In this episode of Geoeconomic Competition, Francesca Ghiretti engages with Alicia Garcia-Herrero, Senior Fellow at Bruegel and Chief Economist for Asia Pacific at Natixis. The episode focuses on the Third Plenum and on the implications its outcomes (if any) may have for European businesses.

In this episode of Geoeconomic Competition, Francesca Ghiretti engages with Dr Mona Paulsen, Assistant Professor in International Economic Law at the London School of Economics (LSE). Starting from her article titled The Past, Present and Potential of Economic Security, the episode looks at the history of economic security to show that economic security is not an exceptional state of the globalised economy nor should it be treated as something exceptional in the policymaking of governments.

In the first episode of the series on industrial policies, Francesca is joined by Simone Tagliapietra, Senior fellow at Bruegel and Professor of Energy, Climate and Environmental Policy at the Catholic University of Milan and at The Johns Hopkins University - School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) Europe. In the episode, Simone explains why it is vital for the EU to get the green tech ‘revolution’ right. To do so, the episode addresses the EU’s approach to the green transition, the role of industrial policy and investments in green technologies. Particular attention is paid to the debate on the balance between the EU’s liberal approach and the emerging interventionist trend. 

On the 23rd of February, the EU adopted the 13th package of sanctions against Russia for the invasion of Ukraine. In this episode, Francesca Ghiretti engages with Maria Shagina, Senior Fellow in Economic Sanctions, Standards and Strategy at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).  Maria introduces seven lessons to be learned from the sanctions imposed on Russia in the past two years: 1. understand your target well; 2. understand the limitation of sanctions in a military conflict; 3. clarify objective and end game; 4. foster international cooperation, 5. increase domestic resilience, 6. understand the response from the target and 7. enforcement. The episode also touches upon the difficulty of sanctioning actors like China and on the perennial debate over the efficacy of sanctions. 

Articles referenced in the podcast can be found here: 

https://www.ft.com/content/4ac30222-2d15-4d4a-a025-9e5793157610

https://research.rug.nl/en/publications/coercing-constraining-signalling-explaining-un-and-eu-sanctions-a 

Japan has been one of the first countries to adopt a policy for economy security, the Economic Security Promotion Act, and to appoint a Minister for Economic Security. In this episode, I have the pleasure to chat with Kazuto Suzuki, Director & Group Head, Economic Security at the Institute of Geoeconomics in Tokyo. This episode's content spans from Japan's own experience with economic security, and the country's ability to use economic security to promote the flourishing of a semiconductor industry, to the possibility for collaboration with the EU to safeguard a rules-based international system. Finally, it touches upon the G7; the attention to economic security that Japan's Presidency paid in 2023 and where the Italian Presidency in 2024 could consolidate and strengthen the G7 economic security agenda.

On the 30th and 31st of January, the US and the EU held the 5th Ministerial meeting on the Trade and Technology Council (TTC) in Washington DC. In this episode, Francesca Ghiretti engages with Emily Benson Director of Project on Trade and Technology at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The episode touches upon the origins and evolution of the TTC, including opportunities and challenges it faces. It dives into the most recent Ministerial meeting and some of the debates that have emerged such as a potential Wassenaar -1 for export controls.

On the 24th of January the European Commission published a package of five initiatives on economic security. The package includes a proposal for a new regulation for foreign investment screening, a white paper on export controls, a white paper on outbound investments, a white paper on the support for research and development in dual-use technologies, and a proposal on enhancing research security. The guest of this episode is Tobias Gehrke, Senior Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) and an expert in European economic security, with him we will explore the evolution of the EU's economic security agenda and its challenges. 

In this episode of Geoeconomic Competition, Francesca Ghiretti engages with Jonathan Hackenbroich from the European Commission - DG Trade to discuss how the EU economic security strategy has performed from the perspective of one of the main DGs involved in its design and implementation.

In this episode of Geoeconomic Competition, Francesca Ghiretti engages with Elvire Fabry and Nicolas Koehler-Suzuki to discuss how the EU economic security strategy has performed in its first year compared to the economic security approaches of other actors.

In this episode of Geoeconomic Competition, Francesca Ghiretti discusses the EU's vulnerabilities - real and only perceived - with Luke Patey, Senior Researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS). The episode starts with critical minerals and then expands to other sectors to build the argument that the EU is less vulnerable to China than it thinks. 

In this episode of Geoeconomic Competition, Francesca Ghiretti discusses the recently announced US tariffs with Ilaria Mazzocco, Senior Fellow with the Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The episode explain what is section 301, the reason for the adoption of this latest round of tariffs, why EV are the centre of attention and last, but not least, what Beijing thinks of them. 

In this episode of Geoeconomic Competition, Francesca Ghiretti discusses the issue of extraterritoriality with Georgina Wright, Deputy Director for International Studies at Institute Montaigne . The episode is a primer on the complex topic of extraterritorial measures, which are growing in number and in importance. What is extraterritoriality? And what should we do about it? Are only two of the questions addressed in this episode and in the report on extraterritoriality published by Institute Montaigne.

In this episode, Francesca Ghiretti discusses outbound investment screening with Sarah Bauerle Danzman, Associate Professor at Indiana University and Scholar in Residence at the Atlantic Council . The episode explores the emergence of the debate in the US, the (potential) implications of the regulation that will follow the executive order, and the different ways to approach the issue. 

In this third (and last) episode of the short series on industrial policies, Francesca Ghiretti engages with Todd Tucker, Director of Industrial Policy and Trade at the Roosevelt Institute. The episode focuses on the US' turn to industrial policies, what has driven it, what are its main components and focus points, how much it has already contributed to US' competitiveness and where it is going. The episode also explores the question of a potential subsidy race and the role of coordination with partners. 

In this second episode of a short series of episodes on industrial policies, Francesca Ghiretti engages with Camille Boullenois, Associate Director at Rhodium Group. The episode challenges the idea that China's industrial policies have led only to successes and cautions against attempting to replicate a similar model in Europe. Overcapacity is only one of the issues that have emerged in China. 

In this episode of Geoeconomic Competition, Francesca Ghiretti has a chat with Gregor Sebastian, Senior Analyst at Rhodium Group. The episode provides an overview of the current situation and engages with the debate on the advantages and risks of Chinese greenfield investments in the EU EV sector. 

Articles cited:
https://ip-quarterly.com/en/solution-eus-chinese-greenfield-investments-conundrum
https://rhg.com/research/aint-no-duty-high-enough/
https://rhg.com/research/pole-position-chinese-ev-investments-boom-amid-growing-political-backlash/

In this episode of Geoeconomic Competition, Francesca Ghiretti talks with Nicola Bilotta, coordinator of the EU-Supervisory Digital Finance Academy (EU-SDFA),  Research Associate at the Florence School of Banking and Finance and Associate Fellow at Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI). The episode unpacks the debate on de-dollarisation. How does a currency become international and why do we need an international currency? What are the ongoing and future trends? Ultimately, is de-dollarisation happing?

In this episode of Geoeconomic Competition, Francesca Ghiretti talks with Mikael Wigell, Research Director at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs and co-founder of the Helsinki Geoeconomics Week and the Geoeconomics Society. The episode touches upon the debate over geoeconomics, economic security and economic statecraft. It then engages with the question of who is a geoeconomist.

In this episode of Geoeconomic Competition, Francesca Ghiretti talks with Matthew Goodman, distinguished fellow and director of the Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), where he also leads RealEcon: Reimagining American Economic Leadership, a CFR initiative that explores the U.S. role in the international economy. Based on Trump's first term as President, the developments of the past years and the announcements done during the campaign, the episode delivers an early assessment of the potential economic policies of the second Trump Presidency, and what could be their impact on US economy and on partners. 

In this special edition of Geoeconomic Competition, Francesca Ghiretti talks with Ignacio Garcia Bercero, former DG Trade and Bruegel non-resident Senior Fellow. The episode dives into the EU's tariffs on imports of EVs from China, asking how we got to this point, why EVs were the main concern, what is the future trajectory of the dispute between the EU and China and whether the label of Trade War is justified at this point. 

In this episode of Geoeconomic Competition, Francesca Ghiretti talks with Dr. Jeremy Chih Cheng Chang, CEO of the Research Institute for Democracy, Society, and Emerging Technology (DSET) in Taiwan. The episode takes a wide overview of Taiwan's position as the semiconductor factory of the world, how it got here, what challenges it faces and what is the future trajectory for the industry and for Taiwan. Among the topics discussed: Competition with China, the relationship with the US and challenges related to the opening of new plants in the US, Japan and the EU.

In this episode of Geoeconomic Competition, Francesca Ghiretti talks with Barath Harithas, Senior fellow in the Economics Program and Scholl Chair for International Business at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The episode analyses the elements of (potential) continuity and the differences in the approach to China of the first and second Trump Presidency. It dives into tariffs and export controls, the appointments made so far and recommendations of things to keep an eye on. 

In this episode of Geoeconomic Competition, Francesca Ghiretti talks with Cecilia Trasi, Research Analyst at Bruegel. The episode analyses the case of Swedish battery manufacturing Northvolt. Why it was/is the big European hope in battery manufacturing? What led it to file for bankruptcy? What can Europe learn from this?

In this episode of Geoeconomic Competition, Francesca Ghiretti talks with Dr. Deborah Elms, Head of Trade Policy at the Hinrich Foundation. The episode analyses the case and long adventure of Nippon Steel's acquisition of US Steel. Despite the lack of clear national security threats, the deal has been (temporarily) blocked by US President, Joe Biden. The episode analyses the importance of this case in the broader picture of how investment screening may be changing, the growing tension between national security and competitiveness and how the picture may change with the forthcoming Trump presidency.  

Link to book "Chinese investments and the economic security turn in Europe": https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/chinese-investments-and-the-economic-security-turn-in-europe 

In this episode of Geoeconomic Competition, Francesca Ghiretti talks with Emily Kilcrease senior fellow and director of the Energy, Economics, and Security Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), and co-host of CNAS' podcast De-risky Business. The episode dives into the details of the AI Diffusions Framework with an eye to the implication for US' partners. It unpacks the innovative elements of the framework, how they impact US partners and whether it may become a blueprint for future economic security measures.

In this special episode of Geoeconomic Competition, Francesca Ghiretti talks with Guido Alfani, Professor Economic History at Bocconi University in Milan and author of "As Gods among Men. A History of the Rich in the West". As 2025 brings new challenges, this unusual episode delves in some of the key questions of our time explored in the book such as how the rich historically helped their societies in times of crisis, why they no longer do, and what that may mean for social stability. 

The episode unpacks the EU Green Industrial Plan, Francesca is joined by Simone Tagliapietra, Senior fellow at Bruegel and Professor of Energy, Climate and Environmental Policy at the Catholic University of Milan and at The Johns Hopkins University - School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) Europe. We talk about the six pillars of the plan, path to implementation, challenges and the relationship with defence industrial policy.

In this episode of Geoeconomic Competition, Francesca Ghiretti talks with Philip Luck, Director of the CSIS Economics Program and Scholl Chair in International Business. He served in the Biden-Harris administration as the deputy chief economist at the U.S. Department of State. As the Trump administration keeps adopting new tariffs, we investigate what the are the main drivers of the US economic statecraft toolbox, and what may be future developments for tariffs and beyond.

In this episode, Francesca is joined by Henry Gao, Professor of Law at the Singapore Management University. The episode unpacks US tariffs against China, China's response and potential future responses and the impact on global trade.

In this episode, Francesca Ghiretti chats with Tobias Gehrke, Senior Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) and an expert in European economic security. The episode unpacks US tariffs agains the EU, EU response and potential future response and what may be in the EU's playbook.

This is the first episode of series on new "trade" deals and they are and will shape the global system. 

The UK has been the first country to strike a deal with the US after Washington imposed widespread tariffs. In this episode, Francesca Ghiretti unpack the UK-US "Prosperity Deal" its implication for the UK and what it tells about future similar deals with Sam Lowe, Partner at Flint Global and heads of trade and market access practice. 

This is the second episode of the Geoeconomic Competition series on new "trade" deals. 

In this episode, Francesca Ghiretti chats with Georgina Wright, special adviser to the president and senior fellow at GMF. How did we get to the EU-UK summit, what does the deal (memorandum of understanding) contain? What are its shortcomings and successes? But most importantly, what can we expect next?

This is the third episode of the Geoeconomic Competition series on new "trade" deals. 

In this episode, Francesca Ghiretti chats with Reva Goujon, Director at Rhodium Group. What are the tariffs China and the US imposed on each other? How has the Geneva "deal" changed those tariffs? What has happened since then and what can we expect from the coming month - after the pause ends? Are some of the questions analysed in this episode

In this episode, Francesca Ghiretti chats with Stuart Dee, Research Leader and co-Director of the Centre for Defence Economics and Acquisitions at RAND Europe. Stuart joined RAND after spending over a decade in industry, most recently at Rolls-Royce plc where he was involved in a number of large defence programmes including Eurofighter Typhoon, the Future Combat Air System and AUKUS.

In light of the recent NATO Summit in The Hague and the push across Europe for defence spending, the episode unpacks the relationship between defence spending and economic growth. What do we need for that relationship to work and what are the main challenges. 

In this episode, Francesca Ghiretti chats with Iana Dreyer, Founder and Editor ot Borderlex, a magazine specialised in trade. With Iana, we try to understand the implications of the EU-China summit as well as the tariff "deal" between the EU and the US. We touch upon EU resilience and strategic autonomy and what are the options for the EU ahead. 

In this episode, Francesca Ghiretti hosts the leader of Project Lion Cage, Tor Indstoy and Arild Tjomsland. The project "explores how everyday connected technology—such as smart vehicles and IoT systems—could be exploited in future security crises". How do connected vehicles work? What type of data they collect and where are they stored? Can these vehicles be remotely hijacked? What are mitigating measures that can be adopted?

A few highlights:

- When it comes to Chinese made EVs, 90% of data goes to China (regardless of where the vehicles operate)

- According ot US law, any data collection (including involuntary espionage) is responsibility of the car owner 

- Cybersecurity of many Chinese made vehicles is poor - it took Project Lion Cage's white hat hacker only four days to hack into the system

In this episode, Francesca Ghiretti hosts Alberto Rizzi, Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations' Rome office. In his policy brief "Markets, migrants, microchips: European power in a world of demographic change", he tackles an issue at the heart of European ability to compete economically. demographics. What's Europe's demographic situation? What are some best practices that exist in the world and in Europe that we should support and adopt? How important is to think about a serious and well-though migration and skilling policy? 

This episode is a deep dive into the details of the development of China's export controls, from 2022 to the updates of October 2025. Rebecca Arcesati is Lead Analyst, in the Science, Technology and Innovation Programme at MERICS. 

Francesca Ghiretti speaks with Jason Bedford, Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the East Asian Institute, National University of Singapore. In his paper RARE EARTHS AND INDUSTRY: WHY DEPENDENCE ON CHINA ENDURES, Jason explores the details of China's REE leverage. In this episode, we unpack why the difference between heavy and light REE matters and stands at heart of China's ability to impose painful export controls. 

Apologies for the audio quality, I had a cold.

The 4th Plenum unveiled information about what to expect from China's 15th Five Year Plan (March 2026). Francesca Ghiretti chats with Gerard DiPippo, an Associate Director, RAND China Research Center and expert in China's economy to analyse what we can expect, clarify key point and untangle contradictions.