René Matthies

René Matthies serves as the Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director Corporate Operations at EWEC and leads the company’s Finance, Tax, Treasury, Risk Management and IT/OT/Digital functions. A highly trained and experienced team leader with extensive knowledge in power generation, René oversees the development of EWEC’s long-term financial strategy while also driving operational and financial performance of the electricity and water generation portfolio. Prior to joining EWEC in 2019, René held a number of Executive Board roles in the international energy industry working for E.ON, Vattenfall and Accenture in more than 10 countries around the world. René holds an MBA from Passau University and was trained in executive development programs at Stockholm School of Economics and Duke University.

Session Overview

Thursday, 6 November

14:10

Emerging Economies ICC Hall A 14:10 - 14:40

Strengthening resilience in emerging economies: ensuring infrastructure resilience and economic continuity

Emerging economies are increasingly vulnerable to disruptions that strain infrastructure systems, destabilise supply chains, and undermine long-term growth. As global risks intensify, resilience is becoming a central pillar of sustainable development, requiring forward-looking investments to protect both physical assets and economic continuity. Many emerging markets face weak infrastructure and limited redundancy that heighten exposure to shocks - whether environmental, economic, or logistical. The infrastructure investment gap in these economies now exceeds $450 billion annually, creating urgent pressure to build systems that are both climate-aware and disruption-ready. Compounding this challenge, over 90% of global supply chain leaders report experiencing disruptions in the past year, with nearly 60% citing infrastructure failures or weather-related impacts as contributing factors. Tackling these vulnerabilities requires rethinking infrastructure design, strengthening logistics networks, and embedding flexibility into energy, transport, and industrial systems. Emerging economies must prioritise resilience through smarter infrastructure investment, economic diversification, and coordinated planning across public and private sectors.

Attendee insights:

Gain insight into how emerging economies are building resilience through infrastructure investment, supply chain protection, and strategic planning to withstand escalating disruptions and sustain economic momentum.