The 56th St. Gallen Symposium 2027 will take place on April 2027 in St. Gallen, bringing together leaders of today and tomorrow for cross-generational dialogue on major challenges shaping business, society and the global economy. The internationally recognised symposium connects senior leaders, young professionals, students, academics and representatives from business, politics and civil society to exchange perspectives and explore new approaches to complex global issues.
The theme of the 56th edition is “Conditional Partnerships.” The programme examines how cooperation is changing as geopolitical competition, technological developments, economic uncertainty and shifting levels of trust influence relationships between states, companies and societies. Discussions will explore how partnerships can be designed, managed and strengthened when cooperation increasingly depends on strategic interests, explicit terms and shared resilience.
The St. Gallen Symposium provides a platform for high-level debate, knowledge exchange and intergenerational networking. Participants engage with contemporary questions across geopolitics, business, technology, economics and society, creating opportunities to connect established decision-makers with the next generation of leaders and innovators. The symposium’s cross-generational format is designed to encourage dialogue between different perspectives and generations rather than simply presenting conventional conference sessions.
For students and emerging leaders, the symposium also provides opportunities to contribute ideas and participate in its international Leaders of Tomorrow community. From the 56th edition onward, the organisation’s Global Ideas Competition introduces a new format combining a Solution Brief with a short Video Explainer, reflecting its focus on developing and communicating practical ideas for global challenges.
With its international audience, student-driven organisation and focus on cross-generational collaboration, the 56th St. Gallen Symposium 2027 offers a distinctive platform for discussing the future of leadership, cooperation, innovation and global affairs. It is a significant meeting point for business leaders, academics, young professionals and students interested in understanding how partnerships and decision-making are evolving in an increasingly complex world.
