Belén Garijo: My three top takeaways from the World Economic Forum 2025
Belén Garijo, Chair of the Executive Board and CEO of Merck, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“It’s been a highly productive and energizing week in Davos for WEF25 (World Economic Forum). After being involved in many media interviews, panels, and bilateral and multilateral meetings, here are my three top takeaways:
1. Restoring EU Competitiveness Requires Unity, Political Willingness and Urgent Action
Europe’s biggest problem today isn’t a shortage of ideas but a lack of political will to implement them. It’s time to break the silos holding Europe back. Local policymakers must put aside their short-term national thinking to not only Choose France or Choose Germany, but to also Choose Europe.
I was proud to join other private industry leaders in calling for fewer rules, regulations, and red tape under one Single Market focused on the biggest priorities for targeted growth.
2. How Should Companies Navigate the New Geopolitical and Global Trade Landscape? Follow Our Lead!
Many leaders in Davos were talking about how the new U.S. administration under President Trump might shake up the global landscape and existing trade relationships. My answer to them was clear. At Merck Group, we’re very confident in our future as a globally diversified and highly resilient science and technology leader.
Consider this: our heritage and headquarters are proudly European. Our largest workforce (by country) is in the U.S. And our highest percentage of sales comes from the Asia-Pacific. We are, in its truest sense, a glocal organization. We think and operate globally while always acting locally.
Our balanced presence reduces risk, fuels innovation, and drives sustainable growth. Merck’s ability to anticipate risk while bring together the best of Europe, the U.S., and Asia Pacific is a competitive advantage.
3. Despite the Geopolitical and Industrial Challenges, Collaboration Remains Key!
Our global society is under increasing risk of fragmentation. Our digital and physical worlds are rapidly converging. And data and AI have only just begun to disrupt how we all live and work, and how things are developed, made, and supplied.
Yet after everything I’ve experienced this week, one thing above all makes me optimistic about the future: Our continued desire to collaborate in ways that can make life better and brighter for the people and communities we serve. At Merck, we remain strong believers in free trade and the power of building multilateral collaborations with private and public partners.
With Davos now behind us for another year, I’m looking forward to building even more impactful, trust-based, and enduring relationships with innovators and policymakers worldwide.
Thanks to Matthias Heinzel, Kai Beckmann, Khadija Ben Hammada, Maike Asmussen and Axel Löber for also being great champions of Merck during this week, and the World Economic Forum team for once again being great hosts!”
More posts featuring Belén Garijo.
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ESMO 2024 Congress
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ASCO Annual Meeting
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Yvonne Award 2024
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OncoThon 2024, Online
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Global Summit on War & Cancer 2023, Online
Dec. 14-16, 2023