MKPS: What Do Entrepreneurs Need for Success in the Next Decade?

A new report from the consulting firm MKPS titled ‘2026 – A Pivotal Year’ shows that the coming year will not just be another line in the calendar, but a turning point where history, politics, and economics intersect in a way that will profoundly impact business decisions worldwide.

The authors of the report warn that 2026 will mark the culmination of several historical processes: the United States will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in a year that coincides with the mid-term election of Donald Trump; China will enter a new five-year plan defining sectors of self-sufficiency and global ambitions; and the European Union will outline a multiannual financial framework in Brussels that will shape the continent’s economy until 2034. At the same time, the war in Ukraine remains a persistent security and economic risk.

– The calendar creates pressure, and pressure produces decisions. That is why the coming year will not reward those who wait, but those who prepare in time – emphasize MKPS.

The report also delivers clear messages for business: the cost of capital remains permanently higher than in the last decade, energy will never again be ‘cheap’ as we pay for the resilience and security of the system, and global trade is entering a period of fragmented standards where the same goods increasingly need to have two or three regulatory variants to travel the world.

However, within every crisis lies an opportunity. MKPS highlights in the report that 2026 can be a year of advantage for those who secure dual suppliers in time, contracts with clear protective clauses, a portfolio of energy solutions, and modular IT systems ready for different regulatory regimes.

– Those who enter 2026 prepared will count margins in the positive; those who enter unprepared will pay a risk premium – is the message of the report.

For Croatia, the pivotal year brings both opportunity and challenge: the ports of Rijeka and Ploče, the LNG terminal on Krk, Central European corridors, and the growing digital infrastructure can become national assets, but only if the state and the economy demonstrate speed and discipline. The advantage will not be measured in years, but in months,” they emphasize.

The full report is available at this link.

MKPS specializes in managing political and regulatory risks. The company consists of former diplomats and high-ranking state officials with experience in international relations and strategic consulting, and their reports attract the attention of the business and political community in countries across the European Union.