2019 European Think Tank Summit

Abstract

The summit was held April 10-12 at Fundación Telefónica in Madrid, Spain. Some of the top European think tanks gathered to discuss major policy issues and institutional think tank challenges. This year’s program included topics such as: trade conflicts, the accelerating pace of climate change, migration flows, continuous support for populist movements, contemporary security threats, and a discussion of a new European narrative in post-Brexit Europe. In an age of fighting for transparency and combatting info-wars, this year’s Europe Think Tanks summit highlighted the need for conservation, adaptation, and innovation in order for think tanks to remain relevant. The discussions not only emphasized current strategies for dealing with policy issues, but also best practices for engaging with new audiences, funding security, increasing think tank diversity, and the utilization of new technologies and communication methods. In addition to discussing both policy issues and structural challenges, the 2019 Europe Think Tanks Summit featured the largest number of European executives to date and could not have come at a more pertinent time.