Prof. Ernest Vlačić, PhD, MBA is an academic, international consultant and policy-oriented expert working at the intersection of geopolitics, geoeconomics, technological transformation and regional competitiveness. He is Professor ad Director of Internationalisation at FEFA – Faculty of Economics, Finance and Administration, Metropolitan University Belgrade. On several universities he teaches and develops courses related to global economy, geoeconomics, ESG, innovation and the strategic positioning of nations, regions and companies in times of disruption.
He has extensive experience as an evaluator and expert in European programmes, including Horizon Europe, Digital Europe, EuroHPC, WIDERA, AI Factory and EIT-related initiatives, with a strong focus on innovation ecosystems, technological sovereignty, green transition, AI, research infrastructures and regional development. As an international consultant, he has advised governments, institutions, science and technology parks, universities and development stakeholders across the Western Balkans, Central and Eastern Europe and the wider EU context.
His work increasingly focuses on how geopolitical shocks, demographic change, industrial policy, energy security, technological dependence and EU regulatory transformation reshape development strategies and international management. He has also actively engaged with the Antwerp process and the European industrial competitiveness agenda, analysing the implications of EU industrial policy, energy costs, regulatory simplification, strategic autonomy and “Made in Europe” positioning.
For this panel, he brings a geoeconomic and policy-based perspective on managing disruption in an increasingly fragmented global order.
