4th CfET Annual Conference 2027

Europe stands at a defining moment.

In recent years, policymakers, investors, and business leaders have focused on strengthening Europe's resilience in the face of geopolitical tensions, energy challenges, and technological disruption. Yet a critical question remains unresolved:

How can Europe build globally competitive companies at scale?

While Europe continues to generate world-class talent, cutting-edge research, and innovative technologies, too many promising firms struggle to grow into global champions. Capital remains fragmented, scaling pathways are often unclear, and investment continues to lag behind what is needed to support Europe's industrial and technological transformation.

The 4th Annual Conference of the Centre for European Transformation (CfET) brings together leading voices from business, finance, policymaking, and academia to explore what it will take to close this gap.

Under the theme "The Great Re-allocation: Building Globally Competitive European Firms," the conference will examine how Europe can mobilise capital, capabilities, and talent to support the next generation of globally competitive companies across strategic sectors, including advanced manufacturing, clean technologies, artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, and defence-related industries.

Participants will discuss:

• How capital can be channelled more effectively towards innovation and scale-up financing
• The role of public-private partnerships in accelerating industrial transformation
• What Europe can learn from global competitors in building world-leading firms
• How capital markets, regulation, and industrial policy can work together to support growth
• Which sectors offer the greatest opportunities for long-term competitiveness and value creation

Hosted at Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, the conference provides a unique platform for high-level dialogue between decision-makers shaping Europe's economic future. The programme combines keynote speeches, executive conversations, data-driven insights, and interactive discussions focused on translating strategy into action.

Building on the success of previous conferences featuring senior leaders from the European Commission, European Investment Bank, KfW, DWS, Deutsche Bank, KKR, and leading international universities, the 2027 edition aims to advance one of the most important debates of the decade:

How can Europe move from innovation to scale — and from potential to global leadership?

Join us in Frankfurt for a day of strategic dialogue, fresh perspectives, and meaningful connections at the intersection of finance, policy, and transformation.