A fraught moment: Industry leaders on their biggest concerns and how to address them

It’s a timeless dynamic: as geoeconomic uncertainty increases, dialogue becomes more precious.

Not just dialogue among countries and regions, but also the vital lines of communication between the public and private sectors.

In many ways, Türkiye is uniquely positioned for both. It sits at the intersection of Asia, Europe and the Middle East, granting it a pivotal role in maintaining geopolitical stability. As one of the largest economies in the world, it also has a vital part to play in underpinning global production networks.

The World Economic Forum’s Country Strategy Meeting on Türkiye, held last week in Istanbul, created an opportunity to bring together public officials and select business leaders. They discussed the country’s international positioning and long-term priorities.

We asked the meeting’s co-chairs, who are leaders in different sectors of the global economy, to weigh in on their single biggest concern related to the more volatile geoeconomic landscape – and how public-private cooperation could help address it.

Here are their responses:

“The single biggest concern is fossil fuel volatility.

“Fossil fuels expose nations to vulnerability, political coercion, and systemic shock.

“In a fragmented world, they become a weapon – supply can be disrupted, prices can spike, and economies destabilize overnight. When energy is hit, everything follows.

“A shortage of energy becomes a shortage of food, of stability. You cannot print electrons.

“We are already in a global energy crisis, yet there is a policy vacuum.

“The solution exists today. Renewable energy is now the lowest-cost form of energy: stable, predictable, and not subject to chokepoints or closures.

“The choice is clear: remain exposed to risk, or move to security.

“We are removing fossil fuels this decade. The model is proven and vindicated – and it will be replicated.

“Energy autonomy is sovereignty.”

"In banking, the greatest concern in a more volatile geopolitical environment is the risk of growing economic and financial fragmentation. Beyond the direct impact of conflicts or trade tensions, fragmentation can disrupt energy markets, increase financial volatility and put pressure on global trade and global supply chains, mostly financed in dollars. Over time, this reduces efficiency, weighs on productivity and, crucially, delays long-term investment decisions.

“This is particularly worrying at a moment when the global economy requires unprecedented levels of investment and global coordination. Financing the energy transition, accelerating digital transformation, strengthening infrastructure and enhancing economic security will demand global governance and sustained capital flows on a scale that public resources alone cannot provide.

“In this context, strong public-private cooperation becomes essential. Governments can foster stability by providing predictable regulatory frameworks and clear, consistent policy signals that reduce uncertainty and help mobilize private capital. In turn, the financial sector can channel global savings into productive investment, structure financing for complex projects and support companies as they adapt to structural change.

“Ultimately, a strong and well-functioning financial system with global reach is not only a sectoral priority – it is a critical enabler of investment, economic resilience and long-term global stability.”

“Change, unpredictability and volatility are part of our everyday life. At this pivotal moment, leaders have the opportunity to shape a prosperous future. Through innovation and competitive, scalable solutions that already exist today, companies are driving economic growth while accelerating decarbonization.

“Biosolutions are part of the answer: enzymes, microbes, cultures and proteins. They deliver solutions across more than 30 industries to address some of the world’s greatest challenges, like sustainable farming practices, resilient food systems, energy diversification, and de-fossilization. As home-grown solutions, they build resilience, boost jobs and economic growth, and often create new revenue streams.

“To fully realize the potential of these types of solutions, public and private leaders must work closely together. Countries like Türkiye have the potential to become regional leaders in the bioeconomy. By sharing our strong businesses cases, we can pave the way to effectively scale new innovations that can strengthen both local and global stability. The solutions to build a resilient, sustainable, prosperous future exist – now we must scale them together.”

“A more volatile geopolitical landscape is fragmenting trade, finance, and infrastructure systems that were built on open, rules-based cooperation. For an institution such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the central concern is that this fragmentation undermines investment predictability and slows the deployment of private capital into infrastructure, the energy transition, and connectivity projects across emerging markets.

“Geopolitical uncertainty raises risk perceptions, increases financing costs, and delays long-term investments that are critical for economic resilience and stability. When transport corridors, energy systems, or supply chains become disrupted or politicized, the economic consequences quickly spill across borders.

“Public-private cooperation is essential in this environment. Governments can provide policy predictability, regulatory stability, and risk-sharing tools, while the private sector brings capital, innovation, and operational expertise. Multilateral development banks play a convening role, helping align public and private actors around common standards, transparent governance, and long-term investment frameworks.

“Strengthening these partnerships helps ensure that investments in essential infrastructure, the energy transition, and trade connectivity continue to advance, even amid geopolitical volatility, supporting growth, resilience, and global stability.”

“The single biggest concern in a more volatile geopolitical landscape is how quickly external shocks can undermine energy security for import-dependent economies. When fuel supply chains are disrupted or commodity prices spike, the impact is immediate and lasting. That’s why resilient, clean infrastructure is increasingly a foundation for economic and geopolitical stability.

“At the same time, resilience is best achieved through a balanced and diversified energy portfolio that combines domestic, clean renewable resources that are immune to volatile markets and ensure security, reliability and stability.

“What turns resilience into reality is leadership with a clear, long-term vision, and the ability to translate that vision into execution by aligning the whole ecosystem behind a strategic direction. Public-private cooperation works best when that leadership creates the confidence investors need, through a stable economic and regulatory environment, credible mid- and long-term planning, and proper risk allocation across project stakeholders – while private developers bring capital, technology, and execution discipline.”