The Columbia Business School Alumni Club of London and the Harvard Kennedy School Alumni Network in the UK are pleased to host Oliver Coste — tech entrepreneur, former adviser at the European Commission and the French Prime Minister’s office, and author of the Strasser Prize–winning book L'Europe, la Tech et la Guerre.
Oliver Coste's research advances a provocative thesis: Europe's tech lag behind the US and China stems less from a shortage of talent or capital than from its "cost of failure" — restructuring and severance regimes that penalise risk-taking and deter investment in disruptive innovation. His framework has since informed the European Commission's own Competitiveness Compass.
Join us for a frank discussion of the diagnosis, the proposed reforms, and what they mean for founders, investors, and policymakers navigating Europe's competitiveness crisis.
The Programme
- Keynote Address: Oliver will set out the core thesis of his research — why Europe has fallen behind the US and China in tech, the "cost of failure" at the heart of the problem, and the reforms needed to close the gap.
- Audience Q&A: An open session for attendees to engage on European competitiveness, disruptive innovation, employment and restructuring reform, and the path forward for entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers.
Don't miss this opportunity to hear one of the sharpest voices on Europe's tech competitiveness.
Event hosted by William Germain – Co-President of the Columbia Business School Alumni Club of London, and Vice-President of the Harvard Kennedy School Alumni Network in the UK.
This session is open to all alumni of Harvard University and Columbia University, as well as select peer institutions.
You may register here.
For any further inquiries, please contact [email protected]