Berlin Global Dialogue 2026 will be held at ESMT Berlin from 20 to 22 October. The fourth summit runs under the theme "Advancing Alliances for the New Era", according to the organiser. Berlin Global Dialogue was established in 2022 at ESMT Berlin to bring leaders from business, politics and academia together around the global economy of the twenty first century.
Past participants include Ola Kaellenius of Mercedes-Benz, Bernard Mensah of Bank of America, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Partners of the summit include Allianz, Bank of America and Union Investment, and participation is by invitation.
The event matters to executives because it is one of the few forums in Europe where chief executives of global companies sit with heads of government, central bankers and trade negotiators to discuss the direction of alliances, industrial policy and capital flows. Board members and chief executives of German and international corporates use the summit to read the political climate ahead of budget and investment decisions.
ESMT Berlin, the business school that hosts the dialogue, is based in the former State Council building on Schlossplatz in the centre of Berlin.
