Opening of #LINOecon: Top Economic Minds Unite in Lindau to Tackle Major Global Issues

Today at 14:00 CEST, Countess Bettina Bernadotte af Wisborg, President of the Council, will formally inaugurate the 8^th Lindau Nobel Meeting in Economic Sciences – welcoming more than 20 Nobel Laureates, hundreds of Young Scientists, and distinguished guests to the Inselhalle in Lindau.

“Scientific dialogue is key to Lindau. We believe – nowadays as much as 74 years ago – in the power of science to unite peoples across the globe. Not in a naive manner – the challenges are complex and so must be the choices we have to make –, but in a benevolent, cooperative way that sees the human being in each of us.”

Magnus Brunner, European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration and former Austrian finance minister, will also seize the opportunity to comment on major trends and challenges for international politics and the global economy:

“The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings are a remarkable forum where some of the brightest economic minds of our time come together with the next generation of leaders. This exchange of ideas across borders and generations is exactly what we need to tackle the great challenges of our era – from competitiveness to the global competition for talent and the future of multilateralism. By fostering dialogue and evidence-based solutions, Lindau helps shape the future of the free world.”

Top Economic Thinkers to Address the Big Questions of Our Time

The high profile of the Meeting is underscored by Mario Draghi’s participation in the Opening Day programme. At a Panel Discussion, he will share his views on European competitiveness in the current economic policy landscape based on the recent Draghi report. The Opening Ceremony also includes the induction of the former Prime Minister of Italy and former President of the European Central Bank into Lindau’s Honorary Senate.

The Scientific Programme for the week has been designed by Lindau’s Scientific Chairs for economics, Council Members Torsten Persson, Stockholm University, Klaus M. Schmidt, University of Munich, as well as Antoinette Schoar, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. They put these key themes on the agenda:

• Institutions and Development
• Fragility of Financial Systems
• Climate Policies and International Cooperation

Following a tradition at the Lindau Meetings, Yael Tauman Kalai (2022 ACM Prize in Computing) will hold the Heidelberg Lecture at the Economics Meeting. Every year, the programmes of both the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings and the Heidelberg Laureate Forum (HLF) reflect the close partnership of these two gatherings. At the HLF there is traditionally a Lindau Lecture, while the Heidelberg Lecture is a fixed part of every Lindau Meeting (also available via livestream).

From All Continents to One Stage:
Economics’ Rising Voices Share What’s Next

The Economics Meeting 2025 strongly emphasizes the opportunity for Young Scientists to present their work: More than 70 early career researchers will be featured at one of several Next Gen Science sessions.

Furthermore, the participating Laureates and Young Scientists will engage in informal programme formats such as Open Exchanges (for the first time during an Economics Meeting), Laureate Lunches, and Science Walks.

Closing Highlights on Mainau Island:
Findings From the Most Recent Economics Prize

The Meeting traditionally ends with another highlight, the boat trip from Lindau to Mainau Island on its final Saturday. The closing panel Institutions and Development: Good for a Few or Empowering the Many? builds on the most recent Economics Prize awarded to Simon H. Johnson and Co-Laureates. Together with Guido W. Imbens, Paul M. Romer and Young Scientist Hugo Reichardt, they will elaborate on how (political) institutions shape economic growth and long-run living standards. After the Closing Ceremony and the Science Picnic, the Young Scientists will leave Lake Constance as Lindau Alumni, becoming part of a global network of excellence.