IIEA Talks

In 2021, the European Commission and the EU High Representative launched the Global Gateway, a new European strategy to boost smart, clean, and secure links in digital, energy, and transport sectors, while also strengthening health, education, and research systems across the world. This panel discussion provides an accessible overview of the Global Gateway, outlining its objectives, priority secto...

This webinar examines how gender inequalities shape access to food, nutrition, and opportunities across global food systems, and how accountability initiatives are helping to close these gaps. Drawing on evidence from the Global Food 50/50 report and related research, this discussion explores how power, resources, and decision-making are distributed within food system organisations and institution...

Cybersecurity has become a defining challenge for Ireland and Europe, with digital ecosystems underpinning our economic prosperity, democratic resilience, and the functioning of critical infrastructure. As energy systems, healthcare, financial services, and other systems become more digitally interconnected, the potential societal impacts of cyberattacks grow exponentially. In this panel discussio...

This IIEA event features a keynote address by Cristina Gherasimov, Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration of the Republic of Moldova and Chief Negotiator with the EU, outlining Moldova’s progress towards EU membership, key reform priorities, and the challenges shaping the accession process. Deputy Prime Minister Gherasimov’s address be followed by a discussion with leading academic and pol...

In this event, Kent Walker, President of Global Affairs for Google, discusses the importance of Ireland as a digital economy hub in Europe and the role of the digital economy in ensuring Ireland’s future prosperity. Mr Walker also discusses how Ireland can harness its upcoming presidency of the Council of the EU, starting in July 2026, to push for the measures that are needed to unleash Europe’s d...

In her speech, Ms Bogdan-Martin addresses the role of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in securing universal connectivity for all, particularly how ICT can be used to assist developing countries to ensure that no one is left behind and that the ITU programmes reach the furthest behind first. She explores how AI can be used for inclusion, providing access to healthcare and education...

2026 marks the fourth year of Ukraine's defence against Russia's full-scale invasion. In his remarks to the IIEA, Oleksandr Kraiev discusses how Ukraine's defence continues to shape the future of Europe's security architecture. He discusses the ongoing negotiations regarding a peaceful settlement to the conflict. Moreover, he reflects upon the changing transatlantic relationship, its implications...

'New Year Economic Outlook' Uncertainty remains elevated with regards to the global economic outlook. The effects of geopolitical tensions, protectionism, an unpredictable US administration, and the pace of change in AI are among the issues challenging economic forecasters. In the first edition of IIEA Insights in the new year, Alan Barrett of the ESRI and Daniel Kral of Oxford Economics will disc...

This event has been organised in conjunction with the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Dublin. Speakers on this panel include: Minister Lubna Jaffrey, Minister of Culture and Equality of Norway Mari Velsand, Director General of the Norwegian Media Authority Martina Chapman, National Coordinator at Media Literacy Ireland Angelika Sharygina, AI & Information Integrity Advisor; Founder and Researcher

Full title "From Early Warnings to Lasting Resilience: Strengthening Global Preparedness Through Science and Innovation" WMO Secretary-General Dr Celeste Saulo explores how the global public infrastructure coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization underpins weather, water and climate intelligence worldwide, enabling early warnings that protect lives, livelihoods and economic stability....

The European Security Architecture finds itself at a crossroads. After decades of reduced military spending in Europe, Russia’s war against Ukraine has reminded the rest of Europe of the relevance of its own security and defence capabilities which have long been considered to be obsolete, or taken for granted by the United States. But what if Russia’s attack on Ukraine and the rules-based internat...

As 2025 draws to a close, the IIEA’s Research Team looks to 2026, and Ireland’s EU Presidency. Barry Colfer and Cian FitzGerald discuss Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union. They discuss EU competitiveness, and how Ireland can contribute to Europe’s economic prosperity. Moreover, against the backdrop of Russia’s war in Ukraine, they discuss how Europe is supporting Ukraine, as...

In his address to the IIEA, Derek Scally reflects on the German federal election of February 2025 and what it reveals about the shifting political landscape in Germany. Following the collapse of the Scholz government, the election delivered major gains for both the CDU/CSU and the far-right AfD, alongside historic losses for the former governing parties. With Friedrich Merz now installed as chance...

In this latest webinar in our series on Finland's Future’s Ecosystem, the panel takes an analytical approach to the ecosystem. They will give a critical assessment of the Finnish model and compare it with other international approaches, especially Ireland’s. This webinar is the final event in a series that began with an address from Finland’s Minister for European Affairs Joakim Strand on Finland’...

'Is Europe Ready for War?' The Russian President has recently said he is ready for war with Europe. Is Europe ready for war with Russia? In this edition of IIEA Insights, The Economist’s Defence Editor Shashank Joshi, will assess the progress democratic Europe has made in deterring attack since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which caused a sea-change in thinking about the thr...

The situation in the occupied Palestinian Territory is starker than ever with famine, genocide, and entrenchment of an illegal occupation. In their address to the IIEA, Dr Ammar Dwaik and Diana Buttu contend that the destruction of Gaza and the ongoing expansion of settlements is erasing prospects for a two-state solution and violating the most fundamental rights of the Palestinian people.  They o...

The annual UN climate summit, known as the COP, recently took place in Belém, Brazil, on the edge of the Amazon rainforest. The COP30 talks took place at a time of increasingly fraught geopolitical relations – with the US absent. This resulted in a set of negotiating dynamics and multi-layered COP outcomes that were even more complex than usual. In this webinar, Dr Simon Evans, senior policy edito...

In his role as Minister of Economy and Finance of Greece, Kyriakos Pierrakakis has regularly called for the implementation of recommendations from the Draghi report in order for Europe to become further integrated and unlock the continent’s next phase of growth. In this fireside chat at the IIEA, Minister Pierrakakis discusses what the EU needs to get right in order to unlock new pockets of growth...

The European Commission’s publication of their recommendation on “Increasing the Availability of Savings and Investment Accounts with Simplified and Advantageous Tax Treatment” on September 30th marks an important milestone on the EU Savings and Investment Union journey. As a leading European funds and asset management centre, Ireland has a key role to play in this significant development in the E...

'Ireland-US Relations in Crisis?' The return of Donald Trump to the US presidency in January 2025 marked a dramatic change in America’s posture towards allies and adversaries alike. For Ireland, this has manifested in the unilateral imposition of tariffs, criticism of the scale of U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturing taking place in Ireland, and the fining of US tech companies for breaches of EU rule...

As Ireland advances towards its 2030 and 2050 climate goals, transforming how people and goods move will be essential. The final event in the 2025 ESB REthink Energy series explores the future of transport and the growing role of electric mobility in achieving a cleaner, smarter, and more connected system. The discussion examines the evolution of battery technologies, the electrification of public...

Space assets are increasingly important for national prosperity and resilience. This panel discussion highlights the role of space in supporting communications, transport, financial transactions, and other critical services necessary for daily life. This panel, drawing on practitioners and policy experts, also discusses space and other policy frameworks to ensure that Ireland can continue to remai...

The fourth podcast in the 2025 F.E. podcast series was an interview with Thomas Byrne, Minister of State for European Affairs and Minister of State for Defence, by Barry Colfer, Director of Research at the IIEA in Dublin. The podcast is part of the Future-proofing Europe Project which is kindly funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs. The theme of the podcast was Ireland’s Presidency of the Co...

In her speech, Minister Raouna acknowledges that enlargement has long been one of the EU’s most powerful transformative tools, and a driving force for reforms, progress, security, and prosperity. She discusses how the EU is navigating an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine. She also argues that it is clear that enlargement is a geo...

The UK is confronting a series of interlinked challenges - domestic, international, political and economic. This lecture by UK in a Changing Europe Director Anand Menon will explain what these are and how they interact. Speaker bio: Anand Menon is Director of the UK in a Changing Europe and Professor of European Politics and Foreign Affairs at King’s College London. He has written widely on many a...