At the World Economic Forum 2025 in Monaco House, Robert Laure, Chairman of the Association Monégasque des Activités Financières (AMAF), presented the Principality's assets, while highlighting two major themes that marked this year's event: artificial intelligence and Donald Trump's speech. Using key figures and a strategic vision, he looks back at the success of the event.
What was the aim of Monaco House at Davos this year?
The objective was clear: to show that Monaco, a small territory, is a country rich in innovation, sustainability and financial expertise. Monaco House provided a high-level showcase to illustrate our assets and promote the Principality's unique appeal to the world's economic and political decision-makers.
What were the highlights of this day dedicated to promoting Monaco?
The quality of the speakers was a real highlight. We had the likes of Larry Summers, former US Secretary of the Treasury, and influential figures such as Wei Li, Managing Director & Global Chief Investment Strategist at BlackRock, and David Rubenstein, Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of The Carlyle Group. These presentations addressed key current issues such as artificial intelligence, renewable energies and the outlook for global growth. The presence of His Serene Highness Prince Albert II to conclude the day also added to the exceptional nature of the event.
You opened your speech with some striking figures...
Absolutely. I began by pointing out that Monaco has a GDP per capita of around 217,000 dollars. This places the Principality among the most prosperous territories in the world. What's more, if you include the population living in the immediate vicinity, we remain above 100,000 dollars per person. As for the financial centre, it represents 18% of Monegasque GDP, which illustrates its economic and strategic importance. My message was clear: Monegasque finance is not a concept, but a solid economic reality, an innovative and dynamic financial centre.
I insisted on the fact that being based in Monaco does not mean cutting yourself off from the world, but on the contrary, gaining access to a secure and optimised environment for operating internationally.
In your opinion, what were the two main themes at Davos this year?
Two subjects dominated: artificial intelligence and Donald Trump's speech.
On AI, one of the speakers touched on some very innovative aspects, notably the technological advances that will enable machines to go from a simple capacity for compilation to a real capacity for reasoning. This means that over the next 5 to 10 years, artificial intelligence could become a real ‘intelligence’, not just a tool. This opens up fascinating prospects, but also raises questions about the future of work and the responsibilities entrusted to these systems.
As for Donald Trump's speech, it breathed a breath of optimism. He asserted that the United States was entering a golden age and would experience strong growth by resuming its role as world leader, with a more direct and pragmatic approach to international relations. This optimism was felt in the discussions at Davos and stimulated a debate on American leadership.
What did you think of the speech on artificial intelligence?
I thought it was one of the most memorable moments. The speaker presented two types of approach: language models such as the LLM (Large Language Model), which consolidate massive data to provide precise answers, and more experimental models (Large Quantitative Model) capable of carrying out complex simulations, for example in biological or molecular fields.
I note the rapid progress being made in this area and the backlog that some institutions, such as universities, are having to catch up to keep pace. And the speech also raised a fundamental question: in the long term, who will decide what? If artificial intelligence becomes truly autonomous, this could redefine the roles between biological intelligences (human) and mechanical intelligences (AI).
For the first time, Monaco was present at Davos with a dedicated pavilion, Monaco House. How would you sum up your participation in this event?
The results of this first edition are extremely positive.
The area dedicated to Monaco attracted a high-quality audience, with participants interested in our specific features. This initiative enhances our international visibility and confirms the interest of economic and financial leaders in the Principality.
Beyond these first steps, this presence is clearly an opportunity to be developed in the years to come.