Over 1,700 global leaders gathered to explore how entrepreneurship and innovation can reignite growth amid a fast-evolving geoeconomic landscape.
    The meeting brought together leaders to share insights and drive action on shared priorities around five thematic pillars: deciphering the world economy; the outlook on China; industries disrupted; investing in people and planet; and new energy and materials.
    The World Economic Forum and its partners launched and advanced initiatives and reports related to emerging technologies, fintech and manufacturing, energy transition, and sustainability and growth.
    For more information on the Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2025, visit wef.ch/amnc25 and share on social media using the hashtag #amnc25, 

At a critical juncture for the world economy, over 1,700 global leaders from government, business – including top innovators - academia, civil society, international organizations, and media gathered at the World Economic Forum’s 16th Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2025 in Tianjin, China. Through high-level dialogues and action-oriented discussions, the meeting helped leaders navigate the new geo-economic context, crafted new business models, and forged new partnerships to fully realize the potential of emerging technologies and unlock new levers for growth.

Under the theme “Entrepreneurship for a New Era”, next-generation leaders and entrepreneurs, including those from the Innovator, Unicorn, Technology Pioneers, and New Champions communities explored how to harness the power of emerging technologies and entrepreneurship in relation to economic resilience, industry transformation, and sustainability. Sessions focussed special attention on emerging markets as well as the trends shaping Asian economies and China’s economic outlook.

“In a shifting global landscape, technology is the key to driving shared progress,” said Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, Chairman ad interim of the Board of Trustees, World Economic Forum.

“In a world marked by increasing fragmentation, only through co-creation and deep collaboration across sectors and regions can we build resilient solutions that benefit all,” said Børge Brende, President and CEO, World Economic Forum.

“Changes and transformations are often accompanied by restructuring and reshaping,” said Li Qiang, Premier of the People’s Republic of China. “The world economy of tomorrow will not be a simple repetition of stories of the past,” he said.

“Collectively I think we can make a difference,” said Lawrence Wong, Prime Minister and Minister for Finance of Singapore. “We can lay the groundwork for a new and more stable global order,” he said.

“The world today is evolving very quickly, especially with new technologies, and we really have to focus on social fairness, social equity, and really promote our human capital,” said Ousmane Sonko, Prime Minister of Senegal.

“If you want to have GDP growth, you need to have a rise in productivity,” said Annette Mosman, Group Chief Executive Officer, APG Group. “I think AI is the way to get there,” she said.

The meeting focused on five thematic pillars: deciphering the world economy, the outlook on China, industries disrupted, investing in people and planet, and new energy and materials.

Deciphering the World Economy

Amid trade tensions, high policy uncertainty, and a slowdown in productivity and growth, participants agreed that entrepreneurship and innovation are driving productivity gains, with digital platforms, AI, and automation offering new pathways for economic resilience and job creation. This view aligned with the Forum’s latest edition of the Chief Economists Outlook. Although AI is a driver of economic growth, the report also identified AI as introducing serious risks through disinformation and societal destabilization.

As increased geoeconomic fragmentation might close traditional export-led pathways to economic development, both developed and emerging countries need new models of economic transformation. The role of Asian economies like China, Viet Nam, and Singapore in the wider economy was a central theme throughout, with participants optimistic about growing regional cooperation and Asia as a source of much-needed growth. Over 70 leaders from ASEAN and China discussed new areas for quality cross-regional growth, while leaders from Europe, the United States, the Middle East, and China debated how to navigate current trade volatility and pursue practical global economic collaboration.

The Forum’s Future of Global Fintech report provided new data and insights drawn from a global survey of 240 fintech companies. Another report highlighted the overall concept of impact currency and impact exchange, examining macroeconomic considerations, alongside impact measurement frameworks, political and governance factors.

“ASEAN’s resilience depends on investing in innovation, digital transformation, and advanced manufacturing, as well as deepening regional cooperation,” said Mirek Dusek, Managing Director, Chief Business Officer and Head of Global Programming, World Economic Forum.

“We are seeing a new era of new technology,” said Bo Li, Deputy Managing Director, International Monetary Fund. He added that this “will bring changes and opportunities for the international monetary system”.

“Convenings like [AMNC] show that people from across the globe [...] want to engage, want to have a dialogue, [...] and want to have cross-border trade and investments,” said Noor Ali Alkulhaif, Minister of Sustainable Development and Chief Executive of the Bahrain Economic Development Board, Co-Chair of the Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2025.

“Growth can be found in the time of disruption – but the critical aspect is how you make sure it is inclusive growth,” said Henadi Al Saleh, Chief Executive Officer, Agility Global, Co-Chair of the Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2025.

Reflecting on the future global order, Tony Blair, Prime Minister of the United Kingdon (1997-2007) and Executive Chairman of the Tony Blair Institute, stated that by mid-century, there will be “three superpowers: America, China, and probably India”. “And everyone else, if they want to sit at the same table as the three giants, are going to have to come together,” he said.

Outlook on China

China is projected to contribute nearly 30% of global GDP growth in 2025, making its economic trajectory a critical factor in shaping global markets and supply chains. Participants discussed China’s economic strategy of pivoting toward technology-driven growth with AI, advanced manufacturing, and clean tech, among others, at the centre of its industrial policy. China’s critical role as a driver of global growth was a core theme throughout the meeting, notably how its shift toward domestic consumption is reshaping trade patterns, with implications for exporters and multinational companies operating in the country.

Premier Li Qiang’s keynote address outlined national priorities and extolled the virtues of dialogue at the international level. Participants launched the Global Lighthouse Network China edition and developed cross-sector strategies for financial services to support the Longevity Economy, acknowledging its importance as China’s demographics shift. Participants were eager to learn about China’s progress in AI and EV production and its global economic impact. The First Movers Coalition was formally introduced to China’s industrial ecosystem, paving the way for deeper Chinese involvement.

“Building a thriving new era requires us to embrace the spirit of entrepreneurship to innovate on solutions and nurture a ‘prosper thy neighbour’ culture,” said Gim Huay Neo, Managing Director, World Economic Forum. “Notably, we need to foster more win-win partnerships in the safeguarding of the environment and shaping global governance for technology,” she said.

On trade tensions, Jin Keyu, Professor, School of Business and Management, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, highlighted the concept of “crisis innovation”. “A lot of technological breakthroughs happen in times of crisis,” she said.

Zhang Gong, Mayor of Tianjin, highlighted “China’s high-quality and innovative economic development”, which has “already become a window for the world to see and feel the present and future of the Chinese economy.”

Industries Disrupted

Like past industrial revolutions, today’s rapid transformations will need new skills and breakthrough technologies to reshape industries. The meeting addressed how industries can be agile in adapting to a changing world and build resilience as they evolve.

Sessions focussed on identifying shared barriers in AI adoption across sectors and regions – such as talent scarcity and governance uncertainty – which affect AI readiness and competitiveness. Leaders from ASEAN countries convened to re-affirm their commitment to inclusive and sustainable growth under the framework of the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA). The arts and culture programme challenged anthropocentric perspectives by exploring new frontiers in AI-powered art.

The Forum launched its annual Top 10 Emerging Technologies report, which highlighted 10 breakthrough technologies at their inflection point, where scientific progress meets real-world impact potential. The new cohort of Technology Pioneers marked a global surge of emerging technologies, from smart robotics and spatial AI to flying taxis and scalable quantum solutions. The meeting also saw the announcement of the inaugural cohort of MINDS – an AI Governance Alliance programme and global community of AI leaders that will leverage AI’s potential delivering solutions across energy, healthcare, finance, and more. The Schwab Foundation launched a new youth innovation initiative with the Global Shapers Community to explore how we can collectively remove barriers for emerging social innovators and build stronger cross-generational collaboration. The Forum launched a report on the future of value chains, highlighting how manufacturers can harness eight driving forces to build resilient, inclusive, and sustainable value chains over the next 30 years.

“What is going to change in the next five years is how we teach, skill and train our people,” said Paula Ingabire, Minister of Information Communication Technology and Innovation, Rwanda.

“In AI, skills can become outdated in three months,” said Kian Katanforoosh, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Workera. “Companies [have to] stay at the edge,” he said.

“Those working in high-tech industries need to make sure the technology keeps progressing and advancing with the times,” said Wang Xingxing, Chief Executive Officer, Unitree Robotics.

Investing in People and Planet

On investing in people, forecasts predict disruptions to the future of jobs due to geoeconomic factors, the green transition, and technological developments. Drawing on data from the Forum’s Global Gender Gap and Gender Parity in the Intelligent Age reports, leaders explored how to accelerate women’s leadership in technology, mitigate AI-related job disruption, and leverage inclusive business as a growth driver in East Asia. Armenia’s ministries of Labour and Social Affairs and High-Tech Industry announced the establishment of a Country Accelerator, as part of the Forum’s Accelerator Network, focussing on youth not engaged in education, employment, or training, and on women returning to the workforce. Finally, the Forum launched the Brain Economy Action Forum to support stakeholders committed to brain health and mental well-being.

In parallel, there is an urgent need for more effective collaboration and financing models to address climate risks. The meeting emphasized the importance of public-private partnerships and how they are critical for tackling systemic challenges and enabling cross-sector collaboration to drive sustainable infrastructure. Stakeholders shared toolkits and models to support food-water resilience, climate adaptation, and alternative financing.

The UpLink platform launched a fourth innovation challenge, the Water Resilience Challenge, through its Aquapreneur Innovation Initiative. UpLink also launched the Nature Returns Challenge to source funds to invest in natural capital and water innovation and connect them with UpLink’s community of early-stage start-ups. The Forum published a report on SME sustainability, which called for public-private collaboration and presented a roadmap to help small and mid-sized manufacturers turn sustainability into a driver for growth.

“If there is more inclusion, our economies will be able to move forward faster,” said Rania A. Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation of Egypt, Co-chair of the Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2025. “If more women are in the labour force, this is also going to add tremendously to the productivity gains that we all want,” she said.

For effective climate adaptation and resilience, Deliang Chen, Professor, Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, said: “we have to start to build viable partnerships among all stakeholders, and also really use resilience as a core concept in the strategic planning at all levels.”

“The energy transition means a transition and a change of the entire supply system,” said Liu Zhenmin, Special Envoy for Climate Change of the People’s Republic of China. He mentioned this also meant “a mentality change for consumers”.

New Energy and Materials

Participants explored the challenges around the energy transition and different strategies to ensure a more secure, stable, and sustainable supply of energy resources and critical materials needed to support new growth and competitiveness.

Sessions emphasized the need to broaden access to clean energy innovation across geographies and industries. Stakeholders aligned on China’s promising clean energy trajectory and explored the potential of quantum technologies and blended finance to lower capital costs in emerging markets.

The Forum’s latest edition of the Energy Transition Index, launched around the meeting, which benchmarks the performance of energy systems of 118 countries, found that the global energy transition is picking up speed, but energy security and financing challenges persist.

“China approaches the energy transition in a way that is very different from many other countries, particularly the West,” said Elizabeth Thurbon, Professor of International Political Economy, Director, Green Energy Statecraft Project, University of New South Wales. “It understands that the energy transition is a massive national security multiplier,” she said.

“China has an objective that, by the end of the year, we should have a unified power market in the country and the State Grid is part of this initiative,” said Pang Xiaogang, President, State Grid Corporation of China.

About the Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2025

The 16th Annual Meeting of the New Champions took place from 24 to 26 June 2025 in Tianjin, People’s Republic of China, under the theme 'Entrepreneurship for a New Era'. The meeting convened over 1,700 leaders from business, government, civil society, academia, international organizations, media, and innovators to explore entrepreneurial solutions to global challenges.