The meeting embodies an attitude of openness and cooperation that is core to the Forum’s work.
Discussions are centred around five key global challenges: cooperation in a contested world, unlocking new sources of growth, investing in people, deploying innovation responsibly, and building prosperity within planetary boundaries.
Amid rising fragmentation, accelerating complexity and rapid technological change, the imperative for an impartial platform for dialogue has never been greater.
At this pivotal moment, the World Economic Forum's 56th Annual Meeting builds on the Forum's long-standing tradition of convening stakeholders from across geographies, industries and generations to enable real dialogue, problem solve around shared challenges, and spotlight innovations driving the future.
Breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, biotechnology and clean energy are opening new frontiers for growth. Yet with these opportunities comes the responsibility to ensure the technologies achieve their promise. At the same time, shifting markets and geopolitical uncertainty are rewriting the rules of global commerce.
Theme of the 56th Annual Meeting: "A Spirit of Dialogue"
Davos 2026 brings together leaders from business, government, civil society and the scientific and cultural domains under the theme A Spirit of Dialogue from 19 to 23 January 2026.
Established more than 50 years ago, the Annual Meeting has sought to embody 'the spirit of Davos' — an attitude of openness and cooperation that is core to the Forum's work.
Never has this spirit been more essential. In a world defined by geopolitical, economic and societal shifts, A Spirit of Dialogue means broadening our perspectives, listening to one another and challenging our views. It is through this approach that leaders can rebuild trust and work towards a better future.
This year’s Annual Meeting will continue the tradition of being transparent, informative and widely accessible through a full digital media public experience, livestreaming of sessions, 400 media representatives onsite, and local community events.
The meeting will:
- Serve as an impartial platform for exchange of views and ideas.
- Engage a wide range of voices to broaden perspectives.
- Connect the dots, address problems and explore solutions to global challenges.
- Look to the future, focusing on frontier innovation and foresight that spurs action.
Davos 2026: The Annual Meeting programme
The programme is centred on five key global challenges: cooperation in a contested world, unlocking new sources of growth, investing in people, deploying innovation responsibly and building prosperity within planetary boundaries. These challenges will guide public-private dialogue and cooperation, engaging all stakeholders to address:
1. How can we cooperate in a more contested world?
Leaders face an era of contested norms, shifting alliances and eroding trust. This has emerged from rising fragmentation, accelerating complexity and rapid technological change within societies. Long-held assumptions about security and sovereignty are being challenged, all of which point to the need for new mechanisms for collaboration. What might these mechanisms look like and who is leading the charge to define them?
2. How can we unlock new sources of growth?
Innovation and technology, human capital development and global integration are the factors that can sustain growth in advanced and emerging economies, while societal fragmentation and weak institutions weigh on global growth prospects. In addition, Generative AI’s impact on productivity could add trillions of dollars in value to the global economy but some warn that the rush of investment could lead to an “AI bubble”. What's the economic outlook for 2026 and where are the opportunities for growth?
3. How can we better invest in people?
Improving the resilience of workforces worldwide is vital. This suggests a focus on improving and increasing reskilling, upskilling, job creation and workforce preparedness. The Future of Jobs Report 2025 revealed that one in four jobs is likely to change by 2030 and that 39% of current skills will become obsolete. Technological change is expected to be the biggest driver of these changes, followed by demographic shifts and the green transition. Public-private collaboration can help build a modern, more resilient society ready for the jobs of the future. What will this mean for people, labour markets and the global economy?
4. How can we deploy innovation at scale and responsibly?
Businesses expect AI and other new technologies to reshape how they work and boost productivity. And innovation is growing fastest when different technologies connect. When established tools like AI combine with breakthroughs in areas such as quantum computing or synthetic biology, ideas can move from the lab to the real world much more quickly. This not only drives industry growth but also creates new opportunities to improve daily life.
5. How can we build prosperity within planetary boundaries?
Protecting the environment and driving economic growth can go hand in hand. By investing in circular, regenerative and inclusive approaches, we can create economies that generate long-term prosperity without depleting resources or leaving people behind. Nature loss is affecting 75% of the Earth’s land, posing not just ecological but economic risks. Forum research suggests that transitioning to nature-positive business models could unlock $10 trillion annually by 2030. Public-private collaboration is key - but what can leaders do to keep up the momentum on progress?
According to WEF