Dalian [China], June 26: Against a backdrop of evolving geoeconomic realities and exponential innovation, the World Economic Forum brought together more than 1,800 global leaders from business, government, civil society, international organisations and academia for the 17th Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2026 in Dalian, China.
Across more than 200 sessions, the meeting underscored the urgency of value creation, with leaders exploring how technological breakthroughs can translate into economic value and broader progress for all. Discussions focused on the importance of the right investment architecture, policy frameworks and partnerships to scale innovation for the next era of growth.
Under the theme "Innovating at Scale", leaders and entrepreneurs explored how technology can be harnessed as a strategic opportunity and how its benefits can be shared widely and contribute to resilient growth. Sessions focused on the trends shaping Asian economies and China's economic outlook as well as the critical role of entrepreneurship, the energy transition and digital transformation in building more sustainable economic systems.
Participants examined how advances in AI, energy systems and natural capital are reshaping competitiveness, while discussions on jobs and skills focused on pathways to the next billion jobs and the structural transformation of work in an AI-driven economy.
Innovators were central to the meeting, with over 200 leaders from the Forum's innovator communities, including Technology Pioneers and a record number of unicorns, focused on moving emerging technologies from experimentation to deployment across industries.
"Technology is creating new opportunities for growth across industries and economies," said Larry Fink, Co-Chair, World Economic Forum. "Realizing that potential will depend on scaling innovation in ways that drive productivity, investment, and broader prosperity."
"The next phase of innovation is about closing the gap between technological potential and real-world economic impact, to translate breakthroughs into tangible progress for industry and people," said Alois Zwinggi, President and CEO, World Economic Forum. "Innovating at scale requires partnership across a range of sectors, including government, business, and academia. The meeting in Dalian focused on practical solutions that deliver growth for all."
Participants said that the implementation of technology like AI is quickly becoming a growth differentiator. They pointed to the huge progress that entrepreneurs in this space have already made, saying that the primary bottleneck to deep economic impact is no longer innovation, but readiness. This phase, they said, holds significant potential - for example across drug development, agriculture and novel uses of existing technologies - but they stressed that collaboration and partnership are key to ensuring the economic benefits of these advances are shared as widely as possible.
An estimated 40% of global employment is exposed to AI, highlighting the scale of the workforce transition ahead. Meeting this challenge will require investment in the enabling infrastructure, education, skills development and regulatory environments that allow entrepreneurship to flourish, new industries to emerge, and jobs to be created.
Source: Emirates News Agency
