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1. Infrastructure Grids and Networks. The Challenges Ahead, amid Security and Efficiency

Author:
Carlo Secchi and Alessandro Gili
Publication Date:
06-2025
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI)
Abstract:
In recent years, accelerating geopolitical tensions, economic disruptions, and climate-related disasters have elevated resilience and economic security to the forefront of both global and European policy agendas. In response, strategies such as de-risking have driven substantial investments in redundancy, new trade corridors, and expanded infrastructure – including railway lines, highways, ports, electricity grids, pipelines, and undersea digital cables. This infrastructure forms the backbone of the global economy. It is not only crucial for maintaining competitiveness and supporting growth but also plays a central role in enabling the energy and digital transitions. As such, protecting these systems from hostile actions or third-party interference has become an urgent priority. At the same time, the long-standing trade-off between efficiency and security has grown more pronounced amid increasingly strained international relations. Both governments and private sector actors are now more willing to absorb higher costs in order to enhance the resilience of supply chains and connectivity networks. Against this backdrop, a new paradigm is emerging - one that raises two critical questions: Where will the balance ultimately settle between economic efficiency and security/resilience? And what investment priorities will shape the future of transport, energy, and digital connectivity infrastructure?
Topic:
Security, Infrastructure, Economy, Energy, and Digital Transition
Political Geography:
Global Focus

2. Leveraging EU industrial policy to reshape Greece’s productive model

Author:
Aggelos Tsakanikas and Petros Dimas
Publication Date:
04-2024
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP)
Abstract:
This policy brief explores the evolution and goals of industrial policy in the EU, aiming to identify the ways in which these recent developments can provide significant opportunities for Greece. In this context, we outline some of the key features of the fragmented landscape of Greek industrial strategies and suggest future directions through which the country can leverage the current momentum of industrial policy in the EU to pursue the restructuring of its productive base along the lines of sustainability, the twin (green and digital) transition, and European strategic autonomy. Since the Great Recession of 2008, the EU has openly supported coordinated and complementary policies in an effort to tackle structural deficiencies that render its productive systems vulnerable. The pandemic crisis, the Ukrainian war, and the general call for action against climate change have highlighted the need for the further reconfiguration of industrial development across the world along the lines of inclusion, sustainability, and resilience. The EU New Industrial Strategy and its update in the aftermath of the pandemic provide blends of horizontal and vertical actions that target resilience in the Single Market, EU strategic autonomy, and the acceleration of the green and digital (twin) transitions. In response to the energy crisis, the EU Green Deal Industrial Plan for the Net-Zero Age has been promoted to ensure that sustainable competitiveness goals are on track with the recent geopolitical developments. Greece has already aligned its strategic planning to the EU’s industrial policy objectives through a dedicated National Industrial Strategy and other strategic documents that target innovation, the green transition and sustainable development, and digitalization across key industrial ecosystems and value chains. Key initiatives, such as industrial alliances and Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEIs), major reforms through dedicated Acts, and an unprecedented wealth of financing and regulatory instruments outline significant opportunities of transformative potential Greece’s productive model. The country must meet the challenges of implementing its ambitious action plans, while simultaneously monitoring, evaluating, and updating its strategic orientation against the backdrop of a volatile global market environment. Different strategies should be integrated into a unified system of policies that creates a clear connection between, and path dependence for, different objectives, diverse market reforms and policy interventions.
Topic:
Industrial Policy, European Union, Sustainability, Strategic Autonomy, Green Transition, and Digital Transition
Political Geography:
Europe and Greece

3. The External Side of Europe’s Great Economic Transformation: International Trade in Services

Author:
Lucian Cernat and Carmen Díaz Mora
Publication Date:
07-2024
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
European Centre for International Political Economy (ECIPE)
Abstract:
Europe’s digital transition is starting to bear fruits. Europe’s economic landscape is becoming increasingly digital, with sectors like information and communication technology (ICT) capturing a growing share of EU GDP. This Policy Brief examines the impact of these economic shifts on Europe’s trade profile and the policies that the EU can pursue to support this transformation.
Topic:
International Trade and Finance, European Union, Regional Economy, and Digital Transition
Political Geography:
Europe

4. Global Dynamics in a Year of Domestic Contestations and Political Shifts

Author:
Karim El Aynaoui, Paola Magri, Samir Saran, Harsh V. Pant, and Vivek Mishra
Publication Date:
12-2024
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI)
Abstract:
2024 marked the largest election year in history, with millions of people across the world going to the polls to elect their representatives and leaders. However, in the Global North, Donald Trump’s decisive election victory in the United States threatens to undermine multilateral governance structures that are already under strain. In the Global South, emerging economies from the expanded BRICS group and beyond strive to speak with a single voice, and their actions continue to be shaped by national dynamics. How will domestic shifts impact international collaboration across the globe? Will we experience new trade wars? Will efforts to tackle climate change slow down? And how to restore hope and support a newfound impetus in multilateral governance? Seeking to answer these questions, the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI), the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in India and the Policy Center for the New South (PCNS) in Morocco, are delighted to announce the launch of the 2nd Annual Trends Report, involving experts from the three think tanks.
Topic:
Security, Climate Change, Development, Science and Technology, Governance, Economy, Global South, Multilateralism, Donald Trump, Energy, Geoeconomics, and Digital Transition
Political Geography:
Middle East and North Africa

5. Logistics in Transition. Exploring Geopolitical, Economic, and Technological Trends

Author:
Carlo Secchi and Alessandro Gili
Publication Date:
05-2024
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI)
Abstract:
International cooperation is paramount for building global connectivity and resilient logistic systems. Geopolitical shifts and climate change pose challenges that could disrupt the effective functioning of logistics. This underscores the need for policymakers and operators to implement mitigation measures that also enhance the security of supplies. Amidst global turmoil, diversification and redundancy of transportation systems and modes are crucial, with the security of supplies serving as the backbone for the smooth functioning of the global economy. In a geopolitically charged context, the challenges of the digital and green transition remain at the forefront. How can the resilience of value chains be increased in the face of geopolitical factors, while simultaneously navigating the dual transition? How can logistics adapt to and benefit from the new international wave of potentially protectionist industrial policies? How can risks be reduced, and what are the strategies for Europe, Italy, and the involved enterprises?
Topic:
International Cooperation, Economy, Logistics, Supply Chains, Green Transition, and Digital Transition
Political Geography:
Global Focus