Infrastructures
Infrastructure plays a key role in today's international relations: globalization would not have been possible without ports, railroads, roads and airports.
Challenge of Making Smart Cities in India
The Indian government has launched the Smart Cities Mission in June 2015 with the aim of providing a better quality of life to the citizens in 100 cities of the country. This paper describes the main features of the Mission and attempts to explain the challenges in the way forward.
Cyber Attacks: A New Threat to the Energy Industry
The Network and Information Security (NIS) Directive has been adopted on July 6th, 2016 by the European Parliament, three years after the initial proposal by the European Commission. It paves the way for a much needed common cyber security strategy within the EU. This Edito explains the reasons why the energy industry is particularly vulnerable to cyber attacks, and what tools this new directive brings about to protect European critical infrastructures.
German public investment policy: between debt cap and increasing investment backlog
The German debate about public investment policyfaces a dilemma. The deficits in public infrastructure have grown considerably due to comparatively low investments in recent years. In addition, substantial investments for promising mega-projects, such as the energy transition (“Energiewende”) and broadband expansion are indispensable in a foreseeable future.
China’s Role in Multilateral Economic Institutions, between Revisionism and Status Quo
China, now the world’s second largest economy, is going to play an increasingly substantial role in multilateral economic organizations and mechanisms.
Urbanization and Mobility in China: New Patterns and Intermodal Connections
Chinese cities are getting bigger and are also growing into each other. To ensure that the rapidly increasing number of urban residents have access to adequate transportation not only requires increased investment in transportation, but also careful deliberation to allow an optimal tradeoff between different modes of transport as well as a coordinated approach to land development and transport development.
Oil and Gas Delivery to Europe: An Overview of Existing and Planned Infrastructures. New Edition
The European Union’s hydrocarbon energy supply depends heavily on imports. While the European Commission has recommended diversifying and increasing domestic resources, notably with renewable resources which should grow to 20% by 2020, dependence on hydrocarbon imports will remain not only substantial, but will increase.
The Global Battle for Control of the Seas Continues to Rage in the 21st Century
Just as the Greek cities in the Mediterranean did over two thousand years ago, today the United States and China are seeking to control the sea lanes. Europe is watching the ships go by. On July 6, off the coast of Yemen, not far from Djibouti and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Greek and Liberian bulk carrier Magic Seas, loaded with fertilizer and steel, sank after being attacked by drone boats and rocket launchers. The next day, the Eternity C, hit by missile fire, sank, killing some of the crew.
France and China link up in global infrastructure projects
Paris and Beijing have agreed to build infrastructure projects in Africa, South East Asia and Eastern Europe. But will this help shine light on China’s opaque foreign investments? Or just give the appearance of doing so?
World’s Rich Nations Jostle to Lead Globalization Clubhouse
The race to fill a role at the heart of world economic policy making is turning into a new battleground for the future of globalization.
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Geoeconomics and Geofinance Initiative
To analyze the impact of power rivalries and tensions on globalization, this initiative combines economic and political expertise. In the face of growing geopolitical risk, the goal is to decipher the dynamics of reconfiguration: protectionist pressures, sanctions, restrictions, industrial policies, and economic security concerns are redefining the rules of international trade. These tensions are also transforming international financial relations by undermining the foundations of trust and reshaping the global monetary system. They raise questions about the role of several key players: sovereign wealth funds, central banks, digital platforms, multilateral institutions, and financial infrastructure operators. In a context of profound disruption, simply refining existing approaches is no longer sufficient. The initiative is designed as a flexible model, drawing on diverse expertise to offer both broad overviews and targeted analyses. It also provides a platform for stakeholders and experts from various backgrounds to debate these issues freely.