Space, chips and trade: This was Day 4 at The Davos Agenda
Joko Widodo, President of Indonesia, spoke with Professor Klaus Schwab at The Davos Agenda. Image: World Economic Forum/Pascal Bitz
- Day 4 at The Davos Agenda heard from Indonesian President Joko Widodo and President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
- Sessions also took place on ESG, trade and supply chains, and the potential of space tech.
- If you missed it, here are 3 key takeaways from the day.
That's it for Day 4 at The Davos Agenda. We've got just one day to go, but before we get there, here's a rundown of what you might have missed today.
This morning we heard from Joko Widodo, President of Indonesia, and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, in two special addresses.
We've also enjoyed sessions on ESG, global supply chains and space technology - including a live appearance from the International Space Station.
So if you could only take 3 things away from today, what should they be? Read on.
Space tech can make life on Earth better
There was a clear consensus in the Live from Space: The Next Frontier for Knowledge and Action session that space technology has the potential to tackle issues here on Earth.
Al Gore, Vice-President of the United States (1993-2001); Chairman and Co-Founder, Generation Investment Management, explained how it can help with climate action by tracking emissions.
And the experiments astronauts conduct aboard the International Space Station help us understand more about life on Earth, said Matthias Maurer.
But, regulation and equitable access are important if we're to realise the potential and mitigate the risks - especially as the volume of satellites in orbit continues to increase.
If only countries with access to satellites get access to the data, we deny other countries the opportunity to benefit from that knowledge, stressed Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Technology, Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology of the United Arab Emirates.
Although not specific to space technology, a new World Economic Forum report today emphasised the challenges that Africa, in particular, faces in joining the global knowledge-based digital economy.
And, echoing the warnings of the World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report, Josef Aschbacher, the Director-General, of the European Space Agency, called for regulation to manage the ever-increasing volume of satellites in orbit.
An inclusive economic recovery from COVID-19 is possible - if key steps are taken
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant economic disruption across the globe. Today, speakers highlighted the work that's needed in the recovery.
President Joko Widodo said that Indonesia's G20 2022 presidency will play its part by becoming a catalyst for an inclusive global economic recovery.
He also called on business leaders to contribute and work together to ensure this inclusive global recovery.
We need to look at how trade can benefit ordinary people, said Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director-General of the WTO in the Restoring Trust in Global Trade and Supply Chains session.
And we need to take hard-earned lessons from the past two years and build towards something that is better, rather than reverting to the way things were before, urged Katherine Tai, the United States Trade Representative.
New approaches can tackle supply challenges
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the European Chip Act in her Special Address.
The act, which will be proposed in early February, aims to increase microchip production across the continent in the face of global supply challenges and a dependency on manufacturers from outside the region.
"The European need for chips will double in the next decade," von der Leyen explained. "This is why we need to radically raise Europe's game on the development, production and use of this key technology."
The act will enable progress in 5 key areas, von der Leyen explained.
Catch up on other sessions from throughout the week here.
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