The Brussels Economic Security Forum (BESF) is a newly established European and international platform and research project dedicated to addressing the challenges and opportunities of economic security. In response to unprecedented and increasingly unpredictable global dynamics and policy shifts — driven by systemic shocks, geopolitical competition and technological disruptions — economic security has emerged as a key policy priority. Recognising this, the European Union has introduced its economic security strategy, initiated the development of an economic security doctrine, and placed economic security at the forefront of its latest political guidelines.
Shaping the Future of Economic Security
Our Mission
The BESF aims to serve as a high-level research platform for conceptualising ways to salvage international economic collaboration and open trade while ensuring countries can properly safeguard their economic security and address new security challenges. The Forum explores key issues such as the evolving role of economic statecraft, trade and security policy, the geopolitics of technology, and East-West-South economic relations in a rapidly shifting global order.
At its core, the Forum builds on the European Policy Centre’s (EPC) Economic Security Project, which has played a pivotal role in defining economic security as a central tenet of EU policy. Over the past years, the EPC has led the debate on this crucial topic, most notably by hosting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for her seminal speech on EU-China relations in March 2023.
BESF Summit 2025 - Two Days, Two Formats
As a yearly highlight, the BESF will convene a summit bringing leading European and international policymakers, representatives of business and experts together to work on tangible steps needed to build a global system of reduced risks and vulnerabilities. The BESF’s inaugural summit will take place in Brussels on 5 & 6 June 2025.
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Day 1 (June 5) – The Forum will feature a public conference structured around four high-level sessions focusing on the evolving role of economic statecraft, trade and level playing field policies, the geopolitics of technology, and new East-West-South economic ties, as well as a fireside chat looking at the requirements of readying for the most extreme contingencies.
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Day 2 (June 6) – The Forum will transition to by invitation-only roundtables, offering a closed-door setting for in-depth strategic discussions on critical economic security issues, alongside one open session for broader engagement on needed partnerships.
A 360° approach to Economic Security
Beyond the annual summit, the BESF is a yearlong initiative aimed at mainstreaming economic security across EU policymaking, governance structures, and budget priorities. Throughout 2025 and beyond, we will engage with EU institutions, national governments, and international partners to support the development of the EU’s economic security doctrine, ensuring a systematic and forward-looking policy response to geopolitical shifts and economic vulnerabilities.
Through expert roundtables, policy papers, and high-level consultations, BESF will focus on strategic investment, supply chain resilience, technology security, and industrial competitiveness. The EPC’s ‘Economic Security Matrix’ provides a structured framework for assessing Preparedness, Promotion, Protection, and Partnerships — ensuring that economic security not only mitigates risks but also enhances Europe’s long-term economic dynamism.
Key areas of focus include:
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Shaping the EU’s economic security doctrine in collaboration with policymakers.
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Integrating economic security into EU decision-making and budgetary frameworks, particularly within the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).
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Advancing industrial, technological, and energy resilience, with dedicated research and policy initiatives on AI, semiconductors, cybersecurity, life sciences, and clean tech.
By embedding economic security into both strategic vision and concrete policy action, the BESF is a sustained policy effort shaping Europe’s response to an evolving global order.
WHEN?
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10 January 2024Project Launch
The Project was launched at the EPC conference “European competitiveness and economic security: Towards a new strategic agenda”, on 10 January 2024, with a keynote address from Thierry Breton, Commissioner for Internal Market.
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7 February 2024Publication: "Europe’s make-or-break moment: Putting economic security at the heart of the EU’s 2024-2029 strategic agenda"
The Project’s Framing Paper “Europe’s make-or-break moment: Putting economic security at the heart of the EU’s 2024-2029 strategic agenda” authored by Georg Riekeles and Paweł Świeboda proposes 18 recommendations for the EU’s forthcoming strategic agenda
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8 March 2024Roundtable on Economic Security and the EU’s Green Transition
The roundtable discussed the linkages between the economic security and energy security agendas, the scope for further EU-level action, how to strengthen supply resilience and diversification through a full value-chain perspective and improve risk preparedness and cross-border coordination in case of energy supply shocks.
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20 March 2024Workshop on the Single Market for Economic Security
Considering the European Commission’s identified risks to the resilience of supply chains, including energy security; to physical and cyber security of critical infrastructure; to technology security and leakage, and the risks of weaponisation of economic dependencies or economic coercion, this workshop and the subsequent Policy Paper will try to identify the policy areas and tools where the Single Market approach needs to be reoriented to address the economic security concerns.
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4 April 2024Publication: "Stress testing the EU's food system"
Food security has moved up on the EU’s political agenda as greater self-sufficiency in food is seen as a crucial building block for a more resilient continent in general. But systemic resilience to shocks to European food systems is still fairly under-developed. Food security is of strategic concern and a critical component of economic security, given the indispensability of food for our lives and the connection of food supply chains with other industrial eco-systems such as transportation and energy. This report introduces Food Alert’s innovative stress testing methods and includes ideas for policymakers in areas such as crisis response, agriculture and food production resilience and sustainability, and trade and finance supply chains security.
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17 April 2024Publication: "Towards a Competitive Edge: Reforming the EU Regulatory Framework"
Amidst an increasingly complex economic situation, Europe’s decrease in competitiveness is one of the most dangerous threats to the bloc’s long-term prosperity. With high energy prices, difficult access to finance, and skills and labour shortages, the EU’s regulatory burden is cited by businesses across the Union as a major obstacle, limiting investment, innovation, and productivity. This Discussion Paper looks at the unfulfilled potential of the EU’s Single Market and Better Regulation agenda and offers concrete policy recommendations to address the situation.
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24 April 2024Conference on Europe's Industrial Policy, Competitiveness, and Economic Security
Organised with the Permanent Representation of France to the EU, this conference discussed the main opportunities and challenges going forward in the EU industrial policy and the strategic balance between protecting and promoting domestic industries. This event included two key-note addresses by Jordi Hereu, Minister for Industry and Tourism of Spain, and Roland Lescure, Minister for Industry and Energy of France.
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25 April 2024Roundtable on the Future of EU's Semiconductor Policy
This roundtable discussed whether the EU Chips Act will prove sufficient to build semiconductor resilience as well as technological and industrial leadership in Europe. With the launch of the Chips Joint Undertaking end of last year, the roundtable revealed an opportune moment to engage Europe’s leading stakeholders in a forward-looking discussion on what more is required to make Europe’s chips turnaround a success.
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13 May 2024Roundtable on Investing for Economic Security
Organised with and hosted by the European Investment Bank, this roundtable explored the EIB's prerequisites of investing in strategic technologies and the clean tech sector, two of the most vital areas of global competition, where the EU needs to strengthen its leadership and avoid building new dependencies. As such, the roundtable was part of the EIB Institute’s emerging emphasis on foresight on investment needs.
WHO?
The Project involves analysts from across the organisation working transversally, including (but not limited to):
