THE Center for Strategic Intercultural Communication GmbH, Germany, together with the Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation and Automation ASEAN, Thailand, and the German-Chinese Association of Medium-Sized Enterprises-Mittelstand International, China, is hosting the Business Innovation Congress on November 15 at Conrad Manila in Pasay City. 

Founded in Germany 2012, the first Business Innovation Congress took place in Beijing in 2013, followed by Shanghai in 2014, Almaty in 2016, Moscow in 2017, and Bangkok in 2017.

The main objective of the Business Innovation Congress 2018 is to explore new market trends, products, services and technological innovations, as well as support SMEs, start-ups and leading corporations connect with one other and maximize utilization of new digital business tools toward global competitiveness. 

With the theme, "Business Transformation in a Digital Ecosystem," this year's congress is divided into several sessions covering topics such as Industry 4.0, future trends, technology innovation and sustainability, artificial intelligence, process optimization and efficiency, HR and digital marketing in the era of digitalization, e-commerce, and cybersecurity. 

Some of the confirmed speakers include top leadership from Siemens, Mercedes-Benz, Kinetica Design Centre, Dentsu Aegis, Fraunhofer Institute, Mittelstand International, UnionBank, Zalora Philippines and diverse SMEs. Representatives from the Philippine government has also invited to participate in panel discussions throughout the day.

Over 200 c-level delegates are expected to come together from around the region to learn about new market and trends as well as product and service innovations happening around the world. 

The Business Innovation Congress is designed for c-level executives of leading corporations, entrepreneurs and owners of small and medium-sized businesses, representatives of public authorities, international bodies, research institutes, and associations and chambers of commerce. 

The full-day event will kick off with keynote speeches in the morning followed by plenary sessions. The afternoon is composed of simultaneous sessions with different formats including discussions, workshops and presentations. There will be an evening reception to cap off the congress, which will feature a cocktail buffee, free-flowing drinks, live music and dance, and networking. 

The Business Innovation Congress 2018 is managed by the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines and is supported by UnionBank of the Philippines as a Silver Sponsor.