The Missing Middle: why business belongs in the Africa–Europe think tank landscape
Most think tanks approach the Africa–Europe relationship through policy or development. Neither puts business at the centre, yet business is where policy 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.
Download PDF ↓What the African Union and regional bodies publish about Europe, filtered daily.
Export flows between the top African economies and all 27 EU member states, by country and product, from UN Comtrade.
EU foreign direct investment positions in African countries, by investor and destination, from Eurostat.
What the European Parliament, Commission and EIB publish about Africa, filtered daily.
Which themes six leading Africa–Europe think tanks cover, and where the gaps for business are.