Industrial policy as a key lever for EU strategic autonomy (OZR4395)

Although industrial policy has played at most a secondary role in the history of European unification, in recent years it has unexpectedly come to the fore in policy discussions within the European Union and its Member States. The structural geopolitical and geoeconomic changes and the challenge of a sustainable energy and digital transition lie at the basis of this change as they require a fundamental reconsideration of the role of industrial policy in European economic and security policy. The recent and hotly debated Draghi report emphasizes the importance of such a paradigm shift. Although there exists already a broad literature on industrial policy, such literature in the context of the changed geopolitical and geo-economic situation is still very limited. The aim of this research project is therefore to study industrial policy within this new geopolitical and geo-economic context, with a focus on the EU and its Member States. A central question will be how Europe can efficiently implement industrial policies to achieve its objectives regarding (open) strategic autonomy and what opportunities and challenges this will entail, both socio-economical, (geo)political, and legal.

Keywords:Industrial policy, Geoeconomics, EU strategic autonomy

Disciplines:International economics