ETRA Keynote  Discusses Headwinds and Springboards for EU industry

ETRA is pleased to announce that Dr. Román Arjona (European Commission, DG GROW) will deliver the opening keynote at the 31st ETRA Conference, titled “Headwinds and springboards for EU industry” Against the backdrop of a very fast-moving geopolitical and geoeconomic landscape, global trade patterns are undergoing deep and quick shifts, industrial policies are becoming more assertive, and rivalry in tech is vividly intensifying. Headwinds are bringing cost pressures and downside risks in traditional EU industrial sectors, strategic dependencies and single points of failure, and investment needs that exceed current trajectories and risk to widen the EU’s competitiveness differential. Many economic security strategies have pivoted towards securing more robust and resilient supply chains, in an effort to bolster economic stability in the face of global uncertainties. While the EU remains a frontrunner in technologies such as renewables and advanced manufacturing, it faces a gap with the US and China in transversal digital technologies. On the springboards side, large opportunities rest ahead, including deeper Single Market integration, strengthened economic security, and a refocused European long-term budget. These should support capital flows towards productive industrial activities, strengthen Europe’s industrial competitiveness, and accelerate the development of clean and more resilient supply chains and production capabilities. Román Arjona is Chief Economist of the European Union at DG Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW). He also serves as Vice-Chair of the OECD Committee for Industry, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE) and is a member of CEPR’s European Economic Policy Network. Discover more at the 31st ETRA Conference on Tyre Recycling, 24-26 March 2026