The 5th joint conference of the Polish and Hungarian central banks

A high-level conference took place on 15 September 2023 organized by Magyar Nemzeti Bank, the central bank of Hungary and Narodowy Bank Polski (NBP), the central bank of Poland. Hungarian and Polish high-level central bank officials and leading economic and financial experts of the region gathered to discuss growth perspective in times of technological changes and booming AI. The conference was opened by NBP First Deputy Governor Marta Kightley and MNB Deputy Governor Barnabás Virág. They emphasized that our region is facing extraordinary economic and geopolitical challenges. However, with coordinated and well-targeted measures focusing on the diffusion of new technologies and enhancing competitiveness, successful economic convergence can continue in the 2020s, an era characterised by dangers.

The recurring conference is the result of the continuous cooperation of the Polish and Hungarian central banks. The joint conference of MNB and NBP was titled „Growth Perspectives in Times of Technological Changes and Booming AI” and aimed to address some of the most challenging economic questions of our times. After last year’s conference held in Budapest, the current occasion of the conference series took place in Warsaw. The event was co-organized by the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum (OMFIF).

The event was opened by NBP First Deputy Governor Marta Kightley, who welcomed the participants of the conference. In his opening remarks, Barnabás Virág MNB Deputy Governor stated that Central and Eastern Europe was one of the big winners of the 2010s. Although the 2020s are marked by extraordinary challenges, the region maintained its stability. Building upon this stability and the revolution of digital technology, the region’s convergence can thrive on in the new decade, as well. A keynote speech was also held by Anton Korinek, professor at the University of Virginia. Following the opening speeches, two panel discussions took place. The first panel discussion tackled global growth perspectives in a world of digital innovation and AI, while the second panel discussion focused on perspectives of the CEE region. On behalf of Magyar Nemzeti Bank, executive directors Ádám Banai and Gergely Baksay participated in the discussions.