David Builds. Goliath Lobbies. How Future-Oriented Businesses Can Gain Greater Political Influence

More and more founders and entrepreneurs are building businesses that address the defining challenges of our time: climate change, resource scarcity, artificial intelligence, fair value creation, and the development of more resilient supply chains. Yet while the "Davids" are creating, innovating, and paving the way toward the future, the political framework is still largely shaped by the interests of established "Goliaths."

The result: Future-oriented businesses develop better solutions but often lack political influence. They remain underrepresented in chambers of commerce, industry associations, and economic policy debates, while established players are typically better organized, better connected, and more effective at influencing policy. As a consequence, economic policy continues to favor preserving the status quo instead of clearing the way for those shaping the future.

This panel asks: How can the voices of the future economy gain greater political influence? What will it take to build an effective entrepreneurial lobby that advocates for fair competition, future markets, and an economic policy that rewards responsibility, innovation, and long-term value creation?

Together with entrepreneurs, representatives from business associations and chambers of commerce, we will discuss how future-oriented companies can become more influential in shaping public debate, economic policy, chambers and industry associations, and the key political decisions that will define the path to 2029.