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As artificial intelligence continues to reshape economies, institutions, and labor markets, leaders around the world are grappling with a critical challenge: how to ensure that societies benefit from the technological progress without widening existing inequality gaps (or creating new ones). Between November 2025 and April 2026, the GFCC surveyed leaders from 32 countries to examine how organizations and institutions are experiencing the human–AI transition. This global resea

Torrens University Australia campus in Surry Hills, Sydney. Credit: Torrens University. The GFCC is proud to welcome Torrens University Australia to its global network of universities, corporations, and organizations committed to sharing competitiveness best practices and advancing innovation worldwide. Founded in 2013, Torrens University has quickly made a significant impact on Australia's higher education sector through its commitment to career-ready, industry-led educati

Road in Dahra, Senegal. Credit: Unsplash Home to the world’s youngest population and vast reserves of critical minerals, Africa continues to face a severe infrastructure deficit that threatens its long-term economic development. More than 600 million people across the continent still lack access to reliable electricity. One of the continent’s greatest paradoxes, however, is that despite a significant increase in infrastructure spending over the past 15 years, the number o

Credit: Photo by Naida on Unsplash. The GFCC is pleased to welcome Dr. Bernadett Petri, Managing Director at the Hungarian Development Promotion Office (MFOI), as an individual member. Dr. Petri is an experienced lawyer and policy expert who represents Hungarian interests within European Union institutions, international organizations, and cooperative frameworks. Her work focuses on facilitating engagement between the EU and project developers in Hungary by strengthening co

GFCC member Aston University has taken a major step towards achieving its ambitious goal of becoming a net-zero institution. The university, located in Birmingham, the second-largest city in the United Kingdom, is building a new Carbon Neutral Energy Center that will be powered by a combination of two technologies: ground-source and air-source heat pumps. The new center will completely replace the current natural gas system, providing heating for 12 buildings across the campu

St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia, Bulgaria. Credit: Photo by JOGphotos on Unsplash The GFCC is pleased to announce that the 2026 Global Innovation Summit will take place in Sofia, Bulgaria, during the week of October 19–22, hosted by corporate member Glavbolgarstroy Holding AD (GBS). GBS is one of Southeast Europe’s leading construction and infrastructure companies, with more than 55 years of experience delivering complex projects across a diverse portfolio that includ

Insights from the GFCC panel at the 11th Delphi Economic Forum in Greece The world is entering a period of intensified disruption and discontinuity driven by the convergence of emerging technologies, the urgent push to accelerate the energy transition, rising global energy demand, and intensifying strategic competition between the United States, Europe, and China. On April 24, the GFCC convened a distinguished group of global leaders from academia, industry, finance, and

Credit: University of Auckland Universities worldwide are increasingly moving beyond their traditional teaching and learning boundaries to develop future-ready talent, for which core competencies include an entrepreneurial mindset, creativity, and problem-solving skills. The Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) at the University of Auckland developed Solve It to address this challenge. This flagship program operates as a fast-paced, five-day innovation sprint duri

By Deborah C. Gordon, Senior Fellow, GFCC, USA Ms. Gordon serves on the Board of Probability Management and is an advisor to emerging technology companies. Credit: Photo by Photo by Matthew Henry on Unsplash. Societies across the world are increasingly recognizing a fundamental challenge: energy needs are rising beyond the delivery capacity of existing infrastructure. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global electricity demand is expected to grow by around 3

Credit: CC BY 4.0 The GFCC is pleased to announce that Gallup, one of the world’s most prestigious global analytics and advisory firms, has joined its network of leaders and organizations committed to advancing competitiveness strategies that drive innovation, inclusive prosperity, and sustainable growth. Gallup is a global analytics and statistics powerhouse, collecting data and indicators to measure the state of the world across critical issues in both the public and priv

GFCC Leaders at the X Delphi Economic Forum in Greece in 2025. Global leaders will gather in Greece this month for a timely discussion on the forces shaping the world and impacting competitiveness at the XI Delphi Economic Forum, further reinforcing the GFCC’s role as a strategic content partner to the Forum. GFCC President and Founder, Deborah L. Wince-Smith, will moderate the panel Navigating the Frontiers of Innovation in an Age of Disruption and Discontinuity on April 24

Global leaders speak at Forging the Future: The Intersection of Health, AI ad Tech in Pittsburgh, US, last year. Artificial intelligence and emerging technologies are reshaping societies and transforming entire industry verticals. In healthcare, in particular, they are enabling breakthrough discoveries, accelerating clinical trials, and significantly reducing the time from research to market. Between October 19–21 last year, the GFCC, Council on Competitiveness, the Universit

Momentum One Zero has worked with local companies to integrate deep technologies and accelerate time to market. Credit: Parkway Queen's University Belfast “We need two things: businesses’ hardest problems, and their partnership,” explains Dr. Stephen McCabe, Executive Director of Momentum One Zero, Northern Ireland’s applied innovation center for artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and wireless systems. This global initiative has three clear objectives: create measurable

Credit: Erik Jepsen/UC San Diego Situated at the heart of one of the world’s most dynamic innovation hubs, the University of California San Diego has played a defining role in shaping the regional ecosystem. Beyond educating the talent pipeline, the institution has built a deliberate strategy around industry partnerships, technology commercialization, and convening power — connecting industry, government, investors, and researchers into a highly integrated innovation network.

The European Union (EU) faces a moment of deep uncertainty around its economic and political future. Slow economic growth, rising energy costs, demographic shifts and increased global competition are putting pressure on the bloc's competitiveness. At the same time, the green and digital transitions demand unprecedented levels of investment and innovation to secure Europe's leadership position on the global stage. To unpack this complex scenario, Dr. Jan Mládek, Director of th

A newly released report provides a comprehensive account of discussions and lessons learned during the Lisbon Study Trip hosted by the Catholic University of Portugal in July last year. The GFCC Community traveled to the Portuguese capital to explore the local innovation ecosystem and to unpack the strategy behind the city's transformation into a leading hub for innovation in Europe and globally. The agenda included panel discussions and site visits to leading innovation site

The GFCC has launched its 2025-2026 Annual Report - Advancing Competitiveness in an Era of Disruption and Discontinuity , offering a comprehensive account of the organization’s activities, initiatives, partnerships, and global impact over the past year. The Annual Report provides a short summary of key discussions held globally, the publications produced, the partnerships strengthened, and the strategic initiatives advanced throughout the year. Leading in Global Events In 2

The Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center at UNO. Credit: University of Nebraska System. The GFCC is pleased to welcome the University of Nebraska System to its network of global institutions committed to shaping the future of higher education and advancing place-making innovation. The University of Nebraska System comprises four campus (Kearney, Omaha, Lincoln and the University of Nebraska Medical Center) and is ranked among the top 75 U.S. public universities in resear

Credit: AI-generated image. It seems that everywhere you turn these days, you come across an article about Artificial Intelligence. We have repeatedly seen how AI and its agents have the potential to automate tasks, enhance productivity, improve decision-making, and drive breakthrough scientific discoveries. At the same time, we have watched with growing concern as warnings emerge about mass job displacement, rising youth unemployment, ethical distortions, and the spread of

Credit: Notre Dame University website The GFCC is pleased to welcome the University of Notre Dame to its global network of thought-leading institutions shaping the future of higher education and innovation. Founded more than 180 years ago and located in South Bend, Indiana (USA), the University of Notre Dame is a preeminent global Catholic research university guided by a mission to serve humanity through education, research, and ethical leadership. Its work consistently bridg