Economic Conference 2024

Financing a Better Future

The Vital Role of Finance in Achieving Sustainable Growth

OCTOBER

About the conference

Latvijas Banka’s Economic Conference 2024, organised in cooperation with SUERF – The European Money and Finance Forum, will bring together internationally renowned experts to discuss the development prospects of the financial sector and its contribution to economic growth.

An efficient financial sector plays a crucial role in sustainable economic growth, channelling savings into productive investments. This flow of funds fuels innovation, business expansion, and job creation. Countries with more sophisticated financial sectors consistently experience faster and more sustained economic growth.

But what defines an optimal financial sector? Can a one-size-fits-all approach work? Is the euro area financial sector equipped to meet the needs of the modern economy? What steps can the euro area, including Latvia, take to promote access to finance? Answers to these and other critical questions will be sought at the Latvijas Banka and SUERF conference.

Participants

Mārtiņš Kazāks

Governor of Latvijas Banka

Valdis Dombrovskis

Executive Vice-president

Luis de Guindos

Vice-President of the European Central Bank

Michala Marcussen

Group Chief Economist and Head of Economic and Sector Research, Société Générale | SUERF Council

Karel Lannoo

CEO of Centre for European Policy Studies

Tatyana Panova

Head of Securities Markets Unit in DG FISMA

Rym Ayadi

Professor at CASS Business School, Member of the Centre for Banking Research, City University of London

Jens Eisenschmidt

Managing Director at Morgan Stanley and the Bank’s Chief Europe Economist

Gediminas Šimkus

Governor of Lietuvos bankas

Gonzalo Gasós

Senior Director of Prudential Policy and Supervision at the European Banking Federation

Claudia Buch

Chair of the Supervisory Board of the European Central Bank

Andris Strazds

Head of the General Secretariat, Latvijas Banka

Program

UTC +3 / Eastern European Summer Time (EEST)

REGISTRATION

9:00

Welcome coffee

CONFERENCE OPENING

10:00

Mārtiņš Kazāks, Governor of Latvijas Banka

OPENING REMARKS

10:10

Valdis Dombrovskis,

Executive Vice-President, European Commission

KEYNOTE ADDRESS

10:20

Euro area economic challenges

Luis de Guindos, Vice-President of the European Central Bank

PANEL DISCUSSION

10:30

From Riga to Brussels to Wall Street:
Examining the Differences of Financial Architecture

The session will focus on the diverse financial landscapes in the euro area and beyond and the ways forward to unlocking the development potential.

Moderator:
Michala Marcussen, Group Chief Economist and Head of Economic and Sector Research, Société Générale | SUERF Council

Panelists:
Luis de Guindos, Vice-President of the European Central Bank
Karel Lannoo, CEO of Centre for European Policy Studies
Tatyana Panova, Head of Securities Markets Unit in DG FISMA
Rym Ayadi, Professor at CASS Business School, Member of the Centre for Banking Research, City University of London

COFFEE BREAK

11:50

OPENING REMARKS

12:30

Mārtiņš Kazāks, Governor of Latvijas Banka

PANEL DISCUSSION

12:40

Banking for Prosperity:
Towards Stronger and More Inclusive Growth Through Increased Integration and Competition

The focus of this session will be on the structural differences impeding further financial integration and equitable access to finance within the euro area.

Moderator:
Jens Eisenschmidt, Managing Director at Morgan Stanley and the Bank’s Chief Europe Economist

Panelists:
Mārtiņš Kazāks, Governor of Latvijas Banka
Gediminas Šimkus, Governor of Lietuvos bankas
Gonzalo Gasós, Senior Director of Prudential Policy and Supervision at the European Banking Federation
Claudia Buch, Chair of the Supervisory Board of the European Central Bank