Tokyo (SCCIJ) – The Consulate of Switzerland and Swissnex in Japan in collaboration with Swiss Business Hub Japan has hosted the Davos Debriefing under the theme “Rebuilding Trust,” reflecting the focus of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Annual Meeting 2024. About 80 visitors came to hear unique insights from Davos participants. Event partners were PDIE Group, TBM, Interbeing, Suntory Holdings, the SCCIJ, and Vitality.Swiss.
The WEF Debriefing took place in Osaka for the third time since 2022 (© Swissnex in Japan).
“Rebuilding Trust”
The discussions during the more than 450 sessions at the WEF in Davos, with 3,000 leaders from government, business, and civil society from more than 125 countries, mostly addressed different challenges faced by the world, with AI as the biggest topic, a driving force for economy and society, as well as long-term strategies for climate, nature, and energy.
Consul of Switzerland and CEO of Swissnex in Japan, Dr. Felix Moesner, expressed enthusiasm for hosting the WEF Debriefing again and providing insight into the world-famous stage in the Swiss Alps where mega trends and solutions are discussed annually. He emphasized Switzerland’s commitment to education, research, and innovation, which shines through events like the WEF Debriefing, showcasing the country’s dedication to leveraging intellect and innovation to connect with the world.
Kiriko Honda, Interim Chief Representative Officer in Japan of the World Economic Forum set the tone with an explanation of the theme “Rebuilding Trust” of this year’s annual meeting. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the WEF annual meeting 2022 in May was held under the title “Turning Point”. One year later, the WEF annual meeting in 2023 put “Cooperation in a Fragmented World” into focus.
Davos impressions
Shinsaku Toyoshima, a News Presenter at TV Tokyo, recalled that VIPs like Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, and Anthony Blinken, US Secretary of State, walked by while he was interviewing somebody else. “As a journalist, you can just walk up to such people and speak to them,” he said. “That makes Davos a unique place: All the VIPs and heads of state give the feeling that we are like neighbors, like an uncle next door”.
Yu Miyaji, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of GLOBE, The Asahi Shimbun, talked about her experiences as a first-time visitor and participant in the WEF annual meeting. “Everyone gathers and sort of mingles in such a tiny place, almost like a village”, she said. “It’s just such a closeness, and I could tell that maybe this is where people would, of course secretly, have meetings or personally get to know each other which is probably the largest asset of the event.”
Tomoya Nakamura, General Manager of the sustainability start-up TBM and a member of the WEF unicorn community, said that his biggest takeaway was the opportunity to make highly relevant contacts. “The greatest asset for a startup company like us is the rich network with the global top leaders in our field, for example, the CEOs of an Asian conglomerate and a global chemical company,” he told the audience.
Christian Schmitz, Founder of PDIE Group, went to Davos for climate and biodiversity sustainability. He founded the Davos Climate Consortium with three other organizations. “The Forum is always from Monday to Friday, and we did the founding on Monday so that during the week we would have time basically to bring together startups and investors,” he explained. Schmitz also noticed the big efforts of Saudi Arabia to put itself on the map with a rapid modernization of its economy, in particular the Neom City in the desert.
Shoukei Matsumoto, Buddhist Monk and Founder of Interbeing, selected as WEF Young Global Leader in 2013, highlighted that the WEF also invites religious leaders to Davos. “I am wearing this attire all the time in the Congress Center and people come to me,” he said pointing to his monk robe. “It is very efficient because these people only want to talk to me about spiritual and religious things rather than business deals,” he recounted.
For about an hour, the panel answered questions from the audience about this year’s Davos meeting covering a wide range of topics. Pictures from the award-winning French-Turkish break dancer, choreographer, and photographer Yaman Okur were exhibited at the venue. Joseph Fowler, Head of Art and Culture at the World Economic Forum, had commissioned the exhibition.
Text: Martin Fritz for SCCIJ
