What’s Next Summit 2026: Aiming the Futures

Pedro Duarte opens AI and leadership debate at Porto Business School

Under the theme “[AI]ming the Futures,” the Innovation X Hub event focused on turning innovation into real-world impact.

Porto Business School (PBS) hosted a new edition of the What’s Next Summit this morning, bringing together leaders across business, policy, and academia. Pedro Duarte, Mayor of Porto, opened the event alongside José Esteves, Dean of the school.

In his remarks, Pedro Duarte stressed the urgency of addressing AI’s growing influence on the economy:
“Fostering a serious, informed debate on Artificial Intelligence is more important than ever. This technology has the potential to reshape how we produce, work, and make decisions. Porto has a clear stake in this conversation.”

Framed around “[AI]ming the Futures,” the summit — the flagship event of the Innovation X Hub — highlighted AI as a key driver of value creation, competitiveness, and economic resilience. The discussion comes at a time of rising geopolitical tension, increasing cybersecurity risks, and mounting pressure on global supply chains.

Speakers emphasized that technology alone is not enough. Organizations need strong digital infrastructure — from data centers and cloud to connectivity and cybersecurity — as well as leadership capable of turning innovation into tangible outcomes.

One message stood out: AI marks a point of no return. Companies must rethink how they operate, make decisions, and create value. At the same time, issues such as global competition, digital sovereignty, and pressure on critical infrastructure are becoming central to strategic decision-making.

Sergey Gorbatov, leadership expert and professor at IE University, pointed to a shift in how organizations approach talent:

“We’ve spent decades mastering the capital economy, while the labor economy remained largely misunderstood. In the age of AI, leaders need to understand in real time how work creates or destroys value. The companies that will win are not those with the most talent, but those that can mobilize it fastest.”

Anel Imanbay, founder of TEDxMarvila, entrepreneur, and creative producer, raised concerns about the impact of speed on critical thinking:

“The real danger of our time is not Artificial Intelligence. It’s artificial certainty — when answers come faster than we can think, and we stop questioning whether they make sense.”

The program explored four key pillars shaping the future of AI. These included business value creation, intelligent automation, digital infrastructure and security, and the human side of transformation. Sector-specific changes in healthcare, banking, education, and logistics were also discussed, alongside ethics, responsibility, and the future of work.

The What’s Next Summit 2026 featured talks, roundtables, and masterclasses focused on AI’s impact across industries. Sessions also addressed the role of geopolitics in business strategy, cybersecurity risks, supply chain disruption, and the global race for technological leadership.

A session on China’s economy, led online by Shirley Ze Yu of Harvard Kennedy School, explored the shifting global order and what it means for Europe.

The event also included an MBA Pitch Talk with students, industry flash talks, and practical discussions on applying AI — from building human-AI teams to integrating it into executive decision-making.