“The world is in the process of becoming more fragmented,” reports the CEO of Danone, Emmanuel Faber, who predicts that “Consumers will increasingly think locally.”

A large part of our future is built on proximity and deriving value from local resources – both physical and human resources – and on collaborative working practices that can flourish into spaces where new economic models and new ways of living together are invented.

Why do businesses need to combine global and local approaches? What is the role and the impact of the business on its locale? How can multi-national companies contribute to local communities? How can the rise of sustainable, local economies represent an opportunity for businesses? How can different communities be encouraged to cooperate, rather than compete?

Here are the questions that the debates, discussions, shared experiences and best business practices will aim to address during this opening plenary session.