The Helsinki Symposium on “The Year Ahead – Setting the Agenda” will convene experts, policymakers, and professionals to chart the key geoeconomic challenges and opportunities shaping 2025. This forward-looking event will examine emerging trends in geopolitics, economics, and governance, providing participants with actionable insights and a roadmap for strategic decision-making in the year ahead. Through a hybrid format, the symposium will enable meaningful collaboration between in-person and virtual attendees worldwide.

Date and Location:

January 28, 2025, 14:00-15:15 EET (12:00-13:15 GMT), Helsinki (Hybrid Format)

Theme:

Navigating Emerging Geoeconomic Trends in 2025

Featured Speakers and Moderators:

We are honored to host a distinguished lineup of speakers and moderators who bring exceptional expertise in geopolitics, economics, and governance. Their insights will provide a comprehensive understanding of the forces shaping geoeconomic trends in 2025.

• Denis Redonnet, Deputy Director-General – Chief Trade Enforcement Officer, Directorate-General TRADE, European Commission
• Stefan Lindström, Ambassador of Technology, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland
• Adam Dixon, Adam Smith Chair in Sustainable Capitalism, Adam Smith’s Panmure House, Heriot-Watt University
• Inu Manak, Fellow for Trade Policy, Council on Foreign Relations (to be confirmed)
• Michael John Williams, Director of the Carnegie-Maxwell Policy Planning Lab, Associate Professor, Syracuse University, Senior Non-Resident Fellow, Atlantic Council

Moderators:

• • Shruti Punia, Helsinki Geoeconomics School
  • Dan Hanqvist, Helsinki Geoeconomics School

Background and Rationale:

The rapidly evolving global landscape demands a proactive and informed approach to understanding and addressing geoeconomic challenges. The Helsinki Symposium offers a platform to identify critical developments, analyze their implications, and set a strategic agenda for the coming year. With contributions from leading voices in academia, policymaking, and industry, this event will provide a comprehensive outlook on the forces shaping geoeconomic dynamics in 2025.

Objectives:

1. To identify and analyze emerging geoeconomic trends and their implications for 2025.
2. To provide a strategic framework for navigating the challenges and opportunities in geopolitics, economics, and governance.
3. To foster dialogue and collaboration among key stakeholders in geoeconomics.

Key Themes:

1. Geoeconomic Forecasting: Insights into macroeconomic trends and geopolitical shifts.
2. Strategic Resilience: Preparing for uncertainty and volatility in global markets.
3. Regional Perspectives: Examining the role of Europe and other key regions in shaping the global agenda.
4. Policy and Corporate Strategies: Exploring actionable approaches for stakeholders to address emerging challenges.

Hybrid Format:

This symposium will leverage a hybrid format to ensure broad accessibility and engagement:

• In-Person: Held at a premier venue in Helsinki, providing opportunities for face-to-face networking and discussion.
• Online: Featuring live-streamed sessions and interactive tools for virtual participants.

Key Takeaways:

Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the key geoeconomic trends expected to dominate 2025, practical strategies for resilience, and the opportunity to engage with a global community of experts and decision-makers.

The Helsinki Symposium on “The Intellectual Origins of Geoeconomics” will provide a unique platform for scholars, policymakers, and professionals to explore the historical and conceptual roots of geoeconomic strategy. The symposium will critically analyze the evolution of geoeconomic ideas, their application in statecraft, and their implications for contemporary global challenges. Designed as a hybrid event, it will foster collaboration and dialogue among in-person and virtual participants from around the world.

Date and Location: 

February 28, 2025, Helsinki (Hybrid Format)

Theme: 

Tracing the Evolution of Geoeconomic Thought and Strategy

Background and Rationale:

As geoeconomics gains prominence as a framework for understanding the interplay between economic and geopolitical power, it is essential to examine its intellectual foundations. This symposium will revisit key theoretical contributions, identify shifts in geoeconomic paradigms, and discuss the role of economic tools in global strategy-making. The event will also consider the intellectual trajectories that shape the relationship between geoeconomics, geopolitics, and governance.

Objectives:

1. To explore the intellectual history and foundational ideas underpinning geoeconomics.
2. To analyze the interplay between economic and geopolitical power in historical and contemporary contexts.
3. To engage leading experts in discussing the implications of geoeconomic theory for policy and strategy.

Key Themes:

1. Historical Foundations: Key thinkers and milestones in geoeconomic thought.
2. Theoretical Intersections: The nexus of economics, geopolitics, and governance.
3. Contemporary Relevance: Applying geoeconomic ideas to current global challenges.

Hybrid Format:

This symposium will feature a seamless hybrid setup:

• In-Person: Held at a premier venue in Helsinki.
• Online: Interactive participation via live streaming and virtual Q&A sessions.

Key Takeaways:

Participants will gain an enriched understanding of the intellectual origins of geoeconomics, practical insights into its application, and the opportunity to engage with thought leaders in the field.

The Singapore Geoeconomics Forum 2025 will address the pressing challenges and opportunities arising from the strategic use of legal frameworks in a multipolar world. Bringing together global experts, policymakers, and academics, the Forum will provide a platform to examine the dynamics of economic lawfare, Southeast Asia’s strategic role, and the launch of the Collaborative Master Project on Economic Lawfare (COMPEL). This event promises to deliver cutting-edge insights and foster meaningful collaboration in geoeconomic strategy.

Theme:

Setting the Stage for Geolegal Strategy: Lawfare in a Multipolar World

Date:

March 28, 2025

Location:

Singapore (Hybrid Format: In-person and Online Participation)

Overview:

The Singapore Geoeconomics Forum 2025 will delve into the pivotal role of economic lawfare—the strategic use of legal frameworks as tools of economic and geopolitical influence—in today’s increasingly multipolar world. Hosted collaboratively by Professor Henry Gao of Singapore Management University and Dr. Jens Hillebrand Pohl of the Helsinki Geoeconomics Institute, the event aims to explore Southeast Asia’s dynamic response to these evolving geolegal challenges.

Key Objectives:

1. Examine Lawfare as a Geoeconomic Strategy: Gain insights into how states leverage legal frameworks to achieve geopolitical and economic goals.
2. Regional Focus on Southeast Asia: Understand the region’s critical role in navigating and countering global geolegal pressures.
3. Launch of COMPEL: Introduce the Collaborative Master Project on Economic Lawfare (COMPEL), a groundbreaking framework designed to support independent research projects and foster coordinated impact.

Themes:

• Economic Lawfare: Explore the weaponization of legal tools in trade, investment, and digital governance.
• Southeast Asia’s Strategic Role: Assess how the region balances economic openness with sovereignty amidst global pressures.
• Digital Sovereignty and Supply Chains: Address challenges in data governance and supply chain security specific to Southeast Asia.
• Multilateral and Regional Cooperation: Highlight ASEAN’s potential role in mitigating geolegal rivalries and promoting stability.

Hybrid Format:

To maximize participation and engagement, the Forum will be conducted in a hybrid format, with in-person sessions hosted at a premier venue in Singapore and live-streamed for virtual attendees. Interactive Q&A tools will ensure active engagement for online participants.

Registration Details:

• In-Person Attendance: Limited seats available on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Online Participation: Open to a global audience with full access to live sessions and Q&A opportunities.

Why Attend?

• Gain cutting-edge insights into the role of lawfare in shaping geoeconomic strategies.
• Network with leading experts, policymakers, and corporate leaders in the field.
• Be part of the launch of COMPEL, a transformative initiative for advancing research on economic lawfare.

More information will be provided closer to the event date.