30/09/2025
More than 100 business, innovation, and technology leaders from the Benelux and the Baltics explored how to build resilient and competitive businesses in times of constant “perma-crisis” - a state where uncertainty never really ends. The event was held at ANNA Amstelveen.
🔵 Keynote by Prof. Rudy Aernoudt, one of Europe’s leading economists, emphasized that whether one in trade, capital, or cyber - survival depends on resilience, not short-term profit. Resilience as the new competitive advantage. Europe’s ability to adapt, unlock capital, and invest in innovation will define its place in a fragmented, high-risk global economy.
Insightful presentation covered many up-to-date analysis, but in a nutshell:
- Trade & geopolitics: tariffs at century highs, EU industry (especially autos, machinery and chemicals) under pressure, China’s rise (deflation + overcapacity) reshaping competition.
- Capital: Europe sits on €10T in household savings - unlocking it is key to strength. VC/PE investors see tariffs (80%) and geopolitics (69%) as the top risks for 2025.
- Cyber: Attacks costs are projected to hit $10.5T by 2025, breaching healthcare, telecoms, and education hardest.
- Confidence: EU business outlook remains fragile under regulation (which is overloaded; 13,000 new EU Laws since 2019) and uncertainty.
🔵 Panel “Resilient Business Playbook” brought together Aidas Vagonis (Helmes), Kristiina Omri (CybExer Technologies), and Frank Breedijk (Schuberg Philis). Panelists have sent a clear message - cybersecurity is not an IT issue. It’s a business resilience issue, that must be aligned with business strategy and leadership priorities. Today it’s about protecting business continuity, trust, and survival.
Highlights that truly matter from the panel discussion:
- For hackers, attacks are just business. For companies, they can be life-critical.
- Business resilience depends on processes, systems, and structure - not just firewalls.
- Preparation always costs less than the recovery.
- People remain the weakest link, therefore making education and raising an awareness is critical.
🔵 Huge thanks to all our events loyal Partners: BMI Executive Institute, Helmes in Lithuania, Minds&Finds, Ekonomikos ir inovacijų ministerija, Mind Your Waste B.V.
🔵 Special thanks to Mantas Zamzickas for opening the 5th edition event and to the Event Host Leo Simons for masterfully guiding the conversations and making sure the event agenda ran effortlessly.
🔵 Heartfelt thanks to an amazing team - Jurga Baltram, Agne Nainyte, Matas Minkevicius, Lina Malaskeviciene - for making it all happen.
5 years behind us, the next 5 ahead - Benelux Baltics in Business is ready for the next phase of its initiative.
We’re excited to share with you some highlights from the memorable day.
📸 Check out the photo gallery! For capturing the meaningful moments, credit goes to Obrand and Alex Tkanova-Growd.