As Europe seeks to improve its competitiveness, the EU is accelerating efforts to invest in and shape a future built on clean energy, digital transformation, and industrial innovation. The development of a coherent financial ecosystem capable of driving Europe’s strategic objectives, one which integrates successfully the various existing and planned investment schemes, will be central to the likelihood of success in the next 5 years and beyond. Is Europe deploying the right tools to drive meaningful, long-term growth? What opportunities are there for cooperation with other regions of the world, and what might be learned from how global partners and competitors are approaching similar challenges?

With mounting unease at the state of global affairs and resilience the watchword, this session will examine the EU’s current regulatory regime, ask whether Europe’s investment strategies for competitiveness, and the financial instruments that will facilitate them, are all sufficiently robust and flexible to drive Europe to where it needs to be.

As Europe moves towards creating a European Savings and Investment Union, this session will explore the crucial role of an evolved banking and capital markets union, as well as private and occupational pensions, venture and risk capital, in unlocking and channelling substantial investments towards Europe’s strategic priorities. It will look at the scaling up of investment funds and the consolidation of stock exchanges and post-trading infrastructure, aiming to deliver the clean, digital and social transition.

The session will stock-take the current regulatory environment and analyse what reforms, supervisions and safeguards may be required to ensure ongoing financial stability and resilience.

As Europe drives toward its net-zero targets, ESG principles are becoming integral to the investment and financial services landscape. However, the challenge remains: how can Europe ensure that ESG priorities align with its competitiveness agenda? This session will feature an in-depth discussion on how the current regulatory frameworks and ESG mandates impact investment flows and financial services. Through a keynote, interview, and respondent perspectives, we will explore how ESG-driven investments can support Europe’s economic resilience and what adjustments may be needed to maintain a balance that continues to foster both sustainability and competitiveness.