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Chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh at 2025 Global Innovation Summit held at the university. When University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Joan Gabel describes her roles across university leadership, corporate boards and national policy, she does not treat them as separate lanes. In her words, they are similar conversations happening in different rooms. Last month, Forbes named her to its 50 Over 50 list, which recognizes women who have reached the top of their careers or

Next month, Sofia will host the 2026 Global Innovation Summit. From October 19 to 22, leaders from over 19 countries, including university presidents, CEOs, government officials and other senior leaders, will gather in the city. Under the theme “Powering Competitiveness: Energy, Infrastructure and Digital Innovation for Economic Transformation,” this global dialogue will focus on the critical drivers powering competitiveness today: infrastructure, energy and digital transfor

The GFCC has signed a new collaboration agreement with its member Universidade Católica Portuguesa (UCP) to join the executive training program CEO Future Ready Academy as a global partner, alongside the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIP) and COTEC Portugal. The Academy, delivered through Católica-Lisbon School of Business and Economics, centers on the "Accelerating Internationalization" program, a Board and C-suite course focused on strategic thinking, intern

The GFCC is proud to welcome The American College of Greece (ACG) to its global network of universities, businesses, government agencies, and organizations committed to advancing competitiveness best practices and cross-border collaboration. Founded in 1875, ACG is the oldest and largest US-accredited institution in Europe, offering education from pre-kindergarten through executive MBA and serving roughly 5,000 university students, with more than 2,000 international students

The GFCC is proud to welcome Landmark Communications, a Tirana-based communications and advertising agency, to its global network of corporations and organizations advancing competitiveness and innovation worldwide. Founded in 2011, Landmark Communications has grown into one of Albania's leading full-service agencies, working across marketing, advertising, digital, and public relations for government institutions, international organizations, and household brands across the r

Societies have entered a new paradigm shaped by AI's impact on work, life, and learning. To unpack this reality, the GFCC and Torrens University Australia launched The Human Edge: Global Perspectives on AI and Prosperity last July, a report exploring how leaders across 32 countries view the human-AI transition and where governments, businesses, universities, and other stakeholders should invest to achieve shared prosperity. Systems thinking consultant and professor Aurélio L.

The GFCC will convene the 2026 Global Innovation Summit (GIS) in Sofia, Bulgaria, from October 19-22, hosted by corporate member Glavbolgarstroy Holding AD (GBS), one of the largest construction groups in Southeastern Europe. Leaders from over 15 countries, including university presidents, CEOs, and government officials, have confirmed attendance. Under the theme "Powering Competitiveness: Energy, Infrastructure and Digital Innovation for Economic Transformation," the Summit

Tsukuba is Japan's leading science city. This planned research hub about 50 kilometers northeast of central Tokyo was built around a concentration of national research institutions and the University of Tsukuba. The city is now home to close to 160 research institutions and around 300 startups that have been established over the years in connection with the university. However, this research concentration has not automatically translated into shared priorities, trusted interf

Europe hosts world-class researchers, strong industrial sectors and reputed universities, but still faces persistent difficulty converting knowledge into industrial scale, productivity growth, and globally visible technology companies. The US, for instance, has built six companies with market valuations above one trillion dollars — a scale of corporate value Europe has yet to produce. For GFCC member Dr. Bernadett Petri, Managing Director at the Hungarian Development Promotio

The GFCC is pleased to announce that Mr. Clifton Foster has been appointed a Distinguished Fellow, joining a select group of thought leaders contributing to our mission of accelerating competitiveness and innovation around the world. Mr. Foster has built a career at the intersection of international finance, economic policy, and global investment, advising governments, financial institutions, corporations, and private investors on international finance, investment, trade, and

What strategic capabilities are needed to power competitiveness over the next decade? What role can regional cooperation play to ensure energy security? Between October 19–22, senior leaders from government, industry and academia from across the globe will gather in Sofia, Bulgaria, to explore how energy security, future energy grids, infrastructure investment, AI and digital innovation, and next-generation nuclear energy are driving — or constraining — economic transformatio

The next GFCC study trip destination has been set. On the week of February 15, 2027, the GFCC Community will travel to Tsukuba, Japan's leading science city and one of the country's most concentrated hubs of research, technology, and innovation. The visit hosted by Tsukuba Global Innovation Promotion Agency (TGI), in partnership with the University of Tsukuba, marks the program's first stop in Asia, following previous editions in Birmingham, Lisbon, and San Diego. Tsukuba, 56

The GFCC, in partnership with its member Torrens University Australia, has launched a new report examining how societies and organizations are navigating the human-AI transition. The Human Edge: Global Perspectives on AI and Prosperity is now available for download. The report was developed through the GFCC's Global Task Force on Human and AI, chaired by Torrens University Australia Vice-Chancellor Prof. Aleks Subic. It draws on a global survey conducted between November 2025

GFCC member the Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT) was tasked by the national government with a consequential assignment: identify what STEM capabilities Malaysia will need to compete globally through 2040. The result is The Future of STEM Talent in Malaysia, a foresight report that uses a Delphi Approach to map critical STEM capabilities across a 2025–2040 horizon. At the GFCC June Monthly Call, Dr. Tan Shu Ying, Senior Principal Analyst at M

Credit: Erik Jepsen/UC San Diego San Diego, home to one of the world's most vibrant innovation ecosystems, is the destination of the next GFCC Study Trip. On July 22–23, global leaders from Japan, Romania, Hungary, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United States, representing government, academia, and the private sector, will gather in the city to explore the drivers, strategic frameworks, and innovation toolkits powering the region's ecosystem. Hosted by GFCC member the Uni

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

Prof. Aleks Subic, Vice-Chancellor of Torrens University Australia at the university campus in Flinders Street, Melbourne. 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 secto

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