Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence

ABOUT US

The EU Inclusive Open Strategic Autonomy Centre (IOSAC) is a Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence financed by the European Commission at the Luiss Research Center for European Analysis and Policy. The IOSAC intends to be a European hub for cutting-edge research, teaching and policy analysis to manage a policy tradeoff that the EU currently faces. The European Union aims to maintain and increase its trade competitiveness in a fast, changing global context, characterized by a tendency towards strategic autonomy and geopolitical tensions, while ensuring inclusive outcomes of trade within Europe and the Mediterranean area. Against this backdrop, Italy, due to its geographical position and political tradition, can play an important role. The centre will (1) be the central node of transnational links with academic institutions in core and Mediterranean European countries, (2) gather top notch expertise to design inclusive EU trade and industrial policies and support a twin transition that does not leave behind the Mediterranean region, (3) make such expertise multidisciplinary, and focused on Europe, (4) ensure public outreach to relevant stakeholders and civil society.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or Luiss Guido Carli. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

People

LUISS PARTICIPANTS

Filippo Bontadini

Thomas Christiansen

Virginie Collombier

Antonio Majocchi

Valentina Meliciani

Luigi Narbone

Alessandra Perri

Maria Savona

Mark Thatcher

Research

The Centre of Excellence is a key hub for cutting-edge research, teaching and policy analysis, gathering expertise from within the University, as well as external partners to create new research collaborations, to design inclusive EU trade and industrial policies in line with the EU’s priorities of an open strategic autonomy. It will produce Working Papers, Policy Briefs, and 5-bullet points that will reflect the concept of EU inclusive strategic autonomy and disseminate the EU-IOSAC activity. It will foster collaboration across scholars from within the University and its external partners through several initiatives: Seminar Series, two international Workshops “European and Global Value Chains” and “The European Union’s Response to Global Geo-economic Competition”. It will also foster young scholars’ research activity through the Jo Cox Fellowship to host visiting young scholars and the Jean Monnet Scholarship to support Master students during their dissertation or internship in European institutions. There will be one edition of the Italian Trade Study Group (ITSG) annual conference, discussing GVC reconfiguration and inclusive trade.

Education

The Centre has designed and launched new teaching activities aimed at students both within the University and from other Universities, as well as policymakers.

Courses

“EU Industrial Policy in an era of Geoeconomic competition”
“European Perspectives in Innovation Studies”
“European Open Strategic Autonomy”
- Course 1
- Course 2

PhD Summer School

– “Very multi-disciplinary, very interesting and high-level, very stimulating and on the edge of the academic debate.”

– “Great professors!”

– “The content was very relevant for my current and future research.”

SUMMER SCHOOL 2025

PhD Summer School on the Economics of the Green and Digital Transitions: Innovation Policies for a Global Europe

The rapid advancement of digital technologies, including AI, and the climate emergency are among the most pressing challenges of our time. The European Union has framed these challenges as a need for a twin transition. The challenges are global, impacting how the countries compete in developing and regulating digital technologies, participate in Global Value Chains of production, consumption and pollution, navigate labour markets implications, and collaborate internationally in developing technologies that benefit all. Designing and implementing effective industrial and innovation strategies will be crucial.

This Summer School aims to equip participants with the knowledge and skills to address these challenges within a “Global Europe” framework – exploring the EU’s role and strategic positioning in the face of global challenges, including its approach to international cooperation, competition, and leadership in the green and digital transitions.

UNU-MERIT and The Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence on European Inclusive Open Strategic Autonomy (EU-IOSAC) at the Luiss Institute for European Analysis and Policy (LEAP), in partnership with the University of Strasbourg and with support from the UNESCO Chair in ST&I Policies for sustainable Development in Latin America, is pleased to announce a Summer School on the Economics of the Green and Digital Transitions: Innovation Policies for a Global Europe. The school is organised at UNU-MERIT, United Nations University, in Maastricht, The Netherlands, 16-20 June 2025.

Faculty

PRESENTATION SLIDES

Professors

Students

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SUMMER SCHOOL 2023-2024

PhD Summer School on European Industrial, Innovation and Trade Policy in the Era of Strategic Autonomy

In the current geopolitical scenario defined by stark challenges and the rapid evolution of global economic dynamics, the concept of open strategic autonomy, championed by the European Union, underscores the imperative for strategic independence and at the same time allows the EU to remain open to global cooperation and competition. As Europe navigates this multifaceted landscape, the integration of diverse perspectives from innovation studies, international economics, and industrial policy becomes essential. To provide the necessary training to PhD Students and early career researchers, the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence on European Inclusive Open Strategic Autonomy (EU-IOSAC) at the Luiss Institute for European Analysis and Policy (LEAP), in partnership with the University of Strasbourg and UNU-MERIT in Maastricht, organized a PhD Summer School on European Industrial, Innovation and Trade Policy in the Era of Strategic Autonomy from June 3 to June 7, 2024. The lectures attracted the participation of 16 students from various parts if the world. The “Global value chains in Europe” EU-IOSAC Inaugural Workshop concluded the school.

Program

Professors:

Slides from the lectures:

Dissemination

International Policy Workshop “Europe and the changing geoeconomics of North Africa”
The workshop will be organised in partnership with the Luiss School of Government’s Mediterranean Platform and two external partners, namely EMAE and CRENOS. It will gather academics, policy makers and practitioners working on the relationship between the European Union and North Africa. This workshop will be essential as a platform gathering experts and policy makers with a view to reflecting together on possible policy options and responses from an EU perspective.

Citizen Jury
The citizen jury will gather a between 15 and 20 citizens from all walks of life to discuss the topic of “European policies to make globalisation inclusive”. The citizens will attend presentations provided by scholars and policy practitioners working with EUIOSAC, they will then be asked to discuss a broad question in smaller groups and provide their policy recommendation. Students will also be involved.

Newsletter
Each month the EU-IOSAC will publish a newsletter publicising the most relevant events and work of the faculty involved with EU-IOSAC. It will present the latest and upcoming event and initiatives, whose material will then be made available on the European Economic Policy web archive.

Podcast series

EU-IOSAC publishes a series of IOSAC podcasts on “How to shape Inclusive Trade with neighboring Mediterranean countries.” A podcast will be produced for each year of the project with scholars from EU-IOSAC and its external partners, in particular Roma Tre University, Confindustria and the LUISS Mediterranean Platform.

Assets and Liabilities of a possible EU Strategic Autonomy is a recording of the keynote speech given by Professor Romano Prodi at the European Industrial Policy in the New Global Context Conference.

Digitalization, climate change and justice is a recording of a presentation by Professor Elena Verdolini held in Luiss on January 28, 2024, which is accompanied by the following slides.

EU-ISOAC Website
The EU-IOSAC has its own ad-hoc section on the LUISS website where relevant information on the background, activity and faculty of the Centre is made available to the public. Furthermore, the website also hosts the European Economic Policy web archive, collecting all the written material produced by the project.

Web archive
This section constitutes the European Economic Policy web archive of materials concerning EU economic policy (with a focus on Innovation and Trade). It will allow all target groups to freely access a unique tool, which, being a significant source of knowledge and information for the public at large, can facilitate studies on the effects of European economic policy on citizens and firms of Member States. The archive will include all working papers, policy briefs and five bullet points produced by the Centre, as well as the teaching material from the modules and summer school that will be made freely available to all interested parties. It will also provide links to the podcast series and the agendas of all events.