The official opening of the 2nd EU Cohesion and Border Development Forum will be highlighted by an exceptional artistic performance by the duo Sw@da x Niczos.
The fusion of Podlasie folklore, traditional Belarusian singing, and cutting-edge electronic and bass music serves as an artistic metaphor for the overarching theme of this year’s Forum: ‘Strong Regions. Secure Europe’. It demonstrates that the borderland’s cultural identity and its unique cultural code are not relics of the past, but rather a living shield building genuine cohesion, pride, and social resilience along the European Union’s eastern flank.
The official opening of the 2nd Cohesion and European Border Development Forum gathers regional leadership alongside high-ranking representatives of the European Commission, the Polish Government, and the European Parliament. As discussions over the 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework take centre stage, this inaugural session sets the strategic framework for redefining the EU’s eastern flank, shifting the narrative from peripheral vulnerability to a proving ground for Community-wide innovation and resilience.
The session will also feature the official presentation of the Declaration of Europe’s Eastern Border Regions, paving the way for actionable policy recommendations to the European Commission.
Key topics:
Today, the eastern border of the European Union and NATO is of critical importance to the security of the entire continent. It is here that the consequences of geopolitical shifts are felt most acutely. This panel will open a strategic debate on the role border regions must play within the new European security architecture.
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Why Attend?
This is the most important session for stakeholders invested in geopolitics, security, and the future strategic role of border regions within the European Union.
What happens when power grids fail, communications are cut, or access to critical systems is locked down by a cyberattack? Digital and energy resilience are becoming core prerequisites for the security of states, regions, businesses, and citizens alike.
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Why Attend?
Technologies and products can serve both the civilian economy and security needs simultaneously, the core concept of dual-use. For border regions, this represents not only an answer to emerging threats, but also a major opportunity to develop enterprise, new technologies, and high-quality jobs.
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Why Attend?
Under persistent geopolitical pressure, local and regional authorities on the EU’s eastern flank are transforming from purely administrative entities into frontline operators of national and European territorial resilience. This session addresses the fundamental shift in the role of border municipalities and regions, focusing on their direct dialogue with EU institutions. Is Brussels ready to treat border regions as permanent partners in co-designing European security, rather than mere recipients of top-down policies?
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Why Attend?
An ageing population is not merely a challenge for social care systems; it can serve as a catalyst for new services, technologies, skilled jobs, and economic specialisations. This panel examines healthy longevity as regional capital and a core pillar of resilience.
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Why Attend?
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The security of the European Union’s eastern flank relies on far more than just the physical integrity of the border line. True, long-term stability requires agile emergency response mechanisms, resilient strategic infrastructure, and close synergy between local governments, security services, and European institutions. This session addresses actionable frameworks to prepare border regions for crisis scenarios and evolving hybrid threats.
Key Topics & Discussion Points:
Why Attend?
An essential session for local and regional leaders, emergency planning directors, uniformed services, public administration officials, and infrastructure managers tasked with civil protection, security planning, and territorial resilience.
Informal business networking and bilateral talks accompanied by the musical showcase of Sw@da x Niczos, merging Podlaskie borderland traditions with modern electronic music.
Venue: Chamber Hall
Time: 13:15
We invite accredited journalists and members of the media to join the official press briefing hosted by the Marshal of the Podlaskie Voivodeship and the Mayor of the City of Białystok, together with Forum partners, government ministers, and distinguished international guests
Security comes at a cost, yet a lack of resilience can prove far more costly. Border regions require major investments in infrastructure, energy, transport, technology, and dual-use projects. Where can this funding be secured, and how should projects be prepared to become investment-ready?
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Why Attend?
A region is truly resilient when people genuinely want to live, work, raise families, and develop their ideas there. Therefore, the “Right to Stay”, the right to remain and thrive in one’s home region, is not merely a demographic issue; it is directly tied to the economy, public services, quality of life, and security.
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Why Attend?
Can security be manufactured? Yes, through food security, renewable energy, healthcare, local raw materials, and advanced technologies. The EU’s eastern border regions possess vast potential in these sectors. This panel demonstrates how to leverage this potential to build an agile economy, new smart specialisations, and secure supply chains.
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Why Attend?
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Developing a unified position of the EU’s eastern flank regions regarding the proposed Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028–2034. The debate will specifically focus on the postulate to embed a dedicated resilience objective within the Common Provisions Regulation (CPR), reform fund allocation algorithms, and ensure preferential conditions for investment implementation (co-financing rates of 85–95%).
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Why attend? A pivotal debate for Presidents and Marshals of European regions, directors of managing authorities, EU funds experts, representatives of regional development ministries from border states, and European policymakers shaping the EU budget legislation for the 2028–2034 perspective.
Regional resilience is built not only through roads, technology, and security systems. It is built by people, their social bonds, mutual trust, culture, historical memory, and sense of belonging. In border areas, this is of paramount importance, particularly in an era of disinformation and hybrid attempts to divide societies.
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Why Attend?
The Forum’s closing networking reception, offering an informal space for decision-makers, regional authorities, and investors to conclude bilateral discussions. Featuring a performance by the duo Sw@da x Niczos, merging local cultural heritage with modern electronic sound.
