Around 3,000 guests from business, politics, science and civil society discussed current global problems and sought solutions at the World Economic Forum in neighboring Switzerland. The purpose of the meeting in Davos: to contribute to a better world. ORF editor Andreas Urlaub asked Vorarlberg economics researcher David Stadelmann of the University of Bayreuth whether such a forum could achieve this goal:
ORF economist David Stadelmann
Stadelmann: Realistically, you can’t expect too much. But I think there’s something nice about discussing a wide range of topics, whether it’s misguided economic policy, environmental protection, poverty alleviation, and that you do so in a broader context.
ORF: Are there examples from the past where the World Economic Forum has made a notable contribution to positive development?
Stadelmann: The World Economic Forum has been around for a long time. And I think that an attempt is already being made not only to put the political aspect in the foreground, but also to at least try to involve business and, in some cases, civil society organizations as well. In general, there were contributions on the topic of training, for example, in addition to reflections on the fight against poverty, these are great topics.
ORF: A village in a state of emergency for a week, many millions of euros in costs, in times of climate change hundreds of private planes on the move – in a digitized world there are many other ways to exchange ideas globally. Is this forum on this form up to date?
Stadelmann: Yes, I think it’s clearly appropriate for people to meet in person. A lot of issues are really about speaking up, which is very difficult with Zoom. And the weather problem – if you say, okay, a few more people are flying now. The climate problem is bigger and doesn’t change as much if some people fly by private jet.
AFP/FABRICE COFFRINI Climate protests at the World Economic Forum, also attended by activist Greta Thunberg (left)
ORF: From your point of view, from the economic researcher’s point of view: should this economic forum be kept this way for the future?
Stadelmann: Make a contribution. From my point of view, the problem is that it is mainly the big companies that support this. I miss the small and medium-sized companies that really create our living conditions. What we care about is improving the world, which means a broad spectrum is included.