The Bucharest Forum serves as a premier strategic convening at the intersection of regions, interests, approaches and objectives. As an established public diplomacy event at its 15th edition, the Forum empowers global leaders to engage on topics of relevance, past the effort of deciphering the current state of affairs to that of writing the playbook of the new international realignment.

Co-organizers:
Aspen Institute Romania, German Marshall Fund of the United States
Under the High Patronage of the President of Romania

The world is in the midst of a profound and dynamic realignment: one that touches alliances, economic models, security arrangements, and the very ways in which states and businesses operate. Long‑standing assumptions about stability and predictability are being challenged, through rapid evolutions and sheer force, shifting geopolitical interests, emerging technological capabilities, and new patterns of interdependence and competition. Traditional partnerships are being reconsidered, new coalitions are forming, and the boundaries between economic, social and security domains are increasingly blurred. Regional, continental and global dynamics are being redesigned, affecting societies, economies and the world as a whole.

What once seemed like separate spheres (trade, technology, defense, energy) now intersect in ways that redefine strategic priorities and reshape global influence. This realignment is not a temporary disruption but a structural transformation, one that will determine how power is distributed and exercised in the decades ahead.

Wars have a shocking impact, acting as brutal disruptors and triggering both immediate and long term transformations, some still unfolding. Yet the irreversible global transformation, catalyzed through military force, is also driven by technology, no longer merely a driver of innovation or economic growth. Technology has become a form of strategic infrastructure that reshapes, albeit not through sheer force, power relations between states, markets, and societies. The world is not fragmenting around technology, but through it. Technological developments triggered the quest for rare minerals and the need for continuous supply chains, as well as the importance of free trading routes (both on air, land and sea). In this context new trading corridors as IMEC are becoming the more important, especially as the situation in the Middle East continues to evolve and new economic actors, like India, come forcefully on stage. This perspective complements traditional economic analyses by reframing global change through the lens of power distribution and strategic capability.

International governance and multilateralism are in flux. Existing institutions struggle to adapt, while new formats and coalitions are emerging, still embryonic, still contested, and still heavily influenced by the gravitational pull of major powers. The rules of the game are being rewritten, but the authorship of those rules remains open.

At the edge of this global realignment, countries are experimenting with new strategies to manage uncertainty. They hedge, diversify, decouple and recouple, defend their vulnerabilities, and in some cases push forward assertively to shape the environment to their advantage. Regions situated at the crossroads of geopolitical interests face particular risks: they can easily become arenas for competition rather than agents of their own strategic futures. Their challenge is not simply to navigate, but to do it better than they would in times of stability, with greater foresight, agility, and strategic clarity. In an era defined by realignment, shifting alliances, and emerging fractures, sub-national levels have become indispensable engines of resilience, innovation, and democratic legitimacy, anchoring stability while adapting faster than national systems can.

Against this backdrop, this year’s edition of the Bucharest Forum brings together military and government officials, business leaders, experts, and practitioners to collectively draft the emerging playbook of global realignment. The Forum seeks to identify what must change, what must be preserved, and where bold bets should be placed for the future, at international, national and sub-national levels. It is an invitation to think beyond the turbulence of the moment and to shape, rather than merely react to, the world that is taking form.

KEY TOPICS

The major themes to be explored reflect the pressures and possibilities of this moment of realignment:

  • Business as (un)usual, examining how companies, institutions and markets at international, national and sub-national levels have to adapt when geopolitics and political risk become a central variable rather than a distant backdrop; looking at how societies and business readjust to a world where the rules-based system shifts towards a more efficiency/pragmatic – based normalcy;
  • Writing the playbook for middle powers, focusing on how states outside the great‑power duopoly can take a more visible stand and shape outcomes, build resilience and preparedness, and play the game of geoeconomics more bravely;
  • What are we betting on?, a forward‑looking conversation about the choices, investments, and partnerships that will define competitiveness in the decade ahead in industries like trade, energy, defense, healthcare;
  • Future‑Proof or Fall Behind: a candid exploration of how nations and industries can secure their economic and social foundations in an era of accelerating disruption, triggered by geopolitics, technology, AI and pandemics alike; a forward‑looking dialogue on strengthening competitiveness, readiness and resilience to thrive amid uncertainty.

These themes anchor the Forum’s agenda, inviting participants to think boldly about the strategies that can turn uncertainty into opportunity.

A 15-Year Legacy: From Reflection to Resolution

The 15th anniversary edition of the Bucharest Forum represents a landmark moment in the mission to facilitate high-level strategic analysis and inclusive dialogue, one that relies on the golden triangle of government-business-strategists. Since its inception, the Forum has served as the prominent platform for decoding global shifts, fostering a deepened understanding of the challenges and opportunities that lie at the current intersection of eras. Over fifteen years, Bucharest has emerged not merely as a host, but as a critical strategic vantage point, the intersection of regions that are critical to global security and wellbeing.

Its 15th edition will once again convene a distinguished assembly of heads of state, business representatives, visionary thinkers, and cross-sector experts. The goal for this milestone year is to move beyond contemplation of global disruptions to finding the best tools to preserve, improve and adapt, towards a calm and prosperous new era.

Institutional Partners:
Bucharest City Hall
Chamber of Deputies of Romania
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of National Defence
Ministry of Economy, Digitalization, Entrepreneurship and Tourism
Ministry of Investments and European Projects
Ministry of Energy
Romanian National Cyber Security Directorate (DNSC)
National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE)
The National Authority for Management and Regulation in Communications of Romania (ANCOM)
The Authority for the Digitalization of Romania (ADR)

Supporters:
Carturesti
Stup
KAS
Foundation Conservation Carpathia

Knowledge Partners:
European Center for Economic Security, Technology and Resilience (ECESTR)
Euro-Atlantic Resilience Centre (E-ARC)
European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC)

Sponsors:
Vodafone
Raiffeisen Bank
PPC
Mastercard
Google

International Partners:
The Aspen Institute US
Aspen Institute France
Aspen Institute Germany
Aspen Institute Central Europe
Aspen Institute Kyiv
Aspen Institute Italia
European Economic Forum (Lucerne)