Europe and the World
Europe’s role in the world is being reshaped by profound geopolitical, economic and technological shifts. Rising polarisation, growing economic insecurity, geopolitical fragmentation, and a global cost-of-living crisis have altered public attitudes toward international engagement. Investments beyond Europe’s borders are increasingly framed as optional expenditures rather than strategic tools for prosperity, resilience and influence.
At the same time, global challenges are becoming more interconnected. Health security, supply chains, technological competition, migration, climate resilience and international development can no longer be treated as separate policy areas. Europe’s ability to remain competitive, secure and globally influential will depend on how effectively it builds partnerships beyond its borders and positions itself within an evolving international order.
Re-Imagine Europa works at the intersection of global governance, international partnerships and Europe’s long-term strategic interests. Our work explores how Europe can strengthen its global role while ensuring that international engagement delivers tangible benefits for European citizens and partners alike.
Shaping International Partnerships
Europe’s development partnerships are entering a new era. Traditional narratives around Official Development Assistance (ODA) are increasingly under pressure, often portrayed as disconnected from Europe’s domestic priorities.
Re-Imagine Europa is working to reframe this conversation by exploring how development cooperation and external investment can contribute directly to Europe’s strategic priorities — including competitiveness, resilience, innovation and economic security.
In 2025, we launched Enhancing EU Competitiveness through Strategic ODA Investments, a project examining how development assistance can better align with European priorities such as strategic autonomy, sustainable growth and economic competitiveness.
In 2026, this work expanded to explore the links between development cooperation and sectors central to Europe’s future competitiveness, including SMEs, agriculture and innovation ecosystems.
What if development partnerships could become platforms for SME-led innovation, stronger value chains, greater cost-efficiency and shared prosperity?
Alongside this work, Re-Imagine Europa is collaborating with national European development agencies to reshape public narratives around international development and highlight the strategic opportunities these partnerships create.
Advancing Global Health Innovation
Global health research and development is becoming increasingly central to economic resilience, innovation leadership and international security.
Infectious diseases and emerging pathogens continue to pose major risks to both global populations and European health systems. At the same time, advances in biotechnology, digital health and artificial intelligence are creating new opportunities for prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
Yet major funding gaps remain — particularly in low- and middle-income countries — and critical areas such as women’s health innovation continue to be underfunded.
The European Union is uniquely positioned to lead in this space. By investing in global health innovation, Europe can strengthen pandemic preparedness, address urgent health inequalities and reinforce its leadership in science and technology.
Re-Imagine Europa is currently developing comprehensive report on Global Health R&D, emphasizing Europe’s strategic role in closing innovation gaps and examining how these investments align with broader EU priorities including technological innovation, economic competitiveness and health security — while contributing to global public goods.
Engaging with the T20 and Global Governance
The international system is undergoing profound structural change. Geopolitical competition is intensifying. Armed conflicts persist across regions. Supply chains are being reconfigured. Multilateral institutions are facing growing pressure to demonstrate relevance in an increasingly fragmented world.
At the same time, rapid advances in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, quantum systems and digital infrastructure are transforming the foundations of economic power, governance and security. These changes are not temporary disruptions — they reflect a deeper reorganisation of how influence is exercised globally.
The G20 remains the only political forum that brings together the world’s largest advanced and emerging economies, representing approximately 85% of global GDP, more than 75% of global trade and around two-thirds of the global population.
Within this ecosystem, the T20 serves as the ideas bank of the G20, providing policy recommendations directly to leaders, finance ministers and sherpas.
Re-Imagine Europa has been invited to coordinate Europe’s contribution to the T20 process across multiple policy domains and serves as one of three think tanks leading the digital workstream.
To support this work, we have convened a High-Level Group of senior European experts spanning EU institutions, international organisations, academia and global governance. Their expertise helps ensure that Europe’s contributions are ambitious, practical and grounded in institutional realities.