The Missing Middle: why business belongs in the Africa-Europe think tank landscape.
Most think tanks approach the Africa-Europe relationship through the lens of policy or development. Neither of these lenses puts business at the centre, yet business is where we see the impact of policy: it either works or does not. This paper maps six leading think tanks' output against the themes that matter to business, and finds the gap we call the 'Missing Middle'.
Meridian17's first paper sets out the case for a business-centred research agenda on Africa-Europe cooperation. It reviews what six leading think tanks publish on the relationship, scores their coverage against the topics that determine whether partnerships actually happen (capital, trade, regulation, culture), and shows where the gaps lie. The interactive Think Tank Coverage Map accompanies the paper.
