13 – 14 Apr
2026
110th International Business Cycle Forum
Guns or Butter – The Macroeconomics of Higher Defense Spending
Significantly higher defense spending is set to shape Europe’s economic trajectory for years to come. What does this mean for growth prospects, fiscal stability, and cooperation within NATO and the European Union? What changes are required to respond effectively to emerging security threats? What role should economic policy makers play and how do they respond to the new challenges in different countries? The 110th KKG touches on these core questions and presents the most recent economic outlook for the major partner countries in the world economy.
Program
April 13, 2026 (Day 1)
| 12:00-13:00 | Arrival & Fingerfood |
| 13:00 to 13:10 | Welcoming Address Jan Tombiński, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland in Germany |
| 13:10 to 13:30 | Opening Remarks Moritz Schularick, President, Kiel Institute |
| 13:30 to 14:15 | Keynote 1 Mateusz Walewski, Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK) |
| 14:15 to 15:00 | Keynote 2 Veronika Grimm, German Council of Economic Experts and University of Technology Nuremberg |
| 15:00 to 15:30 | Coffee Break |
| 15:30 to 16:30 | Keynote 3 Oliver Coste, President, Foundation for the Economic Study of Disruptive Innovation |
| 16:30 to 17:30 | Panel debate Mateusz Walewski, Veronika Grimm, Oliver Coste |
| 17:30 to 18:15 | USA: Economic Outlook Adolfo Laurenti, Principal European Economist, VISA, London |
| 18:15 | Dinner Buffet |
April 14, 2026 (Day 2)
| 09:00 to 09:30 | Global Economic Outlook Klaus-Jürgen Gern, Kiel Institute for the World Economy |
| 09:30 to 10:00 | China: Economic Outlook Wan-Hsin Liu, Kiel Institute for the World Economy |
| 10:00 to 10:45 | UK: Economic Outlook Stephen Millard, Deputy Director, NIESR, London |
| 10:45 to 11:15 | Coffee Break |
| 11:15 to 12:00 | France: Economic Outlook Charles-Henri Colombier, Director of Macroeconomic Analysis, Rexecode, Paris |
| 12:00 to 12:45 | Germany: Economic Outlook Nils Jannsen, Kiel Institute for the World Economy |
| 12:45 to 13:00 | Plenary debate and closing remarks |
| 13:00 | Lunch Buffet |
