Fostering Innovation-Driven Entrepreneurship in Europe provides an analysis of Europe’s lagging innovation capabilities, the challenges associated with scaling entrepreneurship in the region and the conditions needed to create an enabling environment for ambitious, serial entrepreneurs. Developed in collaboration with A. T. Kearney, this new report draws on extensive input from the Forum’s Members, Global Shapers, Young Global Leaders, Network of Global Agenda Councils and leading policy-makers across Europe. The findings in the report were derived from data gathered in an online survey of over 1,000 entrepreneurs across Europe, as well as intelligence gathered from 60 structured interviews and interactive workshops that took place across Europe and China.

Report on Collaborative Innovation, to support the development of high-growth, innovation-driven economies across Europe, the Forum has focused for two years on fostering links between young, dynamic firms and large, established businesses. This report highlights approaches and strategies that business leaders and policy makers can take to create sustainable, pioneering and innovation-focused collaborations that benefit all parties involved.

 

Technology and Innovationfor the Future of Production: Accelerating Value Creation 

Technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution are blurring the lines between the physical, digital and biological spheres of global production systems. The current pace of technological development is exerting profound changes on the way people live and work. Production activities, defined as the full chain to “source-make-deliver-consume-reintegrate” products and services, will be altered and extended in ways that are difficult to fully envisage – from origination of inputs, product design and manufacturing, to distribution, customer/consumer use and elements of the circular economy/return/reuse.

Tokyo 2020: Exploratory Study

 

This report provides an overview of the key areas where the Tokyo 2020 Olympics can promote sustainability. The recommendations are primarily based on a Circular Economy framework, which maximizes resource- circulation and minimizes waste. As Japan plans for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, it is likely seeking to deliver an environmentally sustainable Olympics experience, while optimizing for costs. By using Circular Economy strategies, which seek to maximize resource reuse and minimize waste, Tokyo 2020 may be able to achieve both goals simultaneously. The resulting benefits are: a more sustainable environment, long-term cost savings, and more content citizenry. 

 

European Parliament Project

Back in the 2013, during the course on Systems Thinking at Harvard Summer School, the President of the European Parliament, Mr. Martin Schulz, addressed my class for a novel analysis on the root causes of the European Financial Crisis. His call for action was also recorded, in an exclusive video, addressed to the participants of the course.

The final report was produced, providing an analysis of the financial crisis as a complex set of causes and reinforcing dynamics. In order to achieve efficient and lasting impact, the report reinforces the criticality to intervene at a community level and to engage youth aged 15-24 that are currently politically and economically alienated from the system. The analysis seems to suggest that building on Europe’s existing small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) will grant a rapid deployment of a youth entrepreneurship education program that could immediately engage young people to assess and address local problems, while also developing leadership and career skills. 

The approach discussed in this paper will transform the European economy by fueling economic activity from the bottom up. Additional interventions in media, research, education, and finance will be critical to continue to stabilize the system.