Geoeconomics - Towards a new world order?

01/01/2026 to 31/10/2026

The conference “Geoeconomics – Towards a New World Order?” addresses the rapidly growing significance of geoeconomic strategies in international affairs. Its core interest lies in assessing whether and how economic instruments – ranging from trade and investment to financial and monetary power, as well as technology, resource, and infrastructure policies – are increasingly deployed to achieve political and security objectives, potentially generating a new world order. In contrast to classical geopolitics, which emphasizes territorial and military power, geoeconomics focuses on the strategic use of interdependencies and economic vulnerabilities as tools of economic statecraft. The conference will examine key geoeconomic mechanisms, including market access policies, sanctions regimes, industrial and technology strategies, energy and raw material security, and standard-setting in digital ecosystems. Particular attention is given to the tensions between efficiency and resilience in global value chains and to the regulatory and normative conflicts emerging from geoeconomic power projection. In addition to conceptual debates, the conference analyzes regional power shifts and the evolving strategic rivalry among the United States, China, the European Union, and actors in the Global South. The event aims to identify research deficits, advance interdisciplinary theory-building, and provide policy-relevant insights for decision-makers in politics, business, and society. Furthermore, it seeks to strengthen research networks, initiate collaborative publications, and lay the groundwork for future monitoring formats such as an annual report. The conference thus positions itself as both an academic and policy-oriented catalyst for understanding the transformation of global economic and geopolitical structures.