Events

The challenge is urgent: Europe needs to re-arm, and quickly. But it must also cultivate the frameworks which will enable it to act with strategic autonomy, from procurement to deployment. At the heart of this task lies Europe’s defence-industrial sector. What’s needed now to unlock their potential – and convert political will into home-grown military capacity fit for the threat landscape of an uncertain age? Join us as we seek insights from industry insiders at a crucial turning point for European defence.

Without a robust AI and tech ecosystem of its own, Europe will struggle to become a competitive player in the digital revolution – and risks a dystopian scenario in which the tools of tomorrow's prosperity are outsourced to MAGA and its Silicon Valley acolytes. In conversation at BIG, leading digital policy experts Marietje Schaake and Paul Timmers will explore how to cultivate the European prowess which our digital sovereignty demands.

As the Gulf conflict sends shockwaves through global energy markets, the EU must once again reconcile short-term crisis response with long-term strategic objectives. How can Europe manage the decline of its fossil fuel dependence in a way that strengthens, rather than undermines, its resilience in an increasingly conflict-prone world? Join our expert panel as we explore how geopolitical risk can be more effectively integrated into EU energy policy.

As Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine grinds into its fifth year, shifting global alignments and mounting political pressures are reshaping Europe’s strategic environment. The attempt to crush Ukrainian sovereignty continues, but the invasion has revealed a society capable of extraordinary resilience - militarily, politically and socially. Join BIG on Tuesday, 24 February for a webinar that moves beyond commemoration to a clear-eyed debate about endurance, escalation, and strategic choice.

After one year of Trump’s second term, the transatlantic relationship is no longer a given – it is a negotiating table. Join BIG on 29 January to examine how Europe should respond when interdependence becomes pressure, and great-power competition sets the terms. With Diego Martínez Belío, State Secretary for Foreign and Global Affairs of Spain and Luuk van Middelaar, moderated by Dave Keating.

How can Europe scale its digital defence industrial base to reinforce resilience and boost competitiveness? Join BIG for an important conversation on critical infrastructure and strategic digital autonomy, co-hosted with the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU and DigitalEurope.

The EU climate delegation heading to Brazil will be among the strongest advocates for ambitious climate delivery at the global level. Yet between what’s pledged in Belém and Europe’s green energy future, there lies uncertain geopolitical reality. Join us as we chart a course through the risks and opportunities on the way - with live expert input direct from COP30.

The fragmentation and polarisation of the internet is one of the defining issues of our times – and few leaders are as well-equipped to bridge the gulf between Silicon Valley and European policymakers as Sir Nick Clegg, former British Deputy Prime Minister and, until early 2025, Meta’s President of Global Affairs. Join BIG for the exclusive Brussels launch of his new book How to Save the Internet: The Threat to Global Connection in the Age of AI and Political Conflict.

As its seventh summit approaches, the EPC continues to defy definition – and prove its value, despite the doubters. Where next for this nascent pan-European forum? Join us for an insightful discussion.

In the lead-up to what is expected to be a pivotal EU-China leaders' summit in Beijing, the Brussels Institute for Geopolitics (BIG) is convening a closed-door expert panel to take stock of Europe’s evolving China strategy. The conversation comes at a critical geopolitical juncture, as US-China tensions escalate, and Europe finds itself caught in a volatile economic and strategic triangle.

Join us on 9 May at the Brussels Institute for Geopolitics for an open house reception to celebrate Europe Day, which this year also marks the 75th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration.

The Brussels Institute for Geopolitics held an expert panel ‘Tech Sovereignty – What does it Mean?’ on Wednesday 12 March to discuss Artificial Intelligence and geopolitics.  It started with the launch of World Builders: Technology and The New Geopolitics by political philosopher, author and Portugal’s former Secretary of State for European Affairs, Bruno Maçães, followed by an expert panel on the topic with independent researcher, Ophélie Coelho and Professor of Political Arithmetic at the University of Amsterdam (UvA), Daniel Mügge.

Join us for the launch of World Builders: Technology and the New Geopolitics by Bruno Maçães, followed by an in-depth discussion on tech sovereignty featuring leading thinkers in geopolitics and technology.

The Brussels Institute for Geopolitics held a High-Level Breakfast Conversation on 18 February for the Brussels launch of the report ‘A New Transatlantic Bargain: The Case for Building a Strong European Pillar’ on behalf of the Belfer Center at the Harvard Kennedy School. It is one of a series of events across European capitals assessing Europe’s capacity to defend itself.

In what will be his last public appearance in the role before bowing out, Josep Borrell, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, joins Luuk van Middelaar, Director of the Brussels Institute for Geopolitics, to reflect on five years as the EU's leading diplomat.

On 23 October 2024 the Brussels Institute for Geopolitics hosted an event to launch the essay ‘European economic statecraft in search of a future’ by BIG’s co-director Hans Kribbe. It is the first paper in a series on economic security.