Helsinki/Brussels, 20 October 2024 - The Nordic Investment Bank hosts ELTI's 13th edition of its General Assembly and Management Board, in Helsinki.

The General Assembly included a panel discussion on the role of International Financial Institutions and National Promotional Banks and Institutions in addressing financing gaps and attracting private capital to support national and EU strategic priorities. Panelists included Elena Flores, Deputy Director General DG ECFIN; Ioannis Tsakiris, Vice-President of EIB; André Küüsvek, President and CEO of NIB; and Johannes M. Boehmer, Vice-Governor of the CEB - Council of Europe Development Bank, and Dario Scannapieco, CEO and General Manager, CDP Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, and ELTI President.

Keynote speeches were provided by: Tuuli Koivu, Chief Economist at Nordea Bank, discussing the economic developments in the Nordic-Baltic region amidst current geopolitical tensions, and Jukka Ruusunen, Professor at LUT University and former CEO of Fingrid (2007-2023) who provided insights on how infrastructure investments can address Europe’s key challenges: energy transition, resilience, and self-reliance.

A fireside chat focused on the next European Commission’s Political Guidelines and Mario Draghi’s report, "The Future of European Competitiveness – A Competitiveness Strategy for Europe." Merete Clausen, Director at European Commission DG GROW, and Helmut von Glasenapp, Secretary General of ELTI, discussed strategies to enhance Europe’s competitiveness, emphasizing policy priorities, structural reforms, and investments to foster innovation, digital transformation, and sustainable growth.