As of Peter the Great's times which saw St Petersburg as a "window" to Europe, the North-Western region remains at the heart of the EU-Russia relations, connecting the European and Eurasian parts of Europe.

Therefore the conference was devoted to the following key topics:

 - Opening the Window or Where It All Started: The Grand Embassy of Peter the Great (moderated by Anton Rassadin, Chairman, AEB North-Western Regional Committee, Head of GR, BSH Russia);

 - Russia-EU Bridge: Leading the 4th Industrial Revolution Together (moderated by Philippe Pegorier, Member of the AEB Board, Partner, Kesarev);

 - Future Mobility: Connecting Safer and Smarter (moderated by Tadzio Schilling, CEO, Association of European Businesses);

 - Investors Talk: Export-Oriented Localization (moderated by Igor Pavlovsky, Chief Editor, Delovoy Peterburg & Tadzio Schilling, CEO, Association of European Businesses).

Among the speakers were: Janet Hartley, Emeritus Professor, Department of International History, London School of Economics and Political Science; Markku Kangaspuro, Director/Professor, Aleksanteri Institute, University of Helsinki; Anastasiya Mikhalchenko, Director, Agency for Economic Development of the Leningrad Region;Tatu Tuominen, Senior Vice President for Corporate Communications, VR Group/Finnish Railway; Anatoly Ivanov, Deputy Director, Center for Industrial Development of the Leningrad Region and others.

Philippe Pegorier, Member of the AEB Board, Partner, Kesarev and Laurent Bardon, Head of Trade and Economic Section, Delegation of the European Union to Russia, welcomed the participants and characterized the relations between Russia and the EU, which, were currently not in the best shape, but still have some prospects for the future.

Each session provoked vivid discussions, which were followed by closing remarks, made by Tadzio Schilling, and a gala reception.

The AEB cordially thanks the sponsors and partners of the event for their support!