27 Aug 2026
New think tank 'Rhine Group' aims to accelerate implementation of Draghi Report recommendations
Following up on Mario Draghi's report on 'The Future of European Competitiveness', a new think tank has been set up which aims to accelerate the implementation of the recommendations included in the report. The think tank called the 'Rhine Group' is co-founded and co-chaired by Maria Draghi and Patrick Collison (co-founder and CEO of payments technology company Stripe). Its executive director is Luis Garicano, professor of public policy at the London School of Economics. The think tank consists of 54 CEOs, economists, scientists and the leaders of large technology companies.
On its website, the Rhine Group points out that of the fifty largest technology companies in the world, only four are European, and that Europe is weak in every emerging technology that will shape the coming decades. If stagnation continues, the continent will progressively lose the ability to fund the core obligations of a modern state: defence, public healthcare, pensions, education, climate investments and safety nets for those who lose their jobs.
Indicating the changed relationship with the US and the fierce competition from China in third markets and in Europe, the group sees Europe as being "in a harder place than when The future of European competitiveness report was released", which requires taking urgent action. The Rhine Group convenes European leaders from government, academia, and business to discuss possible answers to these challenges for the future of Europe. The think tank's discussions will be based on research papers distributed as pre-reads and will follow Chatham House Rule.
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