GFCC | The Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils

Do you see universities as key drivers of socioeconomic transformation? We do—and so does Professor Aleks Subic Subic, CEO and Vice-Chancellor of Aston University. In his latest paper, he explores the potential of University 4.0, a concept we have developed over the years at the University and Research Leadership Forum. In November 2024, the GFCC hosted the Leadership Dialogue on Universities 4.0 and Their Role in Driving Place-Based Innovation and Socioeconomic Transformation at Aston University. Discussions at the forum revealed a shared understanding: universities can no longer remain detached institutions. Instead, they must evolve, embedding themselves within the economies and societies they serve. Read now: https://lnkd.in/de_W6q4A

#Cybercrime is increasing at an alarming rate. Industry experts estimate that damages due to cyberattacks could cost up to $10.5 trillion to global economies by 2025. As threats grow more sophisticated, protecting digital infrastructure against cyber risks and technological failures has become an urgent priority for organizations and governments alike. On February 20th, at 4 pm EST, we host an exclusive session in partnership with Lockheed Martin surveying ways of 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘋𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘐𝘯𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘈𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘊𝘺𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘍𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴. Join Amy Parde, Director of Resiliency at Lockheed Martin, and James Tsiolis, CEO & Managing Director of Netlinkz (ASX:NET), as they discuss the rise of cyber threats and strategies to safeguard digital infrastructure. 📅 February 20th, 4:00 PM EST 🔐💻 Securing Digital Infrastructures Against Cyber Threats and Technological Failures 🔗 Register now: https://lnkd.in/dpQEc2jE

The concept of place-making innovation has been introduced by URLF Chair Professor Aleks Subic—highlighting the vital role universities play in shaping the future of the communities and regions they serve. By collaborating with government, civil society, and businesses, universities can drive innovation, economic revival, and regional transformation, ensuring that knowledge and research translate into tangible benefits for society. Professor Subic’s work has been instrumental in advancing place-making innovation in Birmingham in the West Midlands region, fostering economic growth and transformation. 🔹 How can universities better engage with other stakeholders to drive innovation? Send your ideas in the comments section below! ⬇️

We are delighted to welcome Ambassador The Hon. Arthur Sinodinos AO to our selected group of fellows. Ambassador Sinodinos brings a wealth of expertise and knowledge into Australian public policy and politics. He played a critical role in the negotiation of important agreements, such as the diplomatic partnership to support stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region led by Australia, India, Japan, and the United States, known as the Quad. "𝑰 𝒔𝒂𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑮𝑭𝑪𝑪 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝑨𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒂 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒖𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒍𝒆𝒅𝒈𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒆”, 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝑮𝑭𝑪𝑪 𝑷𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝑫𝒆𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒉 𝑳. 𝑾𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆-𝑺𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒉. Read more about Ambassador Sinodinos' career and achievements here: https://lnkd.in/d_rgkfFH

The energy transition has become both a moral and economic imperative to mitigate the impacts of a warming planet. At GIS 2024, Steven Ashby, Director of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, shared 3 powerful insights to accelerate decarbonization worldwide: 1️⃣ Find Your Passion: Connect with like-minded individuals to amplify your impact. 2️⃣ Build Bridges: Foster public-private partnerships that unite academia, industry, businesses, and investors. 3️⃣ Leverage Innovation: Use science and technology to create sustainable, forward-thinking solutions. These insights—and much more—will be featured in the 2024 GIS Report, coming soon. Stay tuned!

We are pleased to welcome the Kazakhstan Growth Forum (KGF) to the GFCC. Based in Almaty, KGF is much more than a market collaboration platform—it’s a force driving innovation, strategic partnerships, and social impact across the region. "Despite national political challenges, our partners from Kazakhstan have held a strong position in sustaining the business environment and the competitiveness conversation alive in the country", says GFCC President, @Deborah L. Wince-Smith. Learn more about KGF: https://lnkd.in/dN35gmdv #newmember

🌱 Natural resources are the backbone of human societies and economic development. Yet, the growing demands of a rising global population, combined with unsustainable consumption, are pushing Earth's resources to the brink. ⏩ We're already seeing the consequences: wildfires, extreme weather, water shortages, and resource depletion. It’s time for a fundamental shift in how we value and manage our planet’s assets. Our 2024 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘈𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘈𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘚𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘍𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘈𝘭𝘭 explores effective ways to boost the productivity and regeneration of #naturalresources. Read now: https://lnkd.in/d4G35z_P

Los Angeles is experiencing its most devastating wildfires in history, a stark reminder of the growing impacts of extreme weather events fueled by climate change. Over the past two years, GFCC and Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) have undertaken an in-depth exploration of how nations worldwide manage disasters, crises, and disruptions. Through the Driving Innovation in Times of Crisis initiative, we’ve sought to learn from global experiences to uncover strategies for resilience and innovation in the face of adversity. Discover more about our findings: https://lnkd.in/dw8GvMRf

🌍 The 2024 Global Innovation Summit reunited over 850 participants from 30 countries in Belfast, between November 11 to 15, for five days of dynamic conversations addressing two of the most pressing matters: sustainability and inclusiveness. Experts from industry, government, business, and academia came together in a collaborative peer-to-peer environment to explore solutions and innovative strategies to overcome perceived trade-offs offs between sustainability, technological progress, and inclusiveness. 🎥 Catch up on the panels: https://lnkd.in/dAnmPx2c 📸 Check the highlights with our photo gallery: https://lnkd.in/dcBBJe5z #gis2024