CHAMPIONS OF GROWTH – BRUSSELS
- The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)
- March 24, 2026
- From €10 Billion to the Trillion Ambition
Advancing Europe’s Scale-Up Agenda at Policy Level
Champions of Growth – Brussels 2026 is the flagship event of the Future 500 initiative and builds directly on the exceptionally successful launch of Future 500 at the 2025 Bled Strategic Forum (BSF).
Scheduled for March 2026 in Brussels, with a High-Level Speakers – Leadership Dinner followed by a full-day conference at the The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), Champions of Growth brings together Europe’s leading founders, investors, ministers, and global partners around a single strategic question:
What would it take for a European founder to build a trillion-scale company—and keep it European in ownership, governance, and values?
Under the theme “From €10 Billion to the Trillion Ambition – What Europe Needs to Win the Global Growth Race,”
The conference marks a major milestone in the Future 500 agenda and provides a structured contribution to European competitiveness debates, BSF 2026, and the emerging Transatlantic Growth Dialogue.
The conference focuses on
Europe stands at a critical crossroads in the global growth race.
This is not just a conference; it is a structured contribution to Europe’s long-term economic direction and strategic confidence
- Europe’s productive forces and the central role of entrepreneurs
- Europe–US comparative insights on scaling companies
- Capital markets, policy, and talent frameworks for long-term growth
- Founders of Europe’s fastest-growing and most strategic technology companies
Featured Voices
Maria Luís Albuquerque
Ionuţ Sibian
Guillaume Klossa
Philipp Rösler
Maria João Rodrigues
Why you should join us?
We are gathering Europe’s leading founders, institutional investors, and policymakers to move from vision to execution.
The agenda focuses on the “Science of Scaling” and the launch of the Trillion Growth Playbook.
Mobilising Capital: Aligning financial architecture with innovation-driven growth and deepening capital markets.
Defeating Fragmentation: Utilizing policy levers to unlock the Single Market and provide even access to capital.
Cultural Foundations: Exploring the industrial heritage and family-anchored ownership models required to sustain generational growth.
Geopolitics of Growth: Positioning EU enlargement as a competitiveness imperative that expands market size and strengthens resilience.
Participation is by invitation only.
Seats are limited; once capacity is reached, a waiting list will be made available.
This high-level event is organized by IEDC-Bled School of Management, through the Future 500 initiative, in cooperation with the Atlantic Council.
Champions of Growth – Brussels 2026 marks both a milestone and a starting point — initiating deeper, sustained engagement between Europe’s growth companies and its decision-making core.
As Europe navigates the next decade of industrial transformation, digitalisation, and strategic autonomy, the ability to scale will be decisive. This event is dedicated to ensuring that the conversation moves from ambition to implementation.
Founding Partners
Partners
General Sponsor
Outreach Partners
Tech Partners
