Previous editions of the 3Seas Local Government Congress and the Economic Forum have made Lublin the centre of an important debate serving the integration and cooperation of Central and Eastern European regions. In May 2023, more than 1,500 representatives of government administration, local government administration, the scientific and business sectors and young leaders attended dozens of panel discussions and parallel events.



You can find up-to-date information on the development and agenda of the fourth edition of the 3Seas Local Government Congress at: www.congress.lubelskie.pl and on social media.

The Congress were held on 13-14 June 2024 in Lublin Conference Centre. The inspiration for its realization was the 18th edition of the Economic Forum of Young Leaders (FEML), the largest international socio-economic conference in Central and Eastern Europe organises by Foundation as an accompanying event to the Economic Forum in Karpacz (formerly in Krynica).

The mission of this year's Congress was to lead the debate and create space for it, and to strive to adequately prepare young people to participate in the discussion on the future of Poland, Europe and the world. Various types of problems faced by young people, such as employment and the labour market, in order to look for effective solutions was analysed. Special attention was paid to this issues. Mariusz Wiktorowicz - Head of the Information and Career Planning Center in Lublin, in his speech, presented to young people what and how to learn to become a leader on the labor market. The Chief emphasized that time is the greatest capital of young people. According to him, it is also worth taking up a job while still studying to gain experience that is useful and sought after on the labor market. Through solid work at a young age, young people also make a name for themselves. In turn, in the panel entitled "The corporation - imagination vs. reality", almost all participants emphasised the role of studies in the context of acquiring soft skills. Maciej Dudkowski, a manager from PwC Poland, advised Congress participants to persistently pursue their goals and not to worry about possible failures. In addition, he emphasised that opinions about working several hours a day are untrue.

One of the most interesting panels at this year's Congress was the panel entitled "Interculturalism a challenge in the activities of International Meeting Houses?" Rev. Dr. Stefan Batruch - President of the Foundation for Spiritual Culture of the Borderland - talked about the young people from Ukraine whom his Foundation took into its care after they fled their country following the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. "We are trying to enable refugees from Ukraine so that by their own involvement and their own activity they can discover the potential they have within themselves. Also, we are not so much trying to teach the newly arrived young people in Lublin, but we are trying to give them, to create opportunities for them, so that they themselves, better understand their needs when they look at them from their own perspective."

In turn, Agata Dziubińska-Gawlik, President of the European Meeting Center - Nowy Staw Foundation, emphasized the role of the National Institute of Freedom in the activities of International Meeting Centers. “For many years, the International Meeting Houses, which were established in the 1990s, were impoverished both in terms of infrastructure and programs. This situation changed after the appearance of this program, dedicated exclusively to MDSs. Moreover, President Gawlik emphasized that "we have to help the residents. Lublin and beyond, to get used to the fact that strangers or people with a different national, linguistic or cultural identity are not a threat to us, that this stranger is not a competition to be afraid of.

Ludmila Zubarieva – President of the NGO Great Idea mentioned, that over the last year, despite the ongoing war, it was possible to establish an International Meeting House in Ukraine in the city of Kovel in the Volyn Oblast, close to the Polish border. Ms Ludmila highlighted the role and opportunities offered by international youth exchanges. “Young people return from such trips inspired, with additional energy to further their own development, interested in discovering the world. Thanks to such exchanges, young people experience other cultures".

Congress was the great opportunity for young Poles, Ukrainians, Belarusians and Lithuanians for discussions about cultural heritage, national identity and also cooperation between their countries e.g. In terms of international exchanges.

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.

This is a unique opportunity to meet representatives of local governments, entrepreneurs and experts from the Three Seas region. Together we will discuss the most important economic, social and infrastructure issues.



- Agenda I day (12 June 2024)

- Agenda II day (13 June 2024)

The Three Seas Congress is an international event addressed to government and local government administration, science and business sectors from 13 member states of the Three Seas Initiative (Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Hungary), strategic partners: the European Union, the United States, Japan and partner regions from Ukraine and Moldova. It is held under the Patronage of the President of the Republic of Poland, Andrzej Duda.

The three previous editions of the Congress and the Economic Forum made Lublin the centre of an important debate serving the integration and cooperation of the regions of Central and Eastern Europe. Between 2021 and 2023, a total of almost 3,500 people from 25 countries around the world attended.

In this year's edition of the event, international panelists will focus on issues including: energy security, artificial intelligence, 3D hydrogen economy, infrastructure, among others the Via Carpatia route, as well as the digitalisation of society and health. The program will include a Regions Debate, project meetings and a scientific part as part of the Three Seas Universities Network. Additionally, young leaders and innovators will present their achievements during accompanying events.

The Congress is accompanied by an Economic Forum, which will include seminars in the areas of digitalisation, green economy, material technology or innovation and a special panel on the role of women in business, as well as exhibition stands, B2B meetings and a start-up zone.

Security and resilience of the countries of the region in the face of the growing threat from Russia and Belarus, the presidential initiative to increase defence spending, the continuation of infrastructure projects including transport Rail Baltica and Via Baltica and Via Carpatia, were the topics discussed at the 3Si Summit.

Poland will host the 10th Summit of the 3Seas Initiative in 2025. President Andrzej Duda expressed his gratitude to Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok for ceding the right to host next year's Summit to Poland.

More about 9th 3Si Summit and 6th Business Forum.

On 11 April this year, Lithuania will host the 9th summit of the 3SI Initiative, bringing together the 13 member states, associated members of the initiative as well as businesses and investors. Representatives from the government administration will be hosted at the Business Forum. During the one-day event for business, topics relevant to the entire region will be discussed, including security, energy security and transport connectivity. The most significant projects transforming the region will be presented, which are open to entrepreneurs, as well as B2B/B2G meetings will take place.

Participants at the annual Business Forum will discuss the long-term objectives of the 3SI, with particular emphasis on energy security and climate change, the advancement of a neutral economy, the improvement of transport, the consolidation of transatlantic cooperation and support for the integration of associated EU member states, notably Ukraine and Moldova.

The 3SI Business Forum will include a more extensive discussion of projects reshaping the region, such as the Rail Baltica project, directly involving five EU member states: Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Finland, as well as multilateral road infrastructure projects such as Via Baltica and Via Carpatia. The Business Forum will also address the integration and synchronisation of the Baltic electricity system with European grids, and other important strategic projects for renewable energy and interconnection in which business can participate.

The 3SI Business Forum represents a unique format where decision-makers and the business community can come together to address discussions on energy, transport infrastructure, digital interconnectivity and other issues relevant to the region. It is an excellent arena for establishing new business contacts between the business communities and 3SI partners in Europe, the US and other states in the joint pursuit of innovative solutions. The vision of Lithuania, as the 3SI presiding state, is a strong Europe and strong transatlantic ties, said the President of the Republic of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausėda, referring to the business forum to be held in their capital.

To date, there have been a total of eight summits in seven countries: Croatia, Poland, Romania (twice), Slovenia, Estonia, Bulgaria and Latvia. Lithuania (2024), Hungary (2025), the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria and Greece are still to come.

The 3SI brings together 13 European Union Member States: Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Greece, and 2 associated countries - Ukraine and Moldova. The strategic partners of 3SI include the USA, Germany and the European Commission. We encourage you to follow the official event website and social media.

We encourage you to watch the VIDEO material summarising the 3rd edition of the Congress, which took place in Lublin from 16 to 17 May 2023.

We remind you that starting from 12 to 13 June 2024, Lublin will once again become the centre of an important debate serving the integration and cooperation of Central and Eastern European regions. We invite you to follow the official event website www.congress.lubelskie.pl and social media.

Previous editions of the 3Seas Local Government Congress and the Economic Forum have made Lublin the centre of an important debate serving the integration and cooperation of Central and Eastern European regions. In May 2023, more than 1,500 representatives of government administration, local government administration, the scientific and business sectors and young leaders attended dozens of panel discussions and parallel events.



You can find up-to-date information on the development and agenda of the fourth edition of the 3Seas Local Government Congress at: www.congress.lubelskie.pl and on social media.