 Our Bundespräsident, Schneider Ammann, your excellencies, heads of state, heads of government, all the representatives from all walks of life, dear friends, welcome to the 46th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum. We are here to look at the state of the world, in the context of our mission, improving the state of the world. We are here not just as a community to look at our own interests, but we are here as a community of purpose to be engaged in all the different projects, in all the different initiatives which are going on here to address the multi-fold issues which we have to face in the world. And actually, I cannot remember any time in the last 46 years where we had to address so many issues at the same time. Look at the fragility, at the polarization fragmentation which we see in the world, in geopolitics, in economics, in the social sphere. And all those issues certainly will be part of common collaborative efforts here, not only to define the issue better, but if ever possible, to define solutions. Nevertheless, with the plate full of current issues, we want to be future-oriented. And that's the reason why we have chosen for this annual meeting to seem mastering the fourth industrial revolution. If we look at technological developments, what has happened the last years, we have seen slow waves coming up, breakthroughs in numerous technologies. But what's happening now, and when historians asked what was a great turn in 2016, I think those historians will say that we have reached the point where we go from a slow movement into an exponential development, the inflection point. So this technological progress, industrial progress, disruptive progress, to use Davos language is coming on us like an avalanche. And what we want to do here is to have enough sessions also to seek for your engagement, to look at all those problems, but also great opportunities generated by this fourth industrial revolution. I said it's coming like an avalanche. It's a systems revolution, and we also should consider that this revolution is different from the past. It doesn't change just what we are doing by helping us to travel faster, by helping us to communicate better. No, if we look at all the different dimensions, and particularly the fusion of multiple technologies, it's a revolution which changes us, which changes who we are. So we have to be prepared as business leaders, as governmental leaders, we have to cope with the regulatory systems, the norms, follow the technological progress. But ultimately, and let me conclude, it comes down to people and values. We need to shape the future that works for all of us by putting people first and empowering some through technology. In its most pessimistic, dehumanized form, the fourth industrial revolution may indeed have the potential to robotize humanity, and thus to deprive us from our soul and from our heart. But as a compliment to the best part of human nature, creativity, empathy, compassion, stewardship, love, this technological revolution can also lift humanity into a new collective and moral consciousness based on such a condition on a shared sense of destiny. It is incumbent on us all here in the room to make sure that the letter prevails. Thank you. Now I have the great pleasure to introduce Johann Schneider Amann, the President of the Swiss Confederation and Federal Counselor of Economic Affairs, Education and Research of Switzerland. And Mr. President, let me use this opportunity also to thank the authorities of our host country and in Switzerland very important of our host canton, and I would include the parliaments, I would include particularly the population for the great hospitality which we are enjoying since so many years in Switzerland. But I also can promise you, Mr. President, we are here hopefully to carry the spirit of Davos, which is the spirit of interaction, which is the best spirit and traditional spirit of Switzerland, to carry the spirit once we leave here this room and once we leave Davos out into the world. Mr. President, the floor is yours. My dear Professor Schwab, Mr. Vice President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, in a world that never pauses and where key decisions with major consequences are constantly being made, moments of reflection and of listening to each other are more vital than ever. It's to share views and perspectives that you have come to our Swiss mountains. I offer you all the warmest of welcomes of Switzerland. Switzerland has a proud tradition of being a place of dialogue and discussion, be it for political or humanitarian debate at the many international conferences that are held on our soil, or be it through our role as a mediator in various pieces, processes. The world can rely on Switzerland's good offices and it can continue to do so. Here in Davos, it's all about dialogue and issues that truly transient every national border. I know that your annual working program is as extensive as the expertise and the authority that you have collectively brought to this gathering. So I would just like to offer you three brief points to consider in your discussions. First the background of today, secondly dealing with change and thirdly coping with contradictions. Let me tell you what I mean by the background of today. As we meet here in Davos, we do so in truly turbulent times. No times are ever calm, of course, but even just 12 months ago the global mood was more upbeat and the world order seemed a fair bit fir firmer than it does today. 2015 brought us endless flows of refugees, murderous terrorism and economic crisis. And it brought four survivors too, paralyzing debt, raging wars and simmering conflicts. But it would be a fatal mistake to react to this backdrop with resignation instead of resolve. Because if we look at the bigger picture, we also see well functioning democracies, well performing industries, blossoming new markets and growth. Technological progress and thus also industrial development pays no regard to time, borders or other limitations. And it directly affects us all. Having as many people working as possible in the foundation of any modern society, but for this to happen, their economies must have free trade, flexible job markets and economic freedom. We also need up-to-date facilities, high levels of education and strong social institutions along with low debt and tireless innovation. This means that enterprise relies on having strong states and institutions. And a political system that is focused on enabling more instead of permitting less. Enterprise needs all this to make the most of the chances available. And responsibility is what it must offer in return. It also needs not just tried and trusted bilateral trade agreements, but sound and sustainable global trade accords. All these conditions are vital to employment, prosperity and growth. But what we have today is a skepticism that is holding back free trade, a retreat into protectionism. And a failure to see that in the longer term, open markets are the only way to raise per capital income. The second consideration I would like to offer to your discussions is dealing with change. When the forum calls on us to master the force industrial revolution, it is asking us to accept and cope with change. Many changes generate fear and a fear of technology in particular. The first industrial revolution, which brought machine production, made workers fear for their livelihoods. The second, which assured in mass production. And the third, which brought computerization, fueled similar fears. For many people, each of these transitions into a new age was tough and painful process and seemed to leave them worse off than before. It may have been eroded as progress, but it felt like a big step back. History has shown us globalization has been much more of a blessing than a curse. Most strikingly, of course, through the worldwide declines in hunger and poverty, which have benefited billions in just a single generation. Without global economic growth, we could never have coped with the world's rising population. Without the earlier industrial revolutions, many people would still be deprived of vital social benefits, access to education, and a more affluent life. To quote Roy Amara, the former president of the Institute for the Future in Palo Alto, California, I cite, we tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run. When we talk of the force industrial revolution, we don't just mean the Internet of Things or Big Data. Not just digital griped occurrences and combining physical and virtual processes. And not just the almost boundless possibilities and the equally limitless security concerns that it provides. We also mean people. We mean lifestyles and professions. We mean what is feasible and makes sense. We mean massive investments in facilities, capacities, and expertise. And we mean all of this from very different starting points. Mold-breaking innovations and their repercussions are almost impossible to foresee. And when it comes to the force industrial revolution, this is truer than ever. Many people are fearful right now of wage pressures and inequality. Others expect to see new jobs and industries emerge. Changes are not optional. They will happen whether we like it or not. The working world is becoming more and more digitalized. This calls for new and different skills. And it's up to us to provide them. The distinction between an engineer and a programmer is growing fuzzier by the day. The workbench is turning into a computer station. And yet there are still no clear answers and no clear projections. As Winston Churchill observed, it was always wise to look ahead but difficult to look farther than you can see. Many things are possible then, but one thing is certain. Investing in education and training is a must. Evolution enables, and it is only those who are able who will perform the tasks required. It's the politicians who must pave the way here. The line between rushing at an opportunity and missing, it is a fine one indeed. The ability to cope with change is often the ability to meet revolutionary developments with an evolutionary response. All of which brings me to my third input. Coping with contradictions. Ladies and gentlemen, our world has never been more closely intertwined than it is today. Yet it's rarely been so divided either. While cultures continue to blend, we can also see a clear countertrend of fundamentalism and hate. Openness versus restrictions. People have been seeking to find the right balance for millennia. The Romans built the limitless, gigantic fortified walls all over Europe to mark the outer boundaries of their empire, but they proved far too big to defend effectively. Our generation has built the worldwide web, a gigantic network that knows no boundaries at all, but it is providing far too big to generate real understanding. Extremes can give us a hard time keeping a sense of proportion. Opposites will always be fertile ground for conflicts of various kinds. And this is why learning to live with such opposites and coping with their contradictions is one of the greatest tasks we face. It's not always possible to let opposites coexist, but often it is and open in vital areas. Openness and restrictions are not absolutes. We can often have both. Just as we can maintain both freedom and responsibility, just as we can uphold our own culture while respecting those of others, just as we can cultivate business opportunities while living with business risks. When opposing views become fundamentalist demands, we lose all the careful weighing up of all the interests involved. After all, every weight needs a counterweight to create the balance we all desire. To conclude, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming to Davos and for showing by doing so your willingness to take on greater responsibility beyond your own specific field. Thank you too to all of you who maintain close ties with my country, Switzerland, who trade with us, who invest here, and who build on the assets that our country has to offer. And to all and to you all, I can say on behalf of the Federal Council, you can continue to count on us. Dialogue is essential to the problem-solving process. It's out of exchanges that new mindsets emerge. Because truly viable solutions don't come from isolated thinkers locked into little rooms, they come from discussions. This annual meeting is a unique discussion forum. On my behalf and on behalf of the Swiss government, I would like to thank Professor Schwab and his team very warmly for making it happen here in Davos, here in Switzerland, so let's make the most out of it for the sake of the world, our actual world, and our future world. Thank you for your attention.