European Business Summit 2026

The European Business Summit (EBS) is a Brussels platform that has brought EU policymakers and business leaders together for 25 years. Its 2026 flagship edition, held at the Egmont Palace, is themed 'For Europe's Next Era of Strategic Independence' and asks how Europe can strengthen its resilience, competitiveness and capacity to act amid geopolitical pressure and technological disruption.

What's on the agenda

The organisers frame strategic independence as an investment agenda, and the programme follows the building blocks they set out for keeping Europe a place where companies invest, innovate and scale.

• Stronger and deeper markets
• Modern infrastructure
• Secure supply chains
• Competitive energy systems
• Digital capacity and tech sovereignty
• Industrial strength

Who attends

European Commissioners and Directors-General, Members of the European Parliament, national officials, think tanks and executives from multinational companies and industry associations. European Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen is confirmed to speak on Europe's digital future and technological resilience.

Networking

Alongside the plenary programme, participants can use a dedicated B2B matchmaking platform to identify business opportunities and book one-to-one meetings with other attendees during the summit. The Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs supports the event, which is held in its Egmont Palace.