This year, CzechInvest and CzechStartups.org was once again present as a partner at the most prestigious economic and technological conference in Central and Eastern Europe, Impact CEE 2024. This event provides a space for meetings and discussions on the influence of technology, business, and innovation. The conference aims to connect key players from the technology industry, business, investment, and government institutions to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing.
Impact is an event with rich networking opportunities, allowing participants to connect with top executives from the world’s leading companies, policymakers, regulatory bodies, scientists, experts, startups, investors, and top speakers.
The conference featured a comprehensive range of lectures, panel discussions, and workshops from 650 leading experts and notable figures, spread across 9 stages and 23 thematic blocks. Topics ranged from AI, digitalization, technology, innovation, startups, the current geopolitical situation, mental health, green economy, culture, to women’s rights and empowerment.
Names such as Michelle Obama, Sanna Marin, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Esther Perel, Huma Abedin, Timothy Snyder, Alexander Soros, Peter Zeihan, Mark Barnett, Chris Bailey, and many others were among the speakers at Impact’24.
As part of the side programme, participants could visit the so-called “Startup Arena.” Among the startups, we could have also find two Czech ones – Dolbite, which showcased its pitch, and Stavario, which had its booth there.
Participants could also visit an art exhibition or run in the Impact marathon! Both days of the conference were truly packed and multidisciplinary!
On the main stage, the focus was primarily on the highly popular and relevant topic of AI, which is currently permeating and transforming many fields and areas of human life. AI is often compared to the modern internet, which was similarly transformative for society and provoked similar distrust in its early days. Experts shared their views on the ethics of AI, legislative boundaries, and a human-centric approach – humans should always be prioritized, and AI should enable their realization. The importance of AI in healthcare and its role in politics – its influence on populism and combating disinformation – was also discussed.
One more Impact conference awaits us this year, on October 23-24 in Bucharest, and of course, we can look forward to next year’s conference, scheduled for May 14-15, 2025! Save the date and see you there!
