The EU Inclusive Open Strategic Autonomy Centre (EU-IOSAC) is a Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence financed by the European Commission at the LUISS Institute for European Analysis and Policy (LEAP). The EU-IOSAC intends to be a European hub for cutting-edge research, teaching, and policy analysis to manage the policy trade-off that the EU is currently facing.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine have prompted a discussion on the vulnerability of global value chains and the necessity of safeguarding European strategic autonomy within the new geopolitical landscape. The concept of strategic autonomy initially surfaced in the context of shared European foreign and security policies (European Council, 2013; European Union Global Strategy, 2016 ), particularly during the period marked by political tensions arising from Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the protectionist measures implemented by the Trump Administration in 2016 that led to a tariff war with China.

Against this backdrop, the EU’s position seems particularly precarious, caught between a more protectionist and interventionist US and the rising technological power of China and other Asian countries. Especially concerning the green and digital transition (also referred to as the twin transition), Europe finds itself struggling to strike the right balance between fostering the emergence of green and digital industries and protecting its autonomy in the sphere of critical raw materials, while maintaining an open attitude towards its external partners.

This workshop analyses these issues in two separate, albeit related, sessions. The first part of the event will delve into the changes in GVC structure, with a focus on Europe and its relationship with technology. The second part will focus on critical raw materials and the EU’s strategic autonomy.

9:15 - 9:45 Registration and coffee break