On the Brink: a conversation. Rebeca Grynspan & Mariana Mazzucato

On the heels of COP30 in Belém and the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, join us for a critical conversation between two leading economists and practitioners as they examine the interconnected crises reshaping the global economy. Professor Mariana Mazzucato (Founding Director of the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose) and Rebeca Grynspan (Secretary-General of UNCTAD) will discuss the findings of the UN Trade and Development Report 2025, On the Brink: Trade, Finance and the Reshaping of the Global Economy.

Through UCL IIPP’s lens of market shaping, public value and a purpose-oriented economy — and reflecting insights from our recent work presented at COP30 and the G20 — the conversation will explore how trade, industrial policies and finance are increasingly interwoven; why state capacity to govern complex crises must be strengthened; and why the global South faces heightened risks of fragmentation and volatility.

The Trade and Development Report 2025 is under strict embargo until its official launch at UCL. A preview is available here.

Where
UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose (IIPP) and online
In-person capacity is limited. If you are unable to join in person, we warmly encourage you to participate online.

Why it matters

• Trade, industrial policy and finance now operate through tightly interlinked systems, with shocks in one area rapidly propagating through global production networks.
• The global South generates a growing share of global output and trade, yet remains exposed to financial volatility, debt risks and asymmetric governance structures.
• Strengthening state capacity and restoring multilateral cooperation are essential to addressing today’s complex economic, technological and geopolitical challenges.

Opening remarks

• Prof. Dame Hazel Genn, Pro-Provost (Bicentennial), UCL

Speakers

• Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General, UNCTAD
• Prof. Mariana Mazzucato, Professor in the Economics of Innovation and Public Value, UCL, and Founding Director, IIPP

If you have any queries around access, please get in touch with a member of the team (IIPPComms@ucl.ac.uk)

Learn more about the IIPP MPA programme