In the past 7 years, the European Capital Markets Institute (ECMI) has brought together an excellent line-up of leading academics, policy-makers and industry representatives to share their expertise at its annual flaghship event, attracting participants from across Europe and beyond.
Well-functioning, deeper and highly integrated European capital markets are expected to play a greater role in providing alternative corporate funding and better investment opportunities. To this end, the Capital Markets Union (CMU) project should aim beyond the actions set for end-2019, towards a revamped strategy for EU-27. This year’s annual conference will contribute to the public debate about the capacity of capital markets to enable long-term value creation in the real economy, namely supporting innovative companies and sustainable economic growth.
The detailed programme is available here.
Session 1: Financing innovation through capital markets
Europe’s innovative firms are still facing tremendous bottlenecks in financing their growth. Traditional bank channels are not sufficiently accessible or simply not suitable for this type of companies. Alternative funding sources (IPOs, direct listings, private equity, venture capital and crowdfunding) are unevenly available across Europe. Companies have very different experiences in raising capital on public or private markets, sometimes taking advantage of better opportunities on other continents. How to make these markets more efficient?
Session 2: Building the framework for sustainable investments
Sustainable finance has a great potential to bring investors into sync with the long-term needs of the real economy. It can also provide powerful incentives for corporates to transform their operations and processes more swiftly and effectively. The incorporation of material Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors across their supply and investment chains would in turn enable compelling value propositions. Financial regulation should work alongside sectoral policies. How can sustainable finance be mainstreamed?
Session 3: Developing capital markets across Europe
In Europe, capital markets reached varying stages of development. In the CEE region, these are relatively small and lack sufficient liquidity and depth. Companies and households continue to rely heavily on the banking sector. Recent reports find that around €250bn in private capital could be unlocked if necessary reforms were pursued. Most governments and market participants have already issued national strategies, and also intensified regional cooperation efforts. Moreover, the CMU project has received strong political support. But is it delivering on its promises?
2018 ECMI Best Paper: Presentation & Award Ceremony
