EUROPE’S PLATFORM
FOR SCALE AND IMPACT
Powering Europe’s Scale-Up Engine:
From Selection to Acceleration
The future 500 Forum is Europe’s high-level platform for identifying, connecting and scaling the companies that will define Europe’s future.
- August 31
- Bled, Slovenia
Day at a glance
Setting the Frame
Morning programme location (09:00–14:30): Sokolski dom · Prešernova cesta 23
Master of Ceremonies: Alexandra Vacroux, Kyiv School of Economics, Harvard Davis Center
09:00–09:05 5 min
Opening
Opening Strategic Frame
Alexandra Vacroux, Kyiv School of Economics, Harvard Davis Center
Opening Strategic Frame
Alexandra Vacroux, Kyiv School of Economics, Harvard Davis Center
Naming the day’s single working question: not identification, but execution. Sets the frame every later session will answer against.
09:05–09:20 15 min
Keynote
Innovation Policy for Growth
Anže Logar, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy,
Labour and Sport, Republic of Slovenia
Innovation Policy for Growth
Anže Logar, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy, Labour and Sport, Republic of Slovenia
A high-signal political opening affirming national commitment to the scale-up agenda. Slovenia’s government stakes out its position first.
09:20–09:35 15 min
Keynote
Europe’s Competitiveness
Kerstin Jorna, Director-General, DG GROW, European Commission
Europe’s Competitiveness
Kerstin Jorna, Director-General, DG GROW, European Commission
What Europe must activate, not just identify, to remain competitive. A Brussels-level view of the policy levers DG GROW is prepared to pull.
09:35–09:50 15 min
EIC Keynote
Scaling What Matters
Michiel Scheffer, President of the Board, European Innovation
Council
Scaling What Matters
Michiel Scheffer, President of the Board, European Innovation Council
The conditions Europe’s best companies need to scale without leaving. The EIC’s read on what’s actually blocking growth-stage founders.
09:50–10:20 30 min
Panel
Where Capital Actually Stalls
Björn Tremmerie, EIF · Christoph Schoefboeck, Erste Bank Croatia ·
Adam Kostyál, Nasdaq · Aart Jan de Geus, ABP · Dinko Lucić,
PBZ-Intesa Sanpaolo · Moderator: Alexandra Vacroux, Kyiv School of
Economics, Harvard Davis Center
Where Capital Actually Stalls
Björn Tremmerie, EIF · Christoph Schoefboeck, Erste Bank Croatia · Adam Kostyál, Nasdaq · Aart Jan de Geus, ABP · Dinko Lucić, PBZ-Intesa Sanpaolo · Moderator: Alexandra Vacroux, Kyiv School of Economics, Harvard Davis Center
A live look at where Europe’s strongest companies lose momentum. EIF, Erste, Nasdaq, ABP and PBZ-Intesa Sanpaolo compare notes on where financing breaks down.
10:20–10:35 15 min
EIB Keynote
Mobilising at Scale
Marko Primorac, Vice-President, European Investment Bank
Mobilising at Scale
Marko Primorac, Vice-President, European Investment Bank
Why mobilisation speed, not capital availability, is the binding constraint. The EIB’s case for fixing deployment, not fund size.
10:35–10:50 15 min
Founders Keynote
Building Global Without Selling Out
Philipp Baaske, Co-Founder, NanoTemper Technologies
Building Global Without Selling Out
Philipp Baaske, Co-Founder, NanoTemper Technologies
A founder’s journey building a world-leading deep-tech company that stayed independent and global. A first-hand counter-example to the exit-or-relocate pattern.
10:50–11:10 20 min
Conversation
Innovation Scaling: Building Global Champions
Tommaso M. Valletti, Imperial College Business School, in dialogue
with Mili Sanwalka, Google DeepMind · Moderator: Alexandra
Vacroux, Kyiv School of Economics, Harvard Davis Center
Innovation Scaling: Building Global Champions
Tommaso M. Valletti, Imperial College Business School, in dialogue with Mili Sanwalka, Google DeepMind · Moderator: Alexandra Vacroux, Kyiv School of Economics, Harvard Davis Center
How today’s boldest innovations become globally significant. Introduces the joint Future 500 · UNIDO white paper on what turns innovation into global market share.
11:10–11:30 20 min
Conversation
From Reform to Scale: How Converging Economies Build Global
Champions
Andrej Plenković, Prime Minister of Croatia · Moderators:
Alexandra Vacroux, Kyiv School of Economics, Harvard Davis Center,
and Jörn Fleck, Atlantic Council
From Reform to Scale: How Converging Economies Build Global Champions
Andrej Plenković, Prime Minister of Croatia · Moderators: Alexandra Vacroux, Kyiv School of Economics, Harvard Davis Center, and Jörn Fleck, Atlantic Council
A reflection on the reforms that build credibility, and the conditions that turn credibility into global companies.
11:30–12:10 40 min
Panel
Conditions for Scaling: Life Sciences as a Lens
Nathalie Moll, EFPIA · Oliver Bleck, Roche · Philipp Rösler,
Former Vice-Chancellor of Germany · Aymeric Royère, Novartis
Slovenia · Moderator: Stjepan Orešković, Future 500
Conditions for Scaling: Life Sciences as a Lens
Nathalie Moll, EFPIA · Oliver Bleck, Roche · Philipp Rösler, Former Vice-Chancellor of Germany · Aymeric Royère, Novartis Slovenia · Moderator: Stjepan Orešković, Future 500
Europe’s clearest scale-up success story — and exactly what it stands to lose. EFPIA, Roche, Novartis and a former Vice-Chancellor weigh in on what could unravel it.
Future 100 Slovenia — Live Reveal
Slovenia’s first data-driven scale-up ranking — the Future 500 methodology tested live, in four connected moments.
12:30–12:45 15 min
Opening Conversation
Leon Korošec, State Secretary, Ministry for Economy, Labour and
Sport · Tamara Zajec Balažič, SPIRIT Slovenia · Moderator: Nina
Remškar, IEDC – Bled School of Management
Opening Conversation
Leon Korošec, State Secretary, Ministry for Economy, Labour and Sport · Tamara Zajec Balažič, SPIRIT Slovenia · Moderator: Nina Remškar, IEDC – Bled School of Management
An exchange opening the day’s flagship reveal. Sets the scene for why government is backing this specific ranking.
12:45–13:00 15 min
Why Future 100 Is Credible + First Reveal
Stjepan Orešković, Future 500 · Peter Wostner, UMAR · Jovan
Pavićević, Better · Sean Kennedy, Data Weavers · Primož Potočnik,
EBONITETE.SI
Why Future 100 Is Credible + First Reveal
Stjepan Orešković, Future 500 · Peter Wostner, UMAR · Jovan Pavićević, Better · Sean Kennedy, Data Weavers · Primož Potočnik, EBONITETE.SI
From 203.000+ companies screened to 603 scale-ups · 7 dimensions · 19 indicators — the first national implementation of FUTURE 500 Index and public unveiling of FUTURE 100 scale-ready Slovenian companies.
13:00–13:25 25 min
Founders Roundtable
FUTURE 100 companies + Wild Card companies · Moderator: Charlotte Taft,
Pan-Adria Partners, Slovenia
Founders Roundtable
FUTURE 100 companies + Wild Card companies · Moderator: Charlotte Taft, Pan-Adria Partners, Slovenia
One question, four founders: what would most accelerate your ability to scale? Unscripted answers from inside the newly revealed list.
13:25–13:40 15 min
Panel
The Next Leap: When Scale Becomes Strategic
Grzegorz Wrochna, Creotech Instruments · Gordan Kolak, KONČAR ·
Ines Rocha, IFC – World Bank Group · Moderator: Alexandra Vacroux,
Kyiv School of Economics, Harvard Davis Center
The Next Leap: When Scale Becomes Strategic
Grzegorz Wrochna, Creotech Instruments · Gordan Kolak, KONČAR · Ines Rocha, IFC – World Bank Group · Moderator: Alexandra Vacroux, Kyiv School of Economics, Harvard Davis Center
European technology and investment leaders explore how scale transforms companies into industrial capacity, critical infrastructure and global competitiveness.
13:40–14:00 20 min
From Selection to Growth
Nina Dremelj, VC Vesna · Marko Bombač, Ljubljana Stock Exchange ·
Tomislav Čizmić, Telemach · Klemen Šešok, ISKRA · Moderator: Ajša
Vodnik, AmCham Slovenia and AmChams in Europe
From Selection to Growth
Nina Dremelj, VC Vesna · Marko Bombač, Ljubljana Stock Exchange · Tomislav Čizmić, Telemach · Klemen Šešok, ISKRA · Moderator: Ajša Vodnik, AmCham Slovenia and AmChams in Europe
What capital, banking, and industry say it actually takes to scale. Capital markets respond directly to what the founders just raised.
14:00–14:25 25 min
Panel
EU Enlargement as a Competitiveness Opportunity
Beata Daszyńska-Muzyczka, Three Seas Business Council · Marko
Makovec, DG ENEST · Valbona Zeneli, Atlantic Council · Guillaume
Klossa, EuropaNova · Moderator: Jörn Fleck, Atlantic Council
EU Enlargement as a Competitiveness Opportunity
Beata Daszyńska-Muzyczka, Three Seas Business Council · Marko Makovec, DG ENEST · Valbona Zeneli, Atlantic Council · Guillaume Klossa, EuropaNova · Moderator: Jörn Fleck, Atlantic Council
Voices from EU member states, enlargement candidates, and the EU institutions. Considers how enlargement reshapes the addressable market for scale-ups.
14:25–14:30 5 min
Closing
Closing of the Morning Session
Stjepan Orešković, Future 500
Closing of the Morning Session
Stjepan Orešković, Future 500
Naming the room’s immediate execution priorities before lunch. A short, deliberate close, not a recap.
Working Tracks
Europe is learning to fund its champions. The harder test is keeping them.
Location: IEDC – Bled School of Management · Prešernova cesta 33
A115:30–16:10 · 40 min
Capital Without Friction
Christoph Schoefboeck, Erste Bank Croatia · Miljan Ždrale, EBRD
· Andreas Zaby, SPRIN-D · Moderator: Carin-Isabel Knoop, Harvard
Business School
Capital Without Friction
Christoph Schoefboeck, Erste Bank Croatia · Miljan Ždrale, EBRD · Andreas Zaby, SPRIN-D · Moderator: Carin-Isabel Knoop, Harvard Business School
Capital exists. The friction is in how it moves. A working session on removing the structural barriers that prevent capital from reaching Europe’s scale-ups faster, earlier and with greater conviction.
A216:10–16:50 · 40 min
Talent Pools & the People Who Build It
Medeja Lončar, Siemens · Zoja Kukić Djordjevič, FEFA · Lovro
Mršić, Student Rep · Balázs Heidrich, Budapest
University of Economics and Business · Dwight Thompson, Ontario
Tech University · Moderator: Niko Slavnič, IEDC
Talent Pools & the People Who Build It
Medeja Lončar, Siemens · Zoja Kukić Djordjevič, FEFA · Lovro Mršić, Student Rep · Balázs Heidrich, Budapest University of Economics and Business · Dwight Thompson, Ontario Tech University · Moderator: Niko Slavnič, IEDC
A humanology lens on leadership, mobility, and who actually stays. Practitioners, academics and a student voice in the same room.
Where in South-East Europe is the next global champion already being built?
Location: IEDC – Bled School of Management · Prešernova cesta 33
B115:30–16:10 · 40 min
New Regions: Selection to Deployment in cooperation with UNIDO
Michiel Scheffer, EIC · Matej Rus, Tovarna Podjemov · Vuk Lau,
Silicon Gardens · Adnan Šerić, UNIDO · Paweł Nierada, Three Seas
Business Council · Moderator: Valbona Zeneli, Atlantic Council’s
Europe Center
New Regions: Selection to Deployment in cooperation with UNIDO
Michiel Scheffer, EIC · Matej Rus, Tovarna Podjemov · Vuk Lau, Silicon Gardens · Adnan Šerić, UNIDO · Paweł Nierada, Three Seas Business Council · Moderator: Valbona Zeneli, Atlantic Council’s Europe Center
This session explores how cross-border collaboration, industrial partnerships, access to capital and coordinated support can turn the region’s most promising innovators into global champions.
B216:10–16:50 · 40 min
Europe’s Untapped Potential
Nina Meglič, ReCatalyst · Sébastien Guillo, Blunomy · Igor Rudan,
The Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh · Ana Struna
Bregar, CER · Moderator: Alenka Recelj Mercina, WCLN
Europe’s Untapped Potential
Nina Meglič, ReCatalyst · Sébastien Guillo, Blunomy · Igor Rudan, The Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh · Ana Struna Bregar, CER · Moderator: Alenka Recelj Mercina, WCLN
Bridging the competitiveness divide across Central and Eastern Europe. Heard through a Future 100 company’s own experience.
Conversations Continue at Meet & Greet
Conversations continue for all participants.
All participants
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Future 500 Forum · 31 August 2026 · Live from Bled, Slovenia
In partnership with the Bled Strategic Forum