Inspiring our Future
Horasis convened the 2018 Horasis Global Meeting in Cascais, Portugal over 5-8 May, held in partnership with the City of Cascais and the Portuguese Government. The annual Horasis Global Meeting is one of the world’s foremost gatherings of business leaders who interact with key government officials and eminent thought leaders. The Horasis community of more than 600 world leaders from 70 countries gathered for an unparalleled experience advancing solutions to the most critical challenges facing corporations and societies today. Participants shared insights and innovations on how to jointly inspire our future. Download the report and visit the photo gallery.
Maria Manuel Leitão Marques, Minister of the Presidency and of Administrative Modernisation, Portugal, welcomed delegates on behalf of the Portuguese government: ‘The prospects for economic growth are positive and strong,’ she said and welcomed delegates to increase their investments into Portugal. ‘Technology will destroy jobs, but it will create others we cannot even imagine. Europe is well positioned to embrace technology,’ added Carlos Moedas, European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, Belgium. In the same vein, Kristian Jensen, Minister of Finance, Denmark, highlighted the role of Europe: ‘Europe needs to be the world’s leader in technology, economy and peace,’ he said. John Glen, Economic Secretary to the Treasury and City Minister, United Kingdom, appealed for a good and rational agreement between the UK and the EU that could benefit both parties. ‘EU must offer an agenda of hope,’ summarized José Manuel Barroso, Chairman Goldman Sachs International, Former President, European Commission.
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| Maria Manuel Leitão Marques, Minister of the Presidency and of Administrative Modernisation, Portugal | Ulisses Correia e Silva, Prime Minister of Cape Verde |
Ulisses Correia e Silva, Prime Minister of Cape Verde, gave a positive outlook of the country’s economy as economic policies and programmes begin to pay off. ‘It is time for Africa to take control of its own destiny,’ opined Robert Dussey, Minister of Foreign Affairs & Cooperation, Togo, on a plenary on sustainable development. According to Sérgio Sá Leitão, Minister of Culture of Brazil, Brazil is recovering from an economic crisis – the government is stimulating cultural entrepreneurship as ‘imagination is the largest wealth’.
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| Michael D. Brown, United States Senator, District of Columbia and Steve Waugh, Maryland State Senator, with session chair Wendy Dent, Journalist, Guardian US | Kabiné Komara, High Commissioner of Senegal River Basin Authority and Danilo Türk, Chairman, UN Global High Level Panel on Water and Peace; with session chair Sundeep Waslekar, President, Strategic Foresight Group |
World leaders and friends also paid tribute to Nelson Mandela on the centenary of his birth. Mac Maharaj, South Africa’s Former Minister of Transport who spent years imprisoned on Robben Island alongside Mandela, said: ‘He cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all people live together in harmony. We now have to translate Mandela’s legacy into our times.’ Mohamed ElBaradei, Former Vice-President of Egypt, Nobel Peace Prize 2005, reflected on the erosion of international norms and institutions in the age of populism. ‘Sharing the planet with each other fairly and equitably is not only ethical but also the key to our survival,’ he said.
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| Robert Dussey, Minister of Foreign Affairs & Cooperation, Togo | José Manuel Barroso, Chairman Goldman Sachs International; Former President, European Commission |
Delegates agreed that the world requires a new modus operandi that restores people’s faith in the idea of an egalitarian globalization, and one that makes good on those promises.
The co-chairs were:
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José Manuel Barroso, Chairman, Goldman Sachs International, United Kingdom |
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Vijay Eswaran, Chairman, QI Ltd, Hong Kong |
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Nobuyuki Idei, Chief Executive Officer, Quantum Leaps Corporation, Japan |
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Timothy Lane, Deputy Governor, Bank of Canada, Canada |
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John D. Negroponte, Vice Chairman, McLarty Associates, USA |
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Pedro Duarte Neves, Alternate Chairperson, European Banking Authority , United Kingdom |
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Mohan Das Pai, Chairman, Manipal Global Education, India |
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Lila Tretikov, Chief Executive Officer, Terrawatt Initiative, France |
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Deborah Wince-Smith, President, United States Council on Competitiveness, USA |
About Horasis:
Horasis – a global visions community committed to enact visions for a sustainable future – provides a unique platform for companies from emerging and developed markets to globalize their organisations. In addition to the Horasis Global Meeting, Horasis hosts summits with a focus on China, India, and South East Asia.
We need to build a new togetherness, to raise our belief in our inventiveness and our ability to overcome oppression.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, President of Portugal
I am excited about my country’s financial recovery.
António Costa, Prime Minister, Portugal
It is more important than ever to have a strong Europe engaged in globalization.
José Manuel Barroso, Chairman, Goldman Sachs International, United Kingdom
The Church is entrusted to deal with all humans and will deal each day at multiple levels providing solutions and developing trust throughout all aspects of geopolitics.
Cardinal Peter Turkson, President, Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, Vatican City
Common law, shared language, and similar systems of governance, administration, and regulation, give us a truly remarkable advantage when we work together.
he Rt Hon Patricia Scotland QC, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations
Business need stability, and thus knowledge of the rules to be able to design their own strategies.
Kevin G. Lynch, Vice Chairman, BMO Financial Group, Canada
Globalisation has developed an unstoppable momentum, which if anything is likely further to accelerate over the decades ahead.
Shashi Tharoor, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, India
Protectionism is not an answer as connectivity becomes further restricted.
Carlos Moedas, European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, Belgium
There is concern for the US economy on the routes forward which must embrace innovation and entrepreneurship.
Deborah Wince-Smith, President, United States Council on Competitiveness, USA
The main concern of institutions and the solution to political and economic crises is to invest in sectors that have a social impact that meets the real needs of people
Werner Hoyer, President, European Investment Bank, Luxembourg
Capitalism has never been as successful as it has been in the past 30 years.
Kenneth S. Rogoff, Professor of Economics, Harvard University, USA
In 1990, when Nelson Mandela was released from prison, there were seven countries with regular democratic elections, and today there are fewer than seven countries that do not have regular elections. Digitization helped to make this happen.
Strive Masiyiwa, Founder and Chairman, Econet Wireless, South Africa