Competition should be the engine of public procurement: more suppliers bidding should mean better prices, better quality, more innovation and greater value for taxpayers. Yet across major procurement systems, the number of suppliers willing to compete appears to be shrinking. The European Union provides a striking illustration, but the problem is repeated elsewhere. Average participation fell from 5.4 bids per

A commercial perspective on mitigating opportunity cost and leveraging structured mediation In complex, long-term commercial agreements and mega-projects – such as Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), pipelines, or offshore construction – friction is not merely a risk; it is a certainty. When unexpected challenges arise, commercial negotiations are too often conducted as a power game where two opposing sides battle for dominance.

Development financing is entering a turbulent period. As the current U.S. administration advances its “America First” agenda and European countries confront the need to increase their defense spending, the availability of development financing is likely to continue to suffer the consequences. The numbers are already stark: official development assistance fell 23.1% in 2025, the largest single-year drop ever recorded, with

A Trade Milestone with an Uneven Foundation The EU–Mercosur Agreement is often presented as a geopolitical milestone: a long-awaited trade bridge between two major economic blocs, a signal of strategic diversification, and a new chapter in interregional cooperation. For companies operating across these markets, the more relevant question is not whether the agreement is historically important. It is whether the

Climate change is increasingly reshaping where and how people live. As storms, floods, heat waves, and other climate-related disasters become more frequent and severe, many communities are being forced to move from high-risk areas to new settlement locations. Relocation is often presented as a protective strategy, especially for vulnerable populations who have already experienced severe disaster impacts. However, relocation does

I was about to board my flight to Greece when I received a text message from GBPG’s geopolitical advisor, Jason Blazakis. He asked me a simple question: what was I planning to write about for my Midsummer blog? As I settled into my seat on the plane, I looked down at the book in my hand, FinTech Wars by James

Fresh, safe, and renewable water resources are in demand everywhere. Water scarcity is threatening peace in developed and undeveloped regions of the world, surpassing energy as the number one political issue in many regions. Economic growth is difficult to nearly impossible without a secure and sustainable water supply nearby. Agriculture is by far the largest user of freshwater worldwide, and

For many organizations, compliance is often treated as a proxy for preparedness. Policies are written, training is logged, exercises are documented, and audits are passed. On paper, the organization is “ready.” Yet researchers at the Center for International Development at Harvard University for example noted in 2023 that compliance focused evaluations often fail to capture if programs and processes are

Many countries find themselves in a tightening fiscal vise. Revenue streams are stagnating while expenditure pressures accelerate. Aging populations demand more healthcare and pension support. Climate-related disasters require costly adaptation, reconstruction, and insurance mechanisms. Public expectations for social protection, infrastructure, energy transition, and digital connectivity rise year after year. Budgets stretch, deficits widen, and borrowing space narrows. In this environment,