Why is Europe stagnating – and what should we build next?

​A salon evening on progress, stagnation, and Europe's future

​Every year the economic gap between the US and Europe gets wider. Progress studies — a field launched by Tyler Cowen and Patrick Collison in a 2019 Atlantic essay — examines why civilisations flourish and why they stall. It has gained real traction in the US. In Europe, where the question is arguably most urgent, the conversation has barely started.

​This salon is the first in a series that aims to change that — not just to diagnose what's going wrong, but to ask what Europe could build if it got serious about progress again. Starting from Stockholm.

​Program

​Johan Norberg – Why do golden ages end – and how do we keep Europe's alive? Johan is an author and commentator, and has written some twenty books on progress and globalization, most recently Peak Human.

​Stefan Schubert – Why do we underestimate progress? Stefan is a researcher affiliated with the Institute for Futures Studies and writes the newsletter The Update.

​Beatrice Erkers – What is "progress studies," and why does Europe need it? Beatrice runs the Existential Hope program at Foresight Institute, and runs the Existential Hope newsletter.

​Drinks and mingle before and after.