Radio Davos

Dani Rodrik has long argued against unfettered globalization and supports countries' use of industrial policy to pursue economic development. The Harvard economist joins us to talk about the usefulness and limitations of trade tariffs, economic nationalism, and the impact of global economics on democracy. Catch up on all the action from the Annual Meeting 2025 at  wef.ch/wef25 and across social me...

What happened at the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting 2025, where the world met to discuss 'Collaboration for the Intelligent Age'? On Day 1, Donald Trump was inaugurated for his second term as US president, and announced he was withdrawing from the Paris climate deal, as well as the World Health Organisation, and vowed to use trade tariffs to re-shore jobs. On Day 4 he addressed the meeting...

The world is waiting to see how Donald Trump's return to the White House will affect the global economy and global trade. And that is reflected in the latest Chief Economists Outlook, the Forum's regular survey on the state of the world. World Trade Organization Chief Economist Ralph Ossa gives his take on the Outlook and the prospects for the global economy in 2025 - essential listening ahead of...

What are the global challenges that world leaders will be addressing in Davos? Many of them are contained in the World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report, a survey of almost 1,000 decision makers and leaders around the world that shows what they consider to be the biggest risks facing humanity in the coming year and in the medium and long terms. The 20th edition of this annual report reveals an...

Cyberspace is more complex and challenging than ever due to rapid technological advancements, growing cybercriminal sophistication and deeply interconnected supply chains. The World Economic Forum's new Global Cybersecurity Outlook aims to help us navigate these challenges and strengthen cyber resilience. Akshay Joshi, head of the World Economic Forum's Centre for Cybersecurity talks us through so...

One of the biggest names in music talks about AI and human soul. The victim of the 'Tinder Swindler' highlights a multi-billion dollar cyber crime. And leaders from business and civil society share life-changing advice. In 2024, some of the brightest minds spoke to the World Economic Forum's podcasts Radio Davos and Meet the Leader. In this 'Best Of' episode, podcast hosts Robin Pomeroy and Linda...

UN negotiations that were supposed to produce global rules on plastics have stalled, with no agreement on the scope of the treaty seen as vital to curb ocean pollution and other problems. Clemence Schmid, director of the Global Plastics Action Partnership at the World Economic Forum, gives her readout from the "INC-5" in Busan, South Korean, and says what might happen now. Links: Global Plastic Ac...

Space is back! No longer the reserve of a couple of superpowers, an increasing number of countries are getting involved, and the private sector is playing a greater role than ever. On this episode, NASA Chief Economist Alexander MacDonald talks about plans to return to the Moon, and Pascale Ehrenfreund, president of the Committee on Space Research, explains why we are looking for life on Mars and...

What are 'elastocalorics' or 'reconfigurable intelligent surfaces'? In a few years' time these emerging technologies may have transformed the way we heat and cool our homes, and how we transmit ever greater amounts of data. They are among the technological innovations identified in the World Economic Forum's annual Top 10 Emerging Technologies report, which picks the tech that could transform the...

Wars, trade tensions and elections around the world are testing humanity's ability to tackle climate change. Two experts from the World Economic Forum's Global Future Council on the Future of Geopolitics look at the diplomacy and real-world reality of climate change politics and economics, with a particular focus on the global South. This episode is published to coincide with the Annual Meeting of...

"The global economy - it's a complicated picture, in the sense that it's doing better than we expected just six months ago but it's doing much worse than what it was doing six years ago." World Bank Chief Economist Indermit Gill gives his assessment of the 'glass half-full' global economy. And as the World Economic Forum publishes the latest edition of its Chief Economists Outlook, the Forum's Hea...

A new, critically acclaimed documentary follows the fortunes of online investors, including one who made - and lost - $3 million in cryptocurrency. The director of This Is Not Financial Advice hopes his movie will help people understand the risks and potential benefits of investing, and how they can educate themselves. Co-host : Meagan Andrews, Lead, Capital Market Initiatives, World Economic Foru...

As investors pour money into companies developing or deploying artificial intelligence, what are the steps they should be taking to ensure that AI is safe and responsible? The Responsible AI Playbook for Investors published by the World Economic Forum and pension fund CPP Investments, sets out real-world examples of how investors can - and must - use their position to promote responsible AI. Guest...

How can cities - with ever growing populations - tackle air deadly pollution and reduce greenhouse gas emissions? Breathe Cities is a global network of cities sharing data, expertise and experience to do just that. Guest: Jaime Pumarejo, Executive Director of Breathe Cities. Links: Breathe Cities: https://breathecities.org/ GAEA - Giving to Amplify Earth Action: https://initiatives.weforum.org/giv...

Artificial intelligence has the potential to massively improve human health: from developing new drugs to providing more accurate diagnoses and helping people who live with severe disabilities. But AI also has the potential, if used wrongly or governed badly, to make life worse for people dealing with health problems. In this episode, we hear from people on the front lines of the technology. This...

Theatre director Jude Kelly founded the Women of the World (WOW) Festival almost two decades ago to spur conversations about women, men and feminism. WOW is now a global phenomenon, but does the rise of online misogyny pose a threat to progress on gender equality. Jude Kelly, who spoke to Radio Davos on World Women's Day 2024, says why it is vital to include men in the conversations about an issue...

What's Dwight from The Office doing in the metaverse? Actor Rainn Wilson joins us in avatar form to check out a virtual world created by the World Economic Forum that aims to raise awareness of the impact of climate change on the Arctic and the rest of the world. We also hear from Gail Whiteman, Professor of Sustainability at the University of Exeter Business School, and Executive Director of Arct...

For half a century, Nile Rodgers has been making hit records that have touched people's hearts around the world. The creative force behind disco pioneers Chic, and some of the best known songs of David Bowie, Madonna and Beyoncé, tells us the definition of an artist: someone whose work "speaks to the souls of a million strangers". But what if generative AI can make music that's just as good? Is AI...

Going green - in energy, agriculture, industry and elsewhere - will have costs and benefits, so how can we ensure the poorest don't pay the price or miss out on the opportunities? A new report from the World Economic Forum has defined six 'archetype' countries and looks at the differing challenges across the globe, and what policymakers need to know to achieve an 'equitable transition'. Guest: Tar...

Incubated at the World Economic Forum, the Global Impact Coalition (GIC) is an organisation that pools the resources of major chemicals companies to develop ways of making their industry more sustainable. We hear from Charlie Tan, CEO of the GIC, and from two technical experts at the GIC's Research and Development Hub at Netherlands-based research centre TNO. Speakers: Jan Harm Urbanus, Lead Scien...

As populists are on the rise in many countries, how should the moderates respond? We hear from Yair Zivan, the author of a new book called "The Centre Must Hold", who argues that centrism is more than just the mid-point between two extremes, and can be a radical force for good. Links: "The Centre Must Hold: Why Centrism is the Answer to Extremism and Polarisation," edited by Yair Zivan: https://ea...

Climate change is an extremely serious issue, but can comedy help us cope with - and communicate about - it? We hear from the University of Colorado, Boulder where students can take a course in 'climate comedy' that ends in them performing on stage in a comedy club. And we unpack the power of cartoons from the World Economic Forum's climate 'cartoonathon'. Thumbnail image:  Wade Kimbrough (with th...

What's the health condition that affects us all, but is often seen as an add-on for healthcare - and how much is this neglect costing the economy? Oral diseases affect half the world's population and, according to a new report, have knock-on costs to the economy worth $710 billion every year. Marko Vujicic of the American Dental Association joins us to discuss 'The Economic Rationale for a Global...

Deglobalization, reglobalization, decoupling, de-risking, reshoring friend-shoring, export bans, tariffs and sanctions - is global trade going into reverse, or simply into a new phase? As the World Economic Forum hosts the Annual Meeting of the New Champions in China, we ask an expert about the state of global trade and where it might be heading. Guest: Simon Evenett, founder of the St. Gallen End...

As the World Economic Forum convenes the 'Annual Meeting of the New Champions' in China, this expert helps us better understand how the Asian powerhouse sees its place in the world. With Markus Herrmann, the Swiss-Chinese co-founder of the China Macro Group consultancy. Links: Annual Meeting of the New Champions - Next Frontiers for Growth, 25–27 June 2024: wef.ch/amnc24 Centre for Regions, Trade...