In an ambitious attempt to confront the economic stagnation and competitive decline threatening the continent, former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi and Stripe co-founder Patrick Collison have partnered to launch a new think tank called the Rhine Group. The organization aims to gather top figures across European government, academia, and business to craft concrete strategies for the region’s future. Operations will focus on deep-dive discussions anchored by rigorous pre-read research papers, adhering strictly to the Chatham House Rule to encourage candid discourse. Economist Luis Garicano, a former European Member of Parliament and current professor at the London School of Economics, will lead the initiative as executive director.
The collaboration comes at a critical juncture for Europe. Draghi’s recent report on European competitiveness highlighted a stark reality: European representation among global tech giants is dwindling, with only four of the world’s top fifty technology companies originating from the region. The Rhine Group warns that continued inertia directly imperils the continent’s capacity to support foundational state obligations, including public healthcare, national defense, pensions, education, and climate adaptation. External economic pressures, driven by aggressive Chinese competition and shifting American tariff policies, further heighten the urgency of their mission.(Irish Examiner)
To tackle these systemic hurdles, the group has recruited a heavyweight cohort of business figures and policy experts. Notable members include Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach, Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski, and Zanny Minton Beddoes, editor-in-chief of The Economist. High-profile investor Leopold Aschenbrenner has also joined the ranks.
For Collison, this venture expands an active portfolio of public-interest initiatives and intellectual policy work. Alongside his role at Stripe, he previously co-founded the Arc Institute to advance biomedical research and has actively backed Progress Ireland, a think tank dedicated to economic growth. His involvement in the Rhine Group signals a growing desire among tech leaders to directly shape European governance and economic strategy. By uniting veteran policymakers with private-sector innovators, the Rhine Group aims to prove that Europe’s current downward trajectory is far from inevitable, provided actionable reforms are pursued without delay.
