The MERGE event “Competitiveness reimagined: towards sustainable and inclusive wellbeing” discussed on how to measure, assess and track competitiveness in a way which better encompasses long-term thinking, sustainability and societal cohesion. The event was held on Wednesday 25th February 14:00-15:15 CET. See recording for the event below.
The MERGE science-policy dialogue brought together policymakers, researchers, and civil society to reflect on recent MERGE research on policy instruments, and insights from policy deep dives and related policy work in the project.
The dialogue featured contributions from:
- Welcome to the science–policy dialogue and introduction to the MERGE project – Magalí Brosio (ZOE Institute for Future-Fit Economies)
- Overview of MERGE policy work and key insights from the competitiveness deep dive – Laura Danilaviciute (ZOE Institute for Future-Fit Economies / MERGE)
- Commentary: Circularity and the future of competitiveness – Lars Fogh Mortensen (EEA)
- Is Europe a Laggard? Comparing the EU and the US using an Interdisciplinary Well-Being Framework – Annegeke Jansen (Leiden University)
- Beyond averages – Inequality-sensitive welfare comparisons across the Atlantic –Shaun Da Costa (Joint Research Centre, European Commission)
- Reflections on Europe’s current position and future directions – Sandrine Dixson-Declève (Club of Rome / Earth4All)
Key takeaways from the discussion
➜ Traditional metrics don’t tell the whole story: when wellbeing, equity, and environmental cost are factored in, Europe’s position looks very different from what traditional rankings suggest.
➜ Inequality matters: looking beyond averages reveals that wellbeing in Europe is more equitably distributed than conventional competitiveness rankings imply.
➜ Circularity is part of the answer: a truly future-fit economy requires rethinking competitiveness through the lens of sustainability and long-term resilience, not just short-term performance.
