IE University Launches the IE Competitiveness Hub Brussels: Bridging Academic Rigor and European Policy Innovation

IE University has launched the IE Competitiveness Hub Brussels, a new center of applied research dedicated to strengthening European competitiveness through rigorous analysis and high-level dialogue. The Hub has been established in Brussels to connect academic excellence with practical policy insights, focusing on key drivers of Europe’s growth, including finance, innovation, energy, digital transformation, and economic security. Its mission is to contribute actionable, evidence-based perspectives to the European policy debate at a decisive moment for the region. In a moment of global uncertainty, the IE Competitiveness Hub Brussels stands as a catalyst for strategic thinking, ensuring that policy decisions are informed by the highest standards of research. Its work will also contribute to the broader “One Europe, One Market” agenda launched by the European institutions, which represents a central pillar of the European Union’s economic reform agenda, with a particular focus on the completion and modernization of the Single Market.

A High-Level Inaugural Dialogue

The inaugural session, "Financing Europe’s Growth and Innovation," brought together senior policymakers and global experts to discuss how Europe can strengthen its financial architecture to support long-term growth. The event opened with introductions by Manuel Muñiz, Rector of IE University, and Enrico Letta, Dean of IE School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs, followed by a keynote address from Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament.

Under the moderation of Paola Tamma, Financial Times, the first panel, "Advancing Europe’s Financing Agenda," brought together Carlos Cuerpo, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Trade and Business of Spain; Paolo Gentiloni, former Prime Minister of Italy and European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs; and Kyriakos Pierrakakis, President of the Eurogroup and Minister of National Economy and Finance of Greece.

The discussion then transitioned to "Financing Europe in a Changing Global Landscape," featuring insights from Simon Fraser, Chair of Chatham House, Adam Kostyál, President of Nasdaq Stockholm, Verena Ross, Chair of the European Securities and Markets Authority, ESMA, and Beatrice Weder, President of the Centre for Economic Policy Research, CEPR. The event concluded with a keynote by Maria Luís Albuquerque, European Commissioner for Financial Services and the Savings and Investments Union, and final remarks from Diego del Alcázar Benjumea, Chairman of IE.

Research Outputs

As part of its ongoing research activity, the Hub has started its work by focusing on three main policy papers that provide a practical roadmap for mobilizing capital, supporting innovation, and strengthening Europe’s long-term competitiveness. These research outputs address the central question of how Europe can finance growth and innovation within an uncertain global economy.

The first of these upcoming research outputs, "Towards a Savings and Investments Union: Unlocking Europe’s Savings for European Growth," addresses the failure to channel abundant European household savings into productive domestic investment. The research argues that the Savings and Investments Union should be understood as a strategic economic project rather than a technical reform. It outlines an agenda to deepen capital markets and gradually build a genuine European safe asset capable of anchoring the euro area’s financial system, turning existing savings into strategic autonomy.

 The second forthcoming paper, "Updating EU Banking Regulation: From Post-Crisis Prudence to Growth and Competitiveness," explores the transition from a regulatory framework designed for crisis prevention to one that supports a continent in need of investment and scale. This research argues for a recalibration that preserves prudential strength while better supporting lending capacity and market integration. By identifying barriers such as fragmentation in supervision and market infrastructure, the paper proposes a more growth-aware framework aligned with Europe’s broader economic objectives.

 The third paper will focus on health innovation, examining how Europe can strengthen its capacity to develop, finance, and scale innovative solutions in the health sector. It will address the role of investment, regulatory frameworks, and public-private cooperation in supporting a more competitive and resilient European health innovation ecosystem, in line with the broader objective of reinforcing Europe’s strategic capabilities in key sectors.

A New Strategic Thread: Competitiveness as a Financing Challenge

The inaugural work of the IE Competitiveness Hub Brussels highlights a fundamental shift in the European narrative: the competitiveness gap is, at its core, a financing gap. While Europe retains significant industrial capacity and human talent, fragmented financial structures have historically limited the continent’s ability to scale. By fostering this ecosystem of rigorous applied research, IE University is providing the intellectual infrastructure necessary to modernize the European growth model, ensuring that policy is as agile and competitive as the global landscape demands. 

“Europe is going through a phase of profound transformation and uncertainty. In this context, applied research can play a central role in helping institutions design more effective policies, grounded in evidence and focused on implementation. The IE Competitiveness Hub Brussels was created with this ambition: to contribute to the European debate on competitiveness by supporting the policymaking process with academic research, rigorous analysis, and independent expertise”, said Enrico Letta, Dean of IE School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs.

Diego del Alcázar, Chairman of IE, added, “This Hub has a clear mission: to contribute to strengthening the competitiveness of the European Union. This is a field in which we believe IE University can bring ideas, expertise, and added value here in Brussels, in the heart of Europe, just as we aim to do in relation to other regions of the world. And this is precisely because one of the things we value most about the European Union is its openness to the world. We feel particularly at home in a Europe that engages globally, builds bridges, and opens itself to new continents and new partnerships.”

“As Europe navigates a more complex and competitive global environment, universities have a responsibility to help shape the ideas and frameworks that will define its future. Through the IE Competitiveness Hub Brussels, IE University reinforces its commitment to strengthening Europe’s long-term competitiveness on the global stage,” highlighted Manuel Muñiz, Rector of IE University and Chair of the Board of Trustees of IE News York College.

About IE University

IE University promotes positive change through education, research, and innovation. The academic institution offers a technology-based learning ecosystem for leaders with a global vision, an entrepreneurial mindset, deep respect for diversity and sustainability, and a unique focus on the humanities. IE University is comprised of six schools: IE Business School, IE Law School, IE School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs, IE School of Architecture and Design, IE School of Science and Technology, and IE School of Humanities. The institution has a faculty of full-time and adjunct professors who produce research and teach students from 160 countries in Bachelors, Masters and Executive Education programs. IE University’s platform of more than 84,000 alumni is present in 185 countries.