Bridging Academia and European Policymaking in Brussels

Philipp Pfeiffer provided a fascinating overview of how macroeconomic modelling is used within the Commission to analyze major policy challenges and geopolitical developments. His presentation demonstrated how economic models contribute to assessing the implications of tariffs, defense spending, and public investment for the European economy, while Olga Croitorov shared current policy simulations on the impact of global imbalances. A particularly timely discussion was led by Lukas Vogel, who addressed Europe’s competitiveness and productivity challenges by drawing on his expertise and involvement in the widely discussed Draghi report.

The students also had the privilege to hear from Alexandra Hild, who presented the European Commission’s current priorities to strengthen Europe’s innovation ecosystem, startup environment, and overall competitiveness. Her presentation covered important initiatives aimed at deepening the Single Market and fostering innovation, including the European Innovation Act and the European Research Area Act.

For our students, the visit offered a unique opportunity to engage directly with policymakers and experts working at the heart of European economic governance. It vividly illustrated how questions surrounding competitiveness, sustainability, innovation, and resilience are shaping the future policy agenda of the European Union.

A special thank you to all speakers and hosts at the European Commission for the warm welcome and intellectually stimulating discussions.

“On a side note, it was particularly rewarding for me that all speakers were either former colleagues and co-authors from my own time at the European Commission or, in the case of Alexandra Hild, a former colleague from my PhD period at the University of Bayreuth. It was a wonderful reminder of how academic and professional networks can create meaningful opportunities for students and international exchange.”

Prof. Dr. Stefan Hohberger