ERC at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos

19 - 23 January 2026
9.00 - 12.00 WET
Davos
World Economic Forum
English
Website
ERC at the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davo
© World Economic Forum

The Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) will take place in Davos, Switzerland, from 19 to 23 January, with ERC President Maria Leptin and several ERC grantees, including two Nobel Prize laureates, amongst the speakers. They will bring their scientific expertise to the discussions around this year’s theme: 'A Spirit of Dialogue'.

ERC President at WEF

ERC President Maria Leptin will take part in several sessions, including the following livestreamed discussion:

Friday, 23 January  09.00 - 09.45 | ‘Can We Protect Science?’ 

with Maria Leptin, ERC President; Alyson Shontell Lombardi, Editor-in-Chief, Fortune; Alexi Robichaux, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, BetterUp; and Daniel Skovronsky, Chief Scientific Officer and President, Lilly Research Laboratories and Lilly Immunology

From exploring the origins of the cosmos to powering electric grids, scientific discoveries underpin the expansion of human knowledge and the stewardship of our future.  

However, as trust in experts wavers and the collaborative spirit of science competes with intellectual property wars and security concerns, how can scientific research remain a driver for future discovery?

ERC grantees at WEF

Several ERC grantees will also participate in WEF sessions, in chronological order:

Tuesday, 20 January

  • 09.30 - 10.45 | Open Forum: ‘The Snow Factor’ ( livestreamed)
    with Johan Rockström, Director, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
     
  • 09.45 - 10.30 | ‘Return of Creative Destruction’ (livestreamed)
    with Philippe Aghion, Nobel Prize laureate in Economics
     
  • 15.30 - 16.15 | ‘How Can We Build Prosperity Within Planetary Boundaries?’ (livestreamed)
    with Johan Rockström, Director, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
     
  • 17.30 - 18.15 | ‘Corporate Ladders, AI Reshuffled’ (livestreamed)
    with Sir Christopher Pissarides, Nobel Prize laureate in Economics

Another ERC grantee taking part in WEF discussions is:

  • Anna Fontcuberta i Morral, President of EPFL in Lausanne, with expertise in nanotechnology and sustainable semiconductor materials

     

Find the full programme on the WEF website