Globalization is the worldwide increase in interaction across national borders on social, economic and political dimensions. It brings a lot of prosperity and excitement about possible solutions to global challenges such as climate change, data security and tax evasion. However, we are also confronted with growing downsides. Outsourcing leads to financial insecurity and unequal distribution, while monetary power is proving to be political power – resulting in unknown geopolitical challenges. The perceived benefits appear to differ greatly across the population and a sizable group of people has lost faith in globalization.
While globalization continues on less visible axes, the leaders of today can’t afford to lose sight of the local nor the global. What is the position of Europe now that China seems to be increasingly in charge? What is the role of multinationals in this debate? How can we get the necessary support to tackle overarching issues in times in which citizens all over the world are questioning their support for globalization? We believe government and businesses should play a role in the debate and jointly design the next wave of globalization.
