Where is the Future of Europe International Conference taking place?

The conference is scheduled to be held in Bucharest, ROU.

What is the primary focus of the FoE 2026 conference?

The conference aims to explore the various challenges and opportunities shaping the future of Europe.

Who is eligible to attend the conference?

The conference is an academic gathering, inviting scholars and practitioners to contribute to discussions.

Future of Europe International Conference 2026 (FoE 2026)

Name: Future of Europe International Conference 2026 (FoE 2026)
Start: 2026-10-22T00:00:00Z
End: 2026-10-23T00:00:00Z
Location: Bucharest

Oct 22–23, 2026Bucharest, RomaniaIn-person

Registration open

The Future of Europe International Conference (FoE 2026) is set to convene in Bucharest, Romania. This academic gathering focuses on the multifaceted challenges and opportunities facing the European continent, inviting scholars and practitioners to contribute to a deeper understanding of its evolving landscape. The conference aims to foster dialogue on critical issues shaping the future trajectory of Europe.

Committees & topics

Topics
Global Entrepreneurship: Political Economy, Financial and International Business Perspectives · Global Value Chains and Entrepreneurial Integration in International Markets · Cross-Border Capital Flows and Entrepreneurial Finance · Institutional Environments and Comparative Entrepreneurship · Geopolitical Risk and International Business Strategy · Industrial Policy and International Competitiveness · Digital Trade, Platforms, and Global Market Access · Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Global Economic Transformation

Why it matters

The FoE 2026 conference provides a crucial platform for examining the complex geopolitical, economic, and social dynamics influencing Europe. In an era marked by rapid global shifts, understanding the internal and external pressures on the continent is paramount. Discussions at this event will contribute to informed policy-making and strategic planning, offering insights into how Europe can navigate its future.

For Model Diplomats, engaging with the themes presented at FoE 2026 is essential for developing a nuanced perspective on international relations. The conference's focus on the 'Future of Europe' directly impacts global stability and cooperation, making it a relevant area of study for those aspiring to careers in diplomacy and international affairs. Analyzing the perspectives shared at this event can enhance one's ability to anticipate challenges and identify opportunities in a globalized world.

How to prepare

To effectively engage with the themes of FoE 2026, Model Diplomats should undertake a comprehensive preparation strategy. Begin by researching the current political and economic climate within Europe, paying close attention to key policy debates and emerging trends. Understanding the diverse interests of various European nations, as well as their relationships with global powers, will be critical.

Consider applying frameworks such as the 'Power-Interest Grid' (see /learn/lessons/power-interest-grid) to analyze the influence of different stakeholders on European policy. Additionally, exploring 'Engagement Strategies' (see /learn/lessons/engagement-strategies) can provide valuable insights into how various actors attempt to shape the future of the continent. Preparing detailed country profiles for key European states, including their domestic priorities and international alignments, will also be beneficial for understanding the complex interplay of forces at play.

Country perspectives

Where the most-relevant 4 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.

Romania

As the host nation, ROU is likely to emphasize regional stability, economic development within the European framework, and its role in fostering dialogue on the continent's future.

Role in topic

ROU plays a central role as the host of the conference, providing the physical and intellectual space for discussions on the future of Europe. Its perspective will likely highlight the importance of cohesion and strategic partnerships within the European Union, particularly from the vantage point of a country in Eastern Europe.

Germany

DEU will likely focus on economic stability, environmental policy, and the importance of multilateralism in addressing European challenges.

Role in topic

As a major economic and political power within Europe, DEU's perspective is crucial. Its contributions will likely center on sustainable growth, technological innovation, and the strengthening of European institutions to confront global challenges.

France

FRA is expected to emphasize European sovereignty, strategic autonomy, and cultural identity within the broader European project.

Role in topic

FRA's historical and contemporary influence means its views on European integration, defense, and cultural preservation will be prominent. Its perspective often champions a strong, independent Europe capable of asserting itself on the world stage.

United States

The USA will likely focus on transatlantic relations, security cooperation, and the role of Europe in global stability.

Role in topic

While not a European nation, the USA's relationship with Europe is a critical factor in the continent's future. Its perspective will likely touch upon NATO, trade relations, and shared democratic values, influencing discussions on European security and economic policy.

Topics & background

The background behind each topic and the actors that shape it.

Global Entrepreneurship: Political Economy, Financial and International Business Perspectives

Global entrepreneurship has evolved from a largely domestic concern into a central pillar of international economic policy. Since the 1990s wave of liberalization, cross-border flows of capital, talent and technology have allowed start-ups and small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs) to scale internationally with unprecedented speed, supported by venture capital ecosystems, multilateral lending from the World Bank Group and IFC, and OECD-led policy benchmarking. However, the 2008 financial crisis, COVID-19 disruptions, and the post-2022 era of geoeconomic fragmentation have exposed the fragility of this model, with rising protectionism, divergent regulatory regimes, and uneven access to finance. The core dispute today concerns how states should balance open markets and national strategic interests when shaping entrepreneurial ecosystems. Advanced economies increasingly tie entrepreneurship policy to industrial strategy, security screening of foreign investment, and technology controls, while emerging markets argue this risks crowding out their integration into global innovation networks. Multilateral bodies such as UNCTAD, the OECD and the WTO have called for coherent frameworks that support inclusive entrepreneurship without triggering subsidy races. The issue now sits at the intersection of political economy, finance and international business: how to design institutions that channel entrepreneurial activity toward productive, sustainable and globally integrated outcomes, especially as AI, green technology and digital platforms reshape competitive advantage.

Key players

Global Value Chains and Entrepreneurial Integration in International Markets

Global value chains (GVCs) expanded rapidly from the 1990s through the 2010s as falling trade costs, containerization and ICT enabled firms to fragment production across borders. The WTO, World Bank and OECD documented how GVC participation allowed SMEs and entrepreneurial firms in emerging economies to plug into international markets without building full manufacturing capabilities, fueling growth in countries such as Vietnam, Mexico and Poland. Since 2018, however, US-China tariff disputes, COVID-19 supply shocks, and the war in Ukraine have triggered a wave of 'reshoring,' 'nearshoring' and 'friend-shoring' policies. The US CHIPS and Science Act, the EU's Critical Raw Materials Act, and India's Production Linked Incentive scheme reflect a turn toward strategic autonomy in critical sectors, raising concerns that smaller entrepreneurs may be excluded from restructured chains dominated by incumbents and state-aligned firms. The central question is whether GVCs are deglobalizing or merely reconfiguring, and how entrepreneurial firms—particularly in developing economies—can maintain market access amid rising compliance, ESG and origin-tracing requirements. Debates focus on rules of origin, digital trade facilitation, and support for SME integration through bodies like the WTO and ITC.

Key players

Cross-Border Capital Flows and Entrepreneurial Finance

Cross-border capital flows have been a defining feature of post-Bretton Woods economic integration, with FDI, portfolio investment and venture capital channeling resources into entrepreneurial firms worldwide. The IMF's Institutional View on capital flow management, adopted in 2012 and revised in 2022, recognized that emerging economies may legitimately use capital flow measures to manage volatility, marking a shift from the prior orthodoxy of full liberalization. Entrepreneurial finance has internationalized rapidly: global venture capital peaked above USD 600 billion in 2021 before contracting sharply amid rising interest rates. Sovereign wealth funds, corporate venture capital, and Gulf-based investors have become major cross-border players, while regulatory scrutiny of inbound investment in sensitive sectors has tightened through mechanisms such as CFIUS in the United States and the EU's FDI Screening Regulation. Today's debates concern how to reconcile open capital accounts with financial stability, national security and developmental goals. Issues include de-risking of correspondent banking, the role of stablecoins and crypto in cross-border finance, and the financing gap for SMEs in emerging markets—estimated by the IFC at over USD 5 trillion.

Key players

Institutional Environments and Comparative Entrepreneurship

Comparative research, including the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor and the World Bank's Business Ready (formerly Doing Business) project, has long shown that the quality of institutions—property rights, rule of law, contract enforcement, tax administration and bankruptcy regimes—shapes the rate and type of entrepreneurial activity. Douglass North's institutional economics and subsequent comparative capitalism literature distinguish between liberal market economies, coordinated market economies, and state-led developmental models, each producing different entrepreneurial patterns. Reforms over the past two decades have improved business environments in many emerging economies, but recent trends including democratic backsliding, regulatory unpredictability and selective enforcement have raised concerns about institutional erosion. The discontinuation of Doing Business in 2021 amid methodological controversy and its replacement by Business Ready in 2024 reflects ongoing debates over how to measure institutional quality objectively. The core dispute is whether convergence toward 'best practice' institutional models remains feasible or desirable, and how international organizations should support institutional reform without prescribing a single template. Particular attention is paid to informal economies, gender gaps in entrepreneurship, and the institutional conditions that enable high-growth, innovation-driven firms versus necessity entrepreneurship.

Key players

Geopolitical Risk and International Business Strategy

The post-Cold War assumption of steadily deepening globalization has been overturned by a cascade of geopolitical shocks: the US-China trade and technology rivalry from 2018, Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent sanctions regime, conflict in the Middle East, and disruptions to maritime chokepoints including the Red Sea and Taiwan Strait. Firms now operate under expanding export controls, secondary sanctions, outbound investment restrictions, and forced divestment pressures. Multinational companies have responded with strategies including 'in China for China' localization, dual supply chains, and geographic diversification of R&D. Insurers, ratings agencies and consultancies have built dedicated geopolitical risk practices, while governments have institutionalized economic security functions—Japan's Economic Security Promotion Act of 2022 and the EU's Economic Security Strategy of 2023 being notable examples. The central debate is how international business and host governments should manage the trade-off between economic efficiency and strategic resilience, and how entrepreneurs—particularly those operating across rival blocs—can navigate compliance burdens, dual-use technology rules, and the politicization of cross-border data flows.

Key players

Industrial Policy and International Competitiveness

After decades in which industrial policy was treated skeptically by mainstream economists and constrained by WTO subsidy rules, it has returned to the center of advanced-economy strategy. The US Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPS and Science Act (2022), the EU Green Deal Industrial Plan and Net-Zero Industry Act (2023), Japan's semiconductor revival under METI, and Korea's K-Chips Act all channel large-scale public funding into strategic sectors, particularly semiconductors, clean energy and electric vehicles. This revival has generated tensions over subsidy races, WTO compatibility, and 'green protectionism.' The EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, US local-content requirements, and Chinese overcapacity in solar, batteries and EVs have triggered trade disputes and reciprocal measures. Developing economies fear being squeezed out of green value chains or locked into raw-material exporter roles. The core question is whether coordinated industrial policy can coexist with a rules-based trading system, how to discipline harmful subsidies while permitting legitimate decarbonization and security spending, and how entrepreneurial firms can benefit from rather than be crowded out by state-directed investment.

Key players

Digital Trade, Platforms, and Global Market Access

Digital trade now accounts for a rapidly growing share of global services exports, encompassing cross-border data flows, cloud services, e-commerce and platform-mediated transactions. Multilateral efforts include the WTO Joint Statement Initiative on E-commerce, regional agreements such as the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA), and the digital chapters of USMCA, CPTPP and RCEP. These frameworks attempt to balance free data flows with privacy, security and consumer protection. Regulation of digital platforms has accelerated. The EU's Digital Markets Act and Digital Services Act (2022-2024) impose obligations on 'gatekeeper' platforms; China's data security and cross-border data transfer rules shape access to its market; and India's data protection law and equalization levy reflect a push for digital sovereignty. The OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework agreement on taxing the digital economy, including Pillar One and Pillar Two, remains in uneven implementation. For entrepreneurial firms, the central tension is between the opportunity of near-zero marginal cost access to global customers and the rising patchwork of compliance regimes covering data localization, AI, content moderation and platform liability. The committee will weigh how to preserve digital openness for SMEs while addressing legitimate regulatory concerns.

Key players

Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Global Economic Transformation

The 2015 Paris Agreement and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development reframed entrepreneurship as a vehicle for environmental and social transformation, not merely growth. The rise of ESG investing—reaching tens of trillions of dollars in assets under management before recent backlash—channeled capital toward firms aligned with climate and social goals, while the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and the ISSB's IFRS S1/S2 standards have begun to harmonize disclosure. The energy transition has spawned a wave of climate-tech entrepreneurship in batteries, hydrogen, carbon removal, alternative proteins and nature-based solutions. Public co-financing through the EU Innovation Fund, US Loan Programs Office, and multilateral climate funds has been matched by record private investment, though scale-up financing—the 'missing middle' between venture capital and project finance—remains a constraint. Concerns over greenwashing, just transition impacts, and unequal access to transition finance for the Global South have prompted calls for reform. The central debate is how international institutions and states can align entrepreneurial activity with planetary boundaries and inclusive development, including through carbon pricing, transition finance, technology transfer under the UNFCCC, and reform of the international financial architecture as advanced through the Bridgetown Initiative.

Key players

Resources

News, lessons, and country profiles to prep for Future of Europe International Conference 2026 (FoE 2026).

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Lessons

Bite-sized lessons to build the basics

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Courses

Guided courses that go deeper on the topic

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Advanced Negotiation

Romania October 2026

By committee

Frequently asked questions

Future of Europe International Conference 2026 (FoE 2026)

Oct 22–23, 2026Bucharest, RomaniaIn-person

Registration open

Committees & topics

Topics
Global Entrepreneurship: Political Economy, Financial and International Business Perspectives · Global Value Chains and Entrepreneurial Integration in International Markets · Cross-Border Capital Flows and Entrepreneurial Finance · Institutional Environments and Comparative Entrepreneurship · Geopolitical Risk and International Business Strategy · Industrial Policy and International Competitiveness · Digital Trade, Platforms, and Global Market Access · Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Global Economic Transformation

Why it matters

How to prepare

Country perspectives

Where the most-relevant 4 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.

Romania

As the host nation, ROU is likely to emphasize regional stability, economic development within the European framework, and its role in fostering dialogue on the continent's future.

Role in topic

Germany

DEU will likely focus on economic stability, environmental policy, and the importance of multilateralism in addressing European challenges.

Role in topic

France

FRA is expected to emphasize European sovereignty, strategic autonomy, and cultural identity within the broader European project.

Role in topic

United States

The USA will likely focus on transatlantic relations, security cooperation, and the role of Europe in global stability.

Role in topic