’s commitment to contributing to global dialogue on sustainability, bringing to one of Europe’s principal discussion platforms the expertise built alongside its members and partners for the sustainable development of Venice and the Veneto region.
