Source: European Central Bank (video statements)
Geoeconomics and the International Trading System
16 and 17 September 2026. Frankfurt am Main
The rules-based multilateral international trading system is under strain. Great-power competition, security concerns, and the deliberate use of geoeconomic dependencies for strategic ends point towards a fundamental shift in the relationship between economics and geopolitics. This year’s Annual Research Conference wants to contribute to a better understanding of the underlying dynamics by showcasing the latest academic research and by providing a forum for researchers and policymakers to exchange ideas and discuss Europe’s options in this new global environment.
The conference will be live-streamed, and the live stream will be available on this page shortly before the event.
Programme:
https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/conferences/html/20260916_11th_ecb_annual_research_conference.en.html
9:15 – Welcome address
Luc Laeven, Director General Research, European Central Bank
9:30 – Session 1
Geopolitics and Globalisation
Chair: Luc Laeven, Director General Research, European Central Bank
A Network Approach to Geopolitics
• Ernest Liu, Princeton University
• Stephen Redding*, Stanford University
• Bennett Smith-Worthington, Princeton University
• David Yang, Harvard University
Discussant: Isabelle Mejean, Sciences Po
11:00
Hegemonic Globalisation
• Fernando Broner, Centre de Recerca en Economia Internacional
• Alberto Martin*, Centre de Recerca en Economia Internacional
• Josefin Meyer, Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung Berlin
• Christoph Trebesch, Kiel Institute for the World Economy
Discussant: Dmitry Mukhin, London School of Economics
14:15 – Policy panel
Geoeconomics and Trade: Risks, Resilience and Policy Responses
Chair: Boris Vujčić, Vice-President, European Central Bank
Panellists:
• Beatrice Weder di Mauro, Geneva Graduate Institute
• Kevin O’Rourke, Sciences Po
• Andres Velasco, London School of Economics
16:00 – Session 2
Critical Dependencies, Industrial Policy, and Geoeconomic Power
Chair: Christophe Kamps, Director General International and European Relations, European Central Bank
International Power
• David Yang*, Harvard University
• Ernest Liu, Princeton University
Discussant: Massimo Morelli, Bocconi University
17:15
Trade and Industrial Policy in Supply Chains: Directed Technological Change in Rare Earths
• Laura Alfaro*, Inter-American Development Bank
• Harald Fadinger, University of Vienna
• Jan Schymik, University of Mannheim
• Gede Virananda, New York University Stern School of Business
Discussant: Kalina Manova, University College London