Worklab

The boundaries between economics and international politics are increasingly blurred. Economic diplomacy is no longer merely a tool to support businesses — it has become a geostrategic instrument used by major powers to reposition their global influence. China, the U.S., Europe, Russia, and even Gulf countries are using trade, investment, and infrastructure to reshape alliances and dependencies.
In this context, the role of medium-sized countries — like Portugal — takes on new significance: either they position themselves strategically through economic diplomacy, or they risk becoming irrelevant in an increasingly competitive and fragmented world.

• What are the most relevant pillars of economic diplomacy within the global geostrategic context? Are we witnessing a new kind of “silent war”?
• How can the European business sector — particularly business leaders — better align with European and global economic diplomacy? Are there underutilized channels, programs, or networks?
• What challenges and opportunities lie ahead for Portugal, as an open and peripheral economy within Europe, in this new geostrategic chessboard?
• In a world undergoing energy and technological transitions, how can Portugal use economic diplomacy to lead in strategic niches rather than simply follow the major global blocs?