“Open Strategic Autonomy” as an Industrial Policy Compassfor the EU Competitiveness and Growth:The Good, the Bad, or the Ugly?

This paper explores the potential of Open Strategic Autonomy to effectively foster industrial policies that boost EU competitivenessand growth. It investigates changes in the global economy and international order, with a focus on two keyconcepts: the “win-loseˮ reconfiguration of globalization and the resurgence of nations as “confrontational states,ˮ markedby interventionism, national sovereignty, technonationalism, and zero-sum thinking. Within this context, a “new industrialpolicyˮ is emerging, driven by a focus on economic autonomy and security. The paper analyzes the industrial strategies andlegislative measures adopted by major powers, which are largely designed to weaponize policymaking and internationaleconomic relations, including the use of tit-for-tat strategies. It situates the EU within this framework and questions thecompatibility and coherence between the emerging European measures inspired by new geo-dirigisme and the principlesof an open economy and multilateral cooperation. The conclusion provides criteria for assessing whether Open StrategicAutonomy can serve as a positive guide for industrial policies, rather than a detrimental one.