The Price 
of War
NEXT GENERATION ALLIED RESILIENCE
Industrial Resurgence, Space Hegemony and Capital Realignment
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Thursday 19 November, 2026

Church House Westminster, London, UK

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CERGE-EI Fundation

Event Overview:

The Price of War Symposium, organised by the CERGE-EI Foundation, is an annual gathering of investors, business leaders, senior policymakers and diplomats, academics, and security practitioners focussed on the intersection of economic security and democratic resilience.

The symposium is grounded in the mission of CERGE-EI — strengthening economic institutions and human capital across Central and Eastern Europe and supporting the regions’ relationship with its international allies and partners.

This year’s symposium examines one of the most important questions in geopolitics today, not simply are we resilient, but who are our allies and what commitments do we owe to them?

The traditional alliance structure—NATO, Five Eyes, and the transatlantic consensus is under growing strain. At the same time, new coalitions and mini-laterals, both public and private, are emerging around industrial capacity, supply chains, critical infrastructure, space and orbital infrastructure, and the realignment of capital to fund these structures

Thematic
Domains

Industrial Resurgence — Allied nations must rebuild the manufacturing and defense industrial base that decades of globalization hollowed out. Will defense and national security concerns power a hard asset super cycle of investment, and what new alliances are emerging around industrial capacity, supply chains, critical infrastructure to lead priorities for investment and begin building?

Space Hegemony — The next theatre of allied competition and cooperation is orbital. Satellites underpin every modern military capability, every financial transaction, every supply chain. Space is no longer a scientific frontier; it is critical infrastructure for every dimension of modern power. Which states or alliances of states and non-state actors will control the orbital layer—and in doing so shape the battlefield, the global economy, and next-generation communications infrastructure?

Capital Realignment — Defense budgets are surging across NATO. Private capital: pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, private equity and venture capital are now competing in what was previously a purely state domain. Capital is no longer following commercial logic alone; what are the new industrial and strategic priorities of allied nations that capital is aligning around?

2025 Symposium Report

Symposium report
General David Petraeus
Al Carns

2025 Event:

Opening Remarks Economic Security as a Democratic Imperative Hybrid conflict, erosion of cooperation, and institutional resilience Investing in Defense and Security Mobilizing capital, procurement reform, and technological innovation Keynote Conversation: General David Petraeus and Clara Kaluderovic — Human Capital, Warfare, and Societal Resilience Southeast Europe: A Strategic Crossroads Geopolitics, EU enlargement, governance, and external influence Investing in Critical Infrastructure: The Digital Theatre of War Cyber, data, financial systems, and systemic vulnerability Investing in Critical Infrastructure: Energy and Supply Chains Critical minerals, industrial policy, and resilience under geopolitical pressure CEE Leadership Central and Eastern Europe’s role in Europe’s security, economic resilience, and democratic future Concluding Remarks

For More Information About this Event: director@cerge-ei-foundation.org

Representing the go-to hub for research, discussion, and collaboration in East-West Economics, the CERGE-EI Foundation, in support of CERGE-EI, is pleased to present their third annual Price of War symposium, Hot, Cold, Digital - The Three Theatres of War.

The geopolitical landscape has become increasingly complex and volatile. With China’s dominant influence in global markets and its strategic engagements in the Global South, coupled with the rising tensions with Iran, and ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the stakes have never been higher for global security and economic stability. Policymakers and strategists are looking to solve these challenges with informed, unified strategies to mitigate risks and ensure peace.

The 2024 symposium will address directly these issues, fostering critical discussions among leading global experts, with a focus on transatlantic collaboration. By bringing together voices from across sectors and regions, we aim to generate actionable insights that can shape the future of international security and economic resilience.