Mission-Driven Economic Actors for a New European Era

Underpinning Europe’s strategic autonomy quest is the idea of mission-driven economic actors – entities expressly designed to achieve transformational objectives in the public interest.

European policymakers and thinkers are increasingly inspired by the concept of the “entrepreneurial state” and mission-oriented innovation (championed by economists like Mariana Mazzucato), which argues that bold public missions can drive growth and technological breakthroughs. In the context of strategic autonomy, this means creating or repurposing institutions that can marshal resources, talent, and innovation towards Europe’s most critical strategic needs.

This analysis answers: What is the central argument of “Mission-Driven Economic Actors for a New European Era”, and why does it matter for European defence and dual-use markets? What does this mean for European defence funding, procurement and investment decisions? How mature and defensible is the position described in “Mission-Driven Economic Actors for a New European Era”? Which European actors, programmes and funding instruments are most exposed?