Social energy will move Open Eyes Economy 2023

Krakow as the Congress Host

The capital of the Małopolska region has for several years been a European leader in attractiveness for the modern business services industry, and more recently also for research and development centres. Financial institutions and high-tech companies are investing in Poland, and start-ups are also thriving. In fact, at every level, all of these industries - from sole proprietorships to global giants - are constantly developing new areas and relying on innovation. The BSS sector in Krakow currently consists of more than 260 companies employing around 100,000 people, and we have more than 500 technology companies with nearly 50,000 IT employees, as well as 9,000 IT students. In addition, the supply of office space has quadrupled in just a few years – currently boasting 1.75 million sq. m.

It should therefore come as no surprise that a congress bringing together representatives of the economy, business and local government is doing so well in Krakow. This is also an event that pays special attention to social relations and the economy of values.

“This is a one-of-a-kind economic congress in which we prove that business and the economy not only can, but should be based on social values. A distinguishing feature of the summit is Open Eyes’ own unique philosophy around the need to build a responsible civil society, calling for responsibility also from businesses and the government,” - its organisers say.

OEES - generator of social energy - is the slogan of the eighth edition of the International Congress on Value Economics, Open Eyes Economy Summit. The main publication discussed at the event will be the Citizen Generators of Social Energy report, conclusions of which, i.e. a diagnosis of social energy potential in Poland and practical recommendations, will be presented by its co-authors: Cezary Obracht-Prondzyński - Gdansk University, Kuba Wygnanski – the Shipyard Foundation and Joanna Sadzik – the ‘Wiosna’ Association.

The event will also include a presentation of the second edition of the Poland Economic Credibility Index, an expert report on the state of the Polish economy. This year, in addition to Poland, the authors also took a closer look at V4 countries. The report will thus show our country’s economic credibility compared to that of its ‘peers’ – the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.

OEES is an initiative for every socially sensitive person, for all those who care about change and are open to dialogue. Who are you most likely to meet during the congress? Economists, representatives of academia, the media, NGOs, and institutions from both the private and public sectors.

The meetings agenda will be divided thematically into 4 areas:

• business - idea:
  • ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) - the invited experts will explain the current and future importance for companies, the environment and the environment in which entrepreneurs operate to effectively implement sustainability strategies into their organisation and ESG reporting.
  • business - health - environment - we will talk about how important it is in running a business to look after the health and well-being of employees
• city - idea:
  • energy urban regeneration - cities show the greatest potential for change, they are sources of innovation and good practice;
  • tailor-made local governments - the fate of local governments will be crucial to the future of cities in the years to come, which is why it is so relevant to understand whether it is built on solid financial foundations or dependent on government support and reduced to performing administrative functions;
• brand - culture:
  • generators of social energy - for some, social energy means a kind of resource, power, authority, which refers mainly to politics (power), but also to business. Another understanding focuses on knowledge, as it determines how individual entities operate;
  • artificial intelligence civilisation - this raises the fear of job losses and disruption of social relations, but what should we know about it? What new opportunities are opening up for development: industries, forms of employment, technological solutions?
• international order - we live in times in which the border between domestic and foreign policy is blurring. It is not only concepts and strategies that matter, but also the ways in which power is exercised within countries.

A detailed agenda with a list of speakers can be found on the website. 

Art plays an important role in creating the reality around us, which is why the Congress will traditionally be accompanied by art events in the Open Eyes Art Festival series, which this year will be held from 7 to 23 November. The festival will provide space for both famous, recognised artists and young art students at the beginning of their journey to present their work. The Open Eyes Economy Summit will also host a screening of Ewa Ewart’s documentary titled Do ostatniej kropli [To the Last Drop], which was awarded at the Monte Carlo Television Festival, among others, and the Congress Centre will be filled with performance art by Łukasz Błażejewski.