Who sets the rules wins:
Leadership in the era of AI, regulation, and global competition
Margrethe Vestager to deliver keynote at the ABSL Forum in Budapest
Margrethe Vestager, former Executive Vice President of the European Commission for A Europe Fit for the Digital Age (2019–2024) and EU Commissioner for Competition (2014–2024), named one of the Financial Times’ 25 Most Influential Women in 2024, will be a keynote speaker at the ABSL Forum. Europe’s leading business services industry event takes place on November 5–6, 2026, in Budapest.
Margrethe Vestager is widely regarded as one of the architects of today’s global regulatory order. For a decade, she stood at the center of the world’s most consequential debates on digital markets, competition, and governance of emerging technologies, helping shape how businesses innovate within complex regulatory frameworks.
Keynote that reframes the rules of the game
In Budapest, Margrethe Vestager will deliver a keynote titled: “Dare to compete. Drive fairness. Deliver trust. Leadership in the global AI economy.” She will offer an insider perspective on how regulatory power is reshaping the global business landscape, from AI governance and rising tariff pressures to new economic alliances like the expanding EU-India corridor. Her keynote will go beyond policy, focusing on what regulation means in practice: who wins, who scales, and who gains access to future markets.
Regulation is the new strategy
Margrethe Vestager offers a perspective few leaders have - that of a policymaker who influenced global competition rules. As a co-author of landmark regulations like the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the Digital Services Act (DSA), and a key figure in major antitrust decisions, she helped redefine the power balance in the digital economy. Her core message is straightforward: there is no sustainable scale without trust – and no trust without fair, enforceable rules. For business leaders, this is already an operating reality. Regulation is no longer just European; it sets global standards, influencing investment decisions, operating models, and international expansion strategies.
The ABSL Forum in Budapest brings together policymakers, business leaders, and innovators to discuss the opportunities and challenges arising from this transformation. At a time when technology, regulation, and geopolitics are becoming ever more intertwined, this year’s keynote speaker, Margrethe Vestager, will share her perspective on how Europe and global markets can foster innovation, competitiveness, and trust in an increasingly complex digital economy, says Jacek Levernes, Chairman of ABSL.
From support to strategic power
The business services industry is a critical engine of Europe’s economy, generating over €3.5 trillion in GDP, accounting for more than 20% of EU output, and employing nearly 40 million professionals. It is rapidly evolving from an operational backbone into a strategic driver of transformation.The growing importance of business services is reflected in its ability to shape competitiveness, influence investment flows, and increasingly determine how nations and companies navigate technological disruption. As a leading adopter and accelerator of artificial intelligence, the industry now plays a pivotal role in defining the future of global economic growth and resilience. Leveraging the 3T framework (Talent, Technology, Transformation), the industry not only absorbs global shocks but actively shapes the competitiveness of critical industries such as automotive, energy, and pharmaceuticals, ultimately determining Europe’s economic sovereignty in the years ahead.
ABSL Forum. Transform to Lead. Dare. Drive. Deliver.
The ABSL Forum is an international business event that brings together top executives, policymakers, and investors shaping global business and foreign direct investment strategies. Speakers at previous editions of the Forum, held in Porto and Riga, have included, i.e., José Manuel Barroso and Thierry Breton. This year's ABSL Forum will take place in Budapest, a city undergoing dynamic transformation that reflects broader changes across Central and Eastern Europe. This context aligns closely with the Forum’s guiding theme: Transform to Lead. Dare. Drive. Deliver. At a time when companies are reassessing global strategies and investment decisions, the Forum offers a unique platform to gain clarity, exchange perspectives, and turn uncertainty into strategic advantage. More information and the Forum agenda are available on the www.abslforum.com
About Margrethe Vestager
Margrethe Vestager, a Danish politician, served as the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for "A Europe Fit for the Digital Age" (2019–2024). She was also the European Commissioner for Competition from 2014 to 2024. Vestager held national ministerial roles in Denmark, including Minister for Economic Affairs and the Interior and Deputy Prime Minister (2011–2014) and Minister for Education (1998–2001). She was a key figure in the Social Liberal Party, serving as its political leader and chair of its parliamentary group between 2007 and 2014. Vestager was also a Member of the Danish Parliament from 2001 to 2014.
