- The World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting of the New Champions, also known as 'Summer Davos', runs 23-25 June 2026 in Dalian, China, under the theme 'Innovating at Scale'.
- It convenes more than 1,500 leaders from business, government, science and the fast-growing companies driving the next phase of global growth, with a strong focus on Asia.
- The programme turns on five questions: shifting trade, China's next chapter, technology in the real economy, jobs for the next generation, and the energy transition as a source of competitiveness.
The global economy entered 2026 on what looked like a resilient, if uncertain, path. Five months in, the picture is harder to read.
War in the Middle East has unsettled energy markets and clouded the growth outlook, with the International Monetary Fund since cautioning its forecast will depend on the conflict's "duration and scale", and on how quickly energy production and shipping recover.
Nearly nine in ten of the Forum's own community of chief economists now expect global growth to weaken over the coming year , and almost all expect inflation to climb.
The impact of tariffs may have been smaller than feared but leaders continue to wrestle with other slower-burning questions, from the strain on global supply chains to sluggish productivity growth despite record levels of investment in artificial intelligence.
It is against this backdrop that the World Economic Forum convenes its 17th Annual Meeting of the New Champions , also known as 'Summer Davos', in the northeastern Chinese city of Dalian on 23-25 June 2026. Under the theme 'Innovating at Scale', the Meeting brings together leaders from business, government, civil society, academia and the entrepreneurial community to explore how innovation and emerging technologies can unlock new growth models, with a particular focus on the economic outlook for China and the broader Asian region.
Summer Davos: The big questions
The programme is organized around five questions.
1. How can we find prosperity amid shifting trade and industrial realities?
The map of global commerce is being redrawn in real time. Around 11% of world trade has been hit by tariff actions taken since the start of 2025, and the WTO expects trade in physical goods to grow far more slowly this year, slipping from 4.6% growth in 2025 to 1.9% in 2026. If high oil prices persist, it could slow further still, to around 1.4%.
AI is expected to be the big counterweight with trade in goods such as chips and servers driving more than 40% of last year's growth despite making up only about a sixth of world trade.
But for leaders of both advanced and emerging economies, the puzzle is how to strengthen what they make and where they make it without abandoning the openness that built modern prosperity in the first place.
2. How can we understand the next phase of China's economic trajectory?
China, which hosts Summer Davos each year, is entering a new economic chapter. Its economy is shifting away from the breakneck growth of past decades toward what Beijing calls "new quality productive forces" : a drive to lead in advanced industries like clean-energy manufacturing, semiconductors and biotechnology.
The country's newly unveiled 15th Five-Year Plan doubles down on that strategy, balancing technological self-reliance with continued openness to global trade and investment. But a prolonged property slump, an ageing population and high debt still pose longer-term risk to China's economic trajectory, even as its near-term outlook has brightened.
How China responds will ripple well beyond its borders and shape supply chains, business strategy and cooperation between the world's biggest economies. Expect a range of regional perspectives on it in Dalian.
3. How can technology be harnessed for outcomes in the real economy?
Money is pouring into artificial intelligence, quantum computing and biotechnology at record levels. Yet productivity growth across most economies remains sluggish and the gains many expected from AI are now seen taking longer to arrive. The biggest barriers, especially in fast-growing emerging economies, range from outdated regulation and fragmented markets to a shortage of the right skills.
In other words, the breakthroughs exist but the harder question for leaders is what needs to change to put them to work.
4. How can growth create jobs and opportunities for the next generation?
An estimated 40% of jobs worldwide are exposed in some way to artificial intelligence, a sign of how large the coming workforce shift could be. It's a transition that requires more than just capital.
It needs the right infrastructure, education, skills and rules for new industries to take root. Sectors from tourism and agriculture to advanced manufacturing and the digital economy all hold real potential to employ people but only if governments, businesses and investors actively steer growth toward job creation and ensure that technological progress expands growth opportunities.
5. How can the energy and climate transition become a source of competitiveness?
The energy transition is no longer simply an environmental imperative but also an economic and strategic one. Economies are expanding and populations are growing, which is also driving up demand for cleaner, cheaper and more secure power. On the other hand, technologies like AI and advanced manufacturing that are meant to help drive future growth are becoming part of the pressure with their voracious need for electricity and raw materials.
Countries that get this right will gain a genuine competitive edge and those that lag risk both economic and environmental costs. The question Dalian takes on is whether countries can turn this shift into a genuine source of growth and jobs, rather than a cost to manage.
Who is coming?
More than 1,500 leaders from over 90 countries are expected with strong representation from Asia, where much of today's global growth is generated.
The mix includes founders and CEOs of fast-growing companies, senior policymakers, scientists and academics, and entrepreneurs from the Forum's UpLink , Technology Pioneers and Global Innovators communities.
What sessions can I watch?
We'll add a guide to the standout sessions and plenary highlights that will be livestreamed on the Forum's website .
Check back in mid-June once the full programme is announced.
Where can I follow updates?
Daily highlights and editorial analysis will appear on Forum Stories and across our social channels under the hashtags #AMNC26 and #2026夏季达沃斯#.
For regular updates: Join our WhatsApp channel for highlights as sessions happen, or sign up for the Forum Stories newsletter for editorial summaries throughout the week.
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