Many see Central and Eastern Europe as the next frontier of European innovation, as you’ll hear in this DLD24 panel discussion that focuses on a fast-growing region that stretches from Baltic states like Estonia and Lithuania to the Balkans.
In conversation with Kai Isand (Latitude 59), Irina Obushtarova (The Recursive), Patrick Warnking (Google) and Vlad Ciurca (Techsylvania) discuss the many factors that make CEE a dynamic environment for entrepreneurs and investors alike.
Venture capital funding has grown 7.6 times since 2017 and the combined enterprise value reached 90 billion euros in 2022, Isand notes.
“You see the investments in all areas”, Patrick Warnking says. “You see them in fiber, in 5G, in international airports, in fast trains, in all of these areas.”
In certain sectors, such as digital payments, “the region is actually already quite advanced and maybe ahead of many other countries around the world”, Warnking adds. “And this kind of momentum really triggers innovation.”
Watch the video to get insights about Central Eastern Europe’s strong talent pool and STEM education; why the region has a higher percentage of women in tech compared to others in Europe; collaboration between governments and private sector; and much more.
