Beyond Free Trade: Economic Fragmentation and Tech Competition - A Geneva Security Debate

Beyond Free Trade: Economic Fragmentation and Tech Competition - A Geneva Security Debate
03 September 2025

A new era of protectionism and geopolitical deal-making is emerging, defined by rising trade barriers, fierce competition over advanced technologies, and the fracturing of economic alliances. Tariffs, export controls, and subsidies are increasingly central instruments in a contest reshaping global markets.

At the core of this shift is the tension between technology, which favors winner-takes-all dynamics, and geopolitics, which pushes towards economic self-reliance. Governments in the U.S., China, and Europe are racing for dominance in critical sectors like semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and electric vehicles, but are simultaneously erecting barriers to protect domestic industries and reduce dependencies.

This event explores how these intertwined trends shape the global economy, focusing on three critical dimensions:

Global Trade Flows: How do tariffs, export controls, and investment restrictions redirect trade routes, reshape supply chains, and alter economic relationships? Which regions and sectors stand to gain or lose in this environment?
Technology Leadership and Innovation: Do stringent export controls and strategic protectionism foster domestic innovation, or do they ultimately hinder technological progress? Is decoupling realistic or sustainable in sectors like chips and AI, where global scale traditionally mattered?
Economic Security and Regional Development: What does economic fragmentation mean for major players like the U.S., EU, and China, but also for emerging hubs in Southeast Asia and beyond? Can these regions leverage new opportunities, or will they face pressure to choose sides?

Speakers
Professor Simon J Evenett - Professor of Geopolitics and Strategy at IMD
Mr John Lee - Director of East West Futures, Senior Fellow at Asia Society Switzerland and a Fellow at Asia Society Policy Institute's Center for China Analysis
Introductory remarks
Ambassador Thomas Greminger, Executive Director, GCSP
Moderator
Dr Christina Schori Liang – Head of Counterterrorism and PVE, GCSP
Closing Remarks
Mr Nico Luchsinger – Executive Director, Asia Society Switzerland

Join us to unpack these critical questions, assess risks, and explore practical responses in an increasingly fragmented global economy.

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