Brussels Forum 2024 Partners

Belgium is located at the crossroads of three major European cultures, Germanic, Latin and Anglo-Saxon. Visitors will easily find a host who speaks their language fluently. French, Dutch and German are official languages in Belgium. English is fluently spoken by most Belgians for whom multilingualism is a given.

More international organizations are based in Brussels than in Washington D.C. The city is home to more than 120 international government organizations, 181 embassies, over 5,000 diplomats and more than 1,000 lobby groups.

Brussels hosts the most important European institutions, professional federations, corporate headquarters and civil society organizations in a cosmopolitan European Quarter. It is often dubbed as the standard setting capital of Europe, establishing standards and safeguards for the single, biggest market in the world.

As a leading global aerospace company, Boeing develops, manufactures and services commercial airplanes, defense products and space systems for customers in more than 150 countries. As a top U.S. exporter, the company leverages the talents of a global supplier base to advance economic opportunity, sustainability and community impact. Boeing's diverse team is committed to innovating for the future, leading with sustainability, and cultivating a culture based on the company's core values of safety, quality and integrity.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is an intergovernmental organization, a politico-military alliance of 32 countries from North America and Europe, committed to fulfil the goals of the North Atlantic Treaty signed on 4 April 1949. In accordance with the Treaty, collective defense is at the heart of the Alliance and the fundamental role of NATO is to safeguard the freedom and security of its allies. NATO is playing an important role in crisis management and peacekeeping and is built on common values of individual liberty, democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

The SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University was founded in 2017 with a $150 million gift from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. We are a multi-disciplinary academic and public forum dedicated to strengthening global democracy by improving and expanding civic engagement and inclusive dialogue, and by supporting inquiry that leads to real-world change. By building integrated partnerships with scholars, practitioners, students, and the public, we use research to identify and sharpen strategic choices that members of the public and civic and political stakeholders around the world can make to realize the promise of democracy.

The institute draws its name and inspiration from the ancient Athenian agora. Originally designed as a marketplace, the agora grew to become the heart of democratic governance in Athens. It provided a structured forum for debate, disagreement, and deliberation, and a place where Athenians learned both the rights and responsibilities of democracy, and where they developed capacities for participation in public life.

Building on the unique strengths of Johns Hopkins—its world-class faculty, its interdisciplinary focus, and its dedication to bold experimentation—we seek to reinvigorate the ethos of the ancient agora for the 21st century. Our scholars study the behavioral, organizational, and institutional foundations of democracy; develop and test interventions to reverse trends toward decline; and share lessons learned to promote civic engagement and inclusive dialogue around the critical issues of our time.  Ultimately, we seek to recreate agora-like spaces that are critical to deliberative democracy. 

Technology companies have a critical role to play in Europe’s ambitious Green Deal goals, and at Google we want to work together to achieve a carbon-free future in Europe & globally. Sustainability has been a core value for Google for more than 20 years. We have made the important journey from neutralising carbon emissions, to reducing them, and by 2030 we aim to not emit any in the first place. Today, every email you send through Gmail, every question you ask Google Search and every YouTube video you watch is carbon neutral. We were the first major company to become carbon neutral in 2007. We were the first to match our operations with 100% renewable energy in 2017, and we’ve been doing it ever since. Last year we eliminated our entire carbon legacy. Our next ambition is our biggest yet: operating on carbon free energy by the year 2030. This represents a significant step change from current approaches and is a moonshot on the same scale as quantum computing. It presents equally hard problems to solve, from sourcing carbon-free energy in every place we operate to ensuring it can run every hour of every day. Building on the first carbon-intelligent computing platform that we rolled out last year, we’ll soon be the first company to implement carbon-intelligent load shifting across both time and place within our data center network. By this time next year we’ll be shifting more than a third of non-production compute to times and places with greater availability of carbon-free energy. And we are working to apply our Cloud AI with novel drilling techniques and fiber optic sensing to deliver geothermal power in more places, starting in our Nevada data centers next year.

Founded in 1968, Intel’s technology has been at the heart of computing breakthroughs. We are an industry leader, creating world-changing technology that enables global progress and enriches lives. Inspired by Moore’s Law, we continuously work to advance the design and manufacturing of semiconductors to help address our customers’ greatest challenges. By embedding intelligence in every kind of computing device, we unleash the potential of data to transform business and society for the better. We stand at the brink of several technology inflections—artificial intelligence (AI), 5G network transformation, and the rise of the intelligent edge—that together will shape the future of technology. Silicon and software drive these inflections, and Intel is at the heart of it all. For more information visit www.intel.com.

The fundamental liberal values of the West are thoroughly secured in Latvia’s constitution and resolutely implemented in its governance. This allowed Latvia, once it retook its independence, to quickly ascend such international organisations as OSCE (1991), WTO (1999), NATO (2004), EU (2004), OECD (2016) etc. We strongly believe in the chosen path of liberty and cooperation and it has consistently enabled one of the fastest economic growth rates in Europe and has secured peace and prosperity for our people. Today, Latvia is an essential part of Northern Europe, one of the most thriving and vibrant regions in the world.

The Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia (MoD) is the leading state administrative institution for defence and security issues. It is the MoD’s responsibility, in cooperation with our National Armed Forces, to develop capabilities and strengthen relations with Allies in order to defend the sovereignty of Latvia. To ensure the steady growth of capabilities and to fulfil our commitments, since 2018 Latvia has been one of NATO countries spending more than 2% of GDP for defence. Transatlantic cooperation remains the corner-stone of security in Europe and maintenance of transatlantic unity is one of the MoD’s primary policy goals.

The transatlantic bond has safeguarded peace in the Baltic states and overall has been an integral corner-stone providing stability in the security environment we all share.

Microsoft is a technology company whose mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Our strategy is to build best-in-class platforms and productivity services for a mobile-first, cloud-first world. Founded in 1975, we operate worldwide and have offices in more than 100 countries. We develop, license, and support a wide range of software products, services, and devices that deliver new opportunities, greater convenience, and enhanced value to people’s lives. We offer an array of services, including cloud-based services, to consumers and businesses. We design, manufacture, and sell devices that integrate with our cloud-based services.

The Open Society Foundations work to build vibrant and inclusive democracies whose governments are accountable to their people.  The Open Society Foundations, founded by George Soros, are the world’s largest private funder of independent groups working for justice, democratic governance, and human rights. We approach this mission through the illuminating principles of justice, equity, and expression—defining characteristics of any truly open society. We give grants to a diverse array of groups and individuals in more than 100 countries who work in different ways to promote democratic principles, human rights, and justice. We support this work at both national and global levels through advocacy in our own name, as well as through impact investing and legal action.

Deloitte provides industry-leading audit and assurance, tax and legal, consulting, financial advisory, and risk advisory services to nearly 90% of the Fortune Global 500® and thousands of private companies. Our people deliver measurable and lasting results that help reinforce public trust in capital markets, enable clients to transform and thrive, and lead the way toward a stronger economy, a more equitable society, and a sustainable world. Building on its 175-plus year history, Deloitte spans more than 150 countries and territories. Learn how Deloitte’s approximately 457,000 people worldwide make an impact that matters at www.deloitte.com.

Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (DTTL), its global network of member firms, and their related entities (collectively, the “Deloitte organization”). DTTL (also referred to as “Deloitte Global”) and each of its member firms and related entities are legally separate and independent entities, which cannot obligate or bind each other in respect of third parties. DTTL and each DTTL member firm and related entity is liable only for its own acts and omissions, and not those of each other. DTTL does not provide services to clients. Please see www.deloitte.com/about to learn more.

ExxonMobil, one of the largest publicly traded international energy and petrochemical companies, creates solutions that improve quality of life and meet society’s evolving needs. The corporation’s primary businesses - Upstream, Product Solutions and Low Carbon Solutions - provide products that enable modern life, including energy, chemicals, lubricants, and lower-emissions technologies. ExxonMobil holds an industry-leading portfolio of resources, and is one of the largest integrated fuels, lubricants and chemical companies in the world.

In Europe, ExxonMobil has been present since 1885 and currently employs over 13.000 people. With investments in Europe totaling more than 20 billion Euros in the past 10 years, ExxonMobil contributes to Europe’s energy security by producing oil and natural gas, fuels and chemical products. Its European headquarters and Technology Center are located in Brussels, Belgium.

Mercedes-Benz Group AG is one of the world's most successful automotive companies. With Mercedes-Benz AG, the Group is one of the leading global suppliers of premium and luxury cars and vans. Mercedes-Benz Mobility AG offers financing, leasing, car subscription and car rental, fleet management, digital services for charging and payment, insurance brokerage, as well as innovative mobility services. The company founders, Gottlieb Daimler and  

Carl Benz, made history by inventing the automobile in 1886. As a pioneer of automotive engineering, Mercedes-Benz sees shaping the future of mobility in a safe and sustainable way as both a motivation and obligation. The company's focus therefore remains on innovative and green technologies as well  

as on safe and superior vehicles that both captivate and inspire. Mercedes-Benz continues to invest systematically in the development of efficient powertrains and sets the course for an all-electric future: The brand with the three-pointed star pursues the goal to go all-electric, where market conditions allow. Shifting from electric-first to electric-only, the world’s pre-eminent luxury car company is accelerating toward an emissions-free and software-driven future. The company's efforts are also focused on the intelligent connectivity of its vehicles, autonomous driving and new mobility concepts as Mercedes-Benz regards it as its aspiration and obligation to live up to its responsibility to society and the environment. Mercedes-Benz sells its vehicles and services in nearly every country of the world and has production facilities in Europe, North and Latin America, Asia and Africa. In addition to Mercedes-Benz, the world's most valuable luxury automotive brand (source: Interbrand study, 20 Oct. 2021), Mercedes-AMG, Mercedes-Maybach, Mercedes-EQ and Mercedes me as well as the brands of Mercedes-Benz Mobility: Mercedes-Benz Bank, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services and Athlon. The company is listed on the Frankfurt and Stuttgart stock exchanges (ticker symbol MBG). In 2021, the Group had a workforce of around 172,000 and sold 2.3 million vehicles. Group revenues amounted to €168.0 billion and Group EBIT to €29.1 billion. 

The Policy Center for the New South (PCNS) is a Moroccan think tank aiming to contribute to the improvement of economic and social public policies that challenge Morocco and the rest of Africa as integral parts of the global South.

The PCNS pleads for an open, accountable and enterprising "new South" that defines its own narratives and mental maps around the Mediterranean and South Atlantic basins, as part of a forward-looking relationship with the rest of the world. Through its analytical endeavours, the think tank aims to support the development of public policies in Africa and to give the floor to experts from the South. This stance is focused on dialogue and partnership, and aims to cultivate African expertise and excellence needed for the accurate analysis of African and global challenges and the suggestion of appropriate solutions.

As such, the PCNS brings together researchers, publishes their work and capitalizes on a network of renowned partners, representative of different regions of the world. The PCNS hosts a series of gatherings of different formats and scales throughout the year, the most important being the annual international conferences "The Atlantic Dialogues" and "African Peace and Security Annual Conference" (APSACO).

Finally, the think tank is developing a community of young leaders through the Atlantic Dialogues Emerging Leaders program(ADEL) a space for cooperation and networking between a new generation of decision-makers from the government, business and civil society sectors. Through this initiative, which already counts more than 300 members, the Policy Center for the New South contributes to intergenerational dialogue and the emergence of tomorrow’s leaders.

Qualcomm is enabling a world where everyone and everything can be intelligently connected. Our one technology roadmap allows us to efficiently scale the technologies that launched the mobile revolution – including advanced connectivity, high-performance, low-power compute, on-device intelligence and more – to the next generation of connected smart devices across industries. Innovations from Qualcomm and our family of Snapdragon platforms will help enable cloud-edge convergence, transform industries, accelerate the digital economy, and revolutionize how we experience the world, for the greater good.

Qualcomm Incorporated includes our licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of our patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, substantially all of our engineering, research and development functions, and substantially all of our products and services businesses, including our QCT semiconductor business. Snapdragon and Qualcomm branded products are products of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. Qualcomm patented technologies are licensed by Qualcomm Incorporated.

The U.S. Mission to the European Union (USEU) is the direct link between the U.S. Government and the European Union (EU) in Brussels, Belgium. The United States has maintained diplomatic relations with the European Union and its forerunners since 1953. Over the years USEU has grown as U.S. relations with the EU have become deeper and more complex. Today the Mission is home to some 100 employees representing the Department of State, as well as the Departments of Commerce, Agriculture, Homeland Security, Justice and Treasury; the Agency for International Development and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, among others.