The Mediterranean Growth Initiative (MGI)
500 MILLION PEOPLE / 10% OF WORLD GDP
Cleopatra Kitti at The Economist Summit ‘Europe: Performing a balancing act.’
The Mediterranean Growth Initiative aims to refocus the lens on the Mediterranean through data and analysis by providing access to data, forecasts and analysis covering the markets of the Mediterranean. It is aimed at investors, policymakers, and analysts, as well anyone who wants to gain an in-depth understanding of the region and its potential.
In 2020, MGI joined forces with ELIAMEP, the pre-eminent European Greek think tank, to develop the Mediterranean program. The program, approaches the region on a positive agenda, through the lens of connectivity. It premises its analysis on the belief that intra-regional connectivity is key to tackling the region’s challenges, realising its potential and shaping its future. It employs a holistic approach combining socio-economic, geostrategic and trade analysis to provide incisive and informed recommendations.
The collaboration with ELIAMEP comes at a prescient time, when the EU pivots its economic model with its Green Deal. Equally, Climate Change action is reshaping the focus on financial institutions and investors. All will be transformative for the Mediterranean. Given its rich renewable resources, the region stands to become a major contributor to the EU’s Green Deal targets. For this to happen though intra-Mediterranean connectivity must be enhanced and intra-regional trade boosted. The national has to become regional in outlook, governance, and investment.
The MGI Economic Prospect Index (MEPI) combines information on opportunity and risk to capture the economic potential of each Med country in a single number.
Services:
Socio-economic impact analysis and reports
Special reports – sector or policy or investment specific
Speaking engagements and presentations
Networking and facilitation that MGI can broker with relevant stakeholders
“The Mediterranean Growth Initiative (MGI) reminds us the Mediterranean remains both opportunity and risk to its wider region. On the one hand, the opportunity to integrate markets and ensure efficiencies in commerce are huge. On the other, the frailty of some of its states make it an exporter of people and of insecurity. For both sets of reasons we should pay a lot more attention to the region – and [the MGI’s] rich array of statistical insights allows us to do that.”
— Rt Hon Lord Mark Malloch-Brown, former Minister of State at the FCO and Deputy UN Secretary General.
“MGI is the first expansive platform focusing on the countries of the Mediterranean. It hosts a large number of regional indicators, as well as a special interactive module on trade covering the full spectrum of industries and trading partners around the globe, to be explored literally at your finger tips.”
— Peixin Li Dallara, Founder and CEO of Polaris Investments LLC, an independent US consulting firm specialising in private equity fund investments. Former Senior Portfolio Manager, designing private equity investment products, including the Asian Infrastructure Fund, and Senior Manager, Global Pension Assets, Frank Russell Company.
“This is an important effort to compile data from a region which is suffering from a dearth of evidence-based policy-making. The data also illustrates the lack of integration in the region and the potential this represents in terms of increased trade, investment and economic growth, both within the region and with the European Union.”
— Professor Erik Berglof, Inaugural Chief Economist, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Former Chief Economist and Special Advisor to the President, EBRD. Professor and Director of the Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics.
“The Mediterranean Growth Initiative fills a major gap in our analytical and statistical information and data relating to economic & financial developments in the Mediterranean region. [It] will be an important, practical addition to the toolkit of private investors and businesses as well as to policy makers in the EU and the Mediterranean countries.”
— Dr Nasser Saidi, member of the IMF’s Regional Advisory Group for MENA. Co-Chair of the OECD MENA Corporate Governance Working Group. Former Minister of Economy and Trade and Minister of Industry of Lebanon.
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