For the 14th time, Vienna Economic Forum (VEF), the European economic platform based in Vienna, brought together on 6 November 2017, at the Novomatic Forum, high-level representatives and visionaries from economy, politics, and diplomacy from the region, from Europe, and other continents. Established in 2004, the goal of Vienna Economic Forum is to promote economic and regional cooperation between enterprises from its member countries, which include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Austria, Romania, Slovenia, Türkiye, and Ukraine.

Novomatic CEO and Vice-President of Vienna Economic Forum, Harald Neumann, together with the Secretary General of Vienna Economic Forum, Ambassador Dr. Elena Kirtcheva, the newly elected President of Vienna Economic Forum, Dr. Günther Rabensteiner, and Heinz Fischer, Federal President of Austria (2004–2016) and Patron of Vienna Economic Forum, welcomed high-ranking participants from 38 countries to the 14th Vienna Economic Forum. In his speech, the Prime Minister of Macedonia, H.E. Zoran Zaev,underlined the important role Vienna Economic Forum plays in addressing the challenges of the region, particularly in the context of EU integration and in fostering suitable instruments to strengthen the interaction between economy and politics.

This year, the 14th Vienna Economic Forum – Vienna Future Dialogue 2017 – was held under the Motto “Economy Meets Politics.” In this context, the discussions also addressed emerging dynamics and transformations in economic life resulting from advancing digitalization, as well as the role of regional cooperation as part of European integration. In their opening statements, Günther Rabensteiner and Ambassador Dr. Elena Kirtcheva emphasized the importance of this pro-European economic platform, which, with seat in Vienna, continuously promotes regional economic cooperation. Both expressed their gratitude to the partners of Vienna Economic Forum for the 14 years of continued success. Investment agencies were highlighted as playing a key role through their experience in fostering a better investment climate in the Region of Vienna Economic Forum.

However, there were also critical voices – calling for more pragmatism in the development of regional infrastructure. The investment projects of the European Commission in the Western Balkans were another focal point. Representatives from the respective regions in both economy and politics shared their experiences in engaging and dynamic discussions with a visibly interested audience.

“Vienna Economic Forum strengthens cooperation particularly in Central, Southern, and South-Eastern Europe and forms a strong network between economy and politics. Novomatic, as one of the largest gaming technology groups worldwide, generates a quarter of its revenue in this region. Thanks to our early market entry, we were able to establish an excellent position there. The strong network of Vienna Economic Forum supports us in maintaining this position in the long term,” stated Harald Neumann, CEO of Novomatic AG and Vice-President of Vienna Economic Forum.

The first session, moderated by Dr. Ogniam Donev, Chairman of the Board of Directors & Executive Director of Sopharma PLC and Vice-President of Vienna Economic Forum, focused on the topic “We live in a digital time! Visions and investors’ response.” Pragmatic presentations, shared experiences, and visions regarding the role of investments as drivers of competitiveness and growth, as well as the global impact of digitalization, were further topics on the agenda.

As a long-standing member of Vienna Economic Forum, Novomatic – in addition to providing the venue – contributed valuable expertise and gained new insights. Vienna Economic Forum represents an important platform for Novomatic, as its network focuses particularly on those countries in Central, Southern, and South-Eastern Europe that belong to Novomatic’s core markets. Due to its early engagement, the Novomatic Group succeeded in securing an excellent position in these countries.

 

Courtesy translation by VEF. To access the transcript of the original Article, please switch to the German version of the VEF-Web by clicking the flag above.