According to a recent report from the World Economic Forum (WEF), the global economy is “going through one of its most turbulent periods in decades,” with geopolitical instability, trade realignment, and technological advances accelerating the reconfiguration of the economic order.
The report notes that nearly nine in 10 chief economists surveyed expect growth in developed countries to depend primarily on access to technology and know-how, while developing countries continue to rely more on capital and natural resources.
Ahead of the WEF’s annual general meeting next January, Chairman and CEO Borge Brende spoke to CNN at the Doha Forum in Qatar about the challenges facing the global economy.
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
CNN: What priorities and global challenges do you predict will dominate the World Economic Forum in 2026?
Borge Brende: The theme of our conference is the spirit of dialogue. What we need more of in this world is people talking to each other and trying to solve common challenges.
The world doesn’t seem so bad. With economic growth still above 3%, we believe that new technologies, especially artificial intelligence, will also increase productivity and lead to future growth.
Just as trade has been a driver of growth for decades, we believe new technologies will enable this and we will see more prosperity.
CNN: Do you think global cooperation is still possible in an era defined by fragmentation and mistrust?
Brende: Collaboration is still essential, but it looks different than before. It used to be easy to have multilateral agreements, where all countries came together and agreed on something.
Today we will see cooperation in a different way. Countries with commonalities come together in so-called “multilaterals” and then move on. However, not all UN member states operate with the same structure.
We are seeing organizations and nations adapting to the new reality of a more competitive world.
CNN: How can the WEF ensure that developing countries have a seat at the table rather than being left behind?
Brende: It’s very important that we’re seeing significant growth in developing countries and emerging economies.
I am overall optimistic that developing countries will experience significant growth in the coming years. They have a young population. When it comes to human capital, they give good returns.
But of course there are obstacles to overcome and that is what we are working on.
We want to ensure the continuation of foreign direct investment in developing countries, and we must avoid any war. War and conflict kill growth and make eradicating poverty impossible.
