The Congress organised in Lublin is a platform for working out solutions for the development of regions located between the Baltic, Adriatic and Black Seas. The Forum responds to current activities that are taking place in the socio-economic area of the countries. The assembled guests were welcomed by Jarosław Stawiarski, Marshal of the Lubelskie Voivodeship.

Europe and world are experiencing rapid transformations – geopolitical, economic, societal and technological. We will discuss some of these new challenges that are important for the regions of Central and Eastern Europe during panels and meetings planned as part of the Congress. After all, good relations and a friendly climate are built not only by pursuing common goals in the economic sphere but also at the level of the universal message conveyed by the richness of the culture of the countries and regions of the 3Seas area. I am convinced that the harmonious combination of these elements can most fully enhance the integration and genuine partnership of the peoples living in our part of Europe, said Jarosław Stawiarski, Marshal of the Lubelskie Voivodeship.

The ceremonial speech was delivered by Sławomir Skwarek, Member of the Parliament of the Republic of Poland, Chairman of the Three Seas Committee, and Yuriy Kamelczuk, Member of the Parliament of Ukraine, Chairman of the Inter-Fractional group of deputies “Three Seas Initiative – Ukraine" of the Parliament of Ukraine.

Opening session: Artificial Intelligence as an engine of innovation. How to support the development of artificial intelligence in the Three Seas Region?

The panel discussion aimed to share experiences and good practices of representatives of public administration and companies in the framework of national programmes for the implementation and development of artificial intelligence. The guests presented the importance of AI and discussed the impact of the technology on the development processes of the economies in the 3SI region. An important element of the debate was also the identification of key challenges and methods of building long-term cooperation between representatives of the public sector and businesses from the regions to fully exploit the potential of artificial intelligence. When will the first local leader of this technology of the future emerge? Are we in a position to accelerate the development of artificial intelligence within the 3SI countries and attract foreign investment? These are just some of the topics discussed during the panel.

Those attending the opening session were: Her Excellency Margarita Ganeva - Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Bulgaria; Michał Kanownik - President of the Management Board of the Digital Poland Association; Dr Bartosz Przysucha - Vice-Dean for Education at the Faculty of Management, Head of the Department of Quantitative Methods in Management and Member of the GRAI Working Group for the Development Strategy of Artificial Intelligence in Poland, Lublin University of Technology; dr Jakub Koper - Member of the Polish Digital Society, research project manager at the Academy of Zamość. The Union of Entrepreneurs and Employers was the content partner of this panel.

Congress participants then had a choice of panels in three parallel sessions: international, scientific and the Economic Forum.

INTERNATIONAL SESSION

Four panels were held as a part of the international session: • Energy security in times of transition and threats posed by the geopolitical situation in the Region • Lublin Digital Union - artificial intelligence and digital solutions in practice • The Three Seas Initiative: an original cooperation project in Central Europe • Culture debate: Culture, or building bridges between nations

Panel: Energy security in times of transition and threats posed by the geopolitical situation in the Region

During the discussion, the strategic objectives of the “Three Seas Initiative” concerning Poland's energy security were discussed. The issue of EU climate policy and the priorities of Poland's Energy Policy in the area of energy security was also raised. The foundations of the strategy to ensure the country's energy security were discussed: local fuels, renewable sources, nuclear energy, and energy efficiency. The discussion also covered the importance of energy security on the Eastern Wall and technologies ensuring Poland's energy independence. The role of local governments in ensuring Poland's energy independence and security was also discussed, and diversified energy sources were discussed as a method of reducing the risk of external interference in the NPS.

Panel: Lublin Digital Union - artificial intelligence and digital solutions in practice

Panelists exchanged experiences and good practices in the use of AI in health sciences, nutrition and engineering sciences with a focus on solutions for improving the fitness and health of the population. The guests presented the importance of AI and its impact on the development of health sciences. They also presented the benefits of applying them to patients in the diagnosis and treatment process. An important part of the debate was also the discussion of key trends related to the application of artificial intelligence and digital solutions and the identification of challenges arising from its increasing use.

Panel: The Three Seas Initiative: an original cooperation project in Central Europe. What is the primary motive of the intra-EU concept of strengthening infrastructure from Estonia to Greece?

The Three Seas Initiative is an ambitious project of strategic importance and has become a developmental impulse for Central Europe. Currently, this cooperation is developing mainly on the political and economic level. The development of international cooperation between research and socio-economic actors in the Three Seas Europe region is being promoted. As part of the panel discussion, the panellists talked about where the Three Seas Initiative is heading, given the dynamic geopolitical situation.

Panel: Culture debate: Culture, or building bridges between nations

During the panel, culture as a space for international cooperation was discussed, regardless of national, linguistic, religious or ideological differences. The participants looked at culture as a tool for regional and economic development, paying particular attention to tourism and business cooperation. Finally, they talked about culture as an instrument for promoting national traditions among other communities.

SCIENTIFIC SESSION

The session was officially opened by the Rector of KUL, Prof. Mirosław Kalinowski. Then, 3 new members were admitted to the Three Seas University Network: • Pazmany Peter Catholic University • Georgian American University • University of Presov.

Five panels were held as a part of the scientific session: • Digitization of science - opportunity or threat? • Security in the era of society 5.0 • Artificial intelligence and its importance in improving human life • Digitization in the service of institutions, organizations and universities in Central Europe • Networking and virtualization of relationships - towards a post network society

ECONOMIC FORUM

An important part of the Congress was meetings of entrepreneurs within the Economic Forum. The Forum included 3 seminars: - opening panel: Feminine Lubelskie - seminar II: high quality food - seminar III: green economy.

Opening session: Feminine Lubelskie

During the panel, we had the opportunity to listen to women who achieved professional victories. The Lubelskie Voivodeship is a region with great economic potential, which offers enormous development opportunities for entrepreneurial women. Women of the region are the pillar of success and development and ambassadors of broadly understood entrepreneurship. The following women responded to the invitation to participate in the panel: Elżbieta Fijołek – President of the Board of the Responsible Business Club; Kamila Lendzion – Director of the Lublin Opera; Agnieszka Tokasz–Iwanek – Owner of Tokarz Design Polska Brand; Juliana Farbotka – Owner of Farbotka Sp. z o.o.; Monika Matysik - Specialist of Promotion and Marketing, Motor Lublin S.A.

Seminar II: High quality food

The panel was devoted to innovations in shaping and assessing the quality of food of animal origin, plant origin or organic food. Panellists discussed trends in the area of sustainable energy use and the management of production and logistics processes. Participants learned in which areas to expect legislative changes that will have an impact on business, and which new technological and scientific solutions will enable industry-specific performance indicators to be achieved.

Seminar III: Green Economy

The panellists focused on the topic: Clean energy from local RES sources as a guarantee for the development of the Lubelskie Voivodeship - the role of local governments, expectations of business, and public acceptance.

The Congress also features interesting side events for young leaders, concerts and exhibitions. The Lublin Philharmonic Hall was the venue for the 'International Success in the Three Seas Area' awards gala. International, and regional companies and individuals who have contributed to the development of the Three Seas Initiative were honoured. A gala concert with Greek music also welcomed Greece, newly admitted to the Initiative.