Northbridge brings together researchers who move between universities, public institutions and the practical work of making policy. Our team is intentionally young, international and collegial: economists sit alongside political scientists, engineers and former practitioners.
People
The advisers listed below participate in a personal capacity. Their institutional affiliations are provided for biographical context.
External adviser
Co-founder and Director, European Council on Foreign Relations
European foreign policy · Geopolitics · Transatlantic relations
Mark Leonard co-founded the European Council on Foreign Relations and serves as its director. His work examines European power, China and the relationship between economic integration and political conflict. He previously led foreign-policy work at the Centre for European Reform and founded the Foreign Policy Centre.
Biography at ECFRExternal adviser
Senior Policy Fellow, European Council on Foreign Relations
Economic statecraft · International trade · Economic security
Agathe Demarais is a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, where she heads the geoeconomics and tech team. Her research covers economic statecraft, global trade and economic relations between the United States, Europe and China. Before joining ECFR, she was global forecasting director at the Economist Intelligence Unit.
Biography at ECFRExternal adviser
Senior Fellow, Bruegel
European energy policy · Decarbonisation · Green industrial policy
Simone Tagliapietra is a senior fellow at Bruegel. His research focuses on European climate and energy policy and the political economy of decarbonisation. His work connects energy markets, industrial competitiveness and climate diplomacy. He holds a doctorate in Institutions and Policies from the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan.
Curriculum vitae at Bruegel (PDF)
European foreign policy, coalition building and sanctions
PhD in International Relations, London School of Economics; MPhil in European Politics, University of Oxford.
Previously a research fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations and policy adviser to a parliamentary foreign affairs committee. At Northbridge she leads the International Politics programme and edits the institute’s long-form analysis.
Electricity markets, grids and infrastructure resilience
PhD in Energy Economics, University of Cambridge; MSc in Public Policy, Hertie School, Berlin.
Worked on European power-market design at Agora Energiewende and later advised transmission operators on cross-border interconnection. He joined Northbridge in 2021 and leads research on reliable decarbonisation.
Trade dependencies, technology policy and economic statecraft
PhD in Political Economy, Stockholm University; MA in International Political Economy, Sciences Po Paris.
A former visiting researcher at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, she has published on strategic supply chains and European trade defence. She directs Northbridge work on open but resilient markets.
Diplomacy, West Africa and transatlantic partnerships
MSc in Global Politics, London School of Economics; BA in Political Science, University of Ghana.
Served in Ghana’s foreign service and as a political counsellor in Brussels before moving into research. He teaches diplomatic practice at King’s College London and advises the institute on partnerships beyond Europe.
Black Sea security, eastern neighbourhoods and EU enlargement
PhD in Political Science, Central European University; MA in European Studies, College of Europe, Bruges.
Previously a fellow at the New Europe Center in Kyiv and a visiting lecturer at the University of Bucharest. Her current work follows the security and economic effects of the war on Europe’s eastern flank.
Defence planning, readiness and alliance politics
DPhil in International Relations, University of Oxford; BA in Political Science, Free University of Berlin.
He worked in the German Bundestag’s research service and later at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. At Northbridge he studies how defence commitments become usable capability.
Fiscal capacity, investment and the politics of adjustment
PhD in Economics, Trinity College Dublin; MSc in European Political Economy, London School of Economics.
An economist at the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council before joining Northbridge, she has advised ministries on investment appraisal and regional adjustment. She contributes to the Economic Security programme.
Industrial policy, energy-intensive manufacturing and competitiveness
PhD in Public Policy, Bocconi University; MSc in European Affairs, Sciences Po Paris.
Formerly a policy analyst at Bruegel and an adviser to Italy’s Ministry of Enterprises. His research examines how Europe can support industrial capacity without fragmenting the single market.
Trade policy, ports and maritime connectivity
PhD in International Relations, University of Lisbon; MA in European Economic Governance, University of Amsterdam.
She began her career at the Portuguese Institute of International Relations and later worked on port connectivity projects for the European Investment Bank. She researches Europe’s commercial links with the Atlantic.
Russia, Ukraine and European security institutions
PhD in Political Science, Jagiellonian University; MA in Security Studies, King’s College London.
A former analyst at the Polish Institute of International Affairs, he has advised parliamentary committees on eastern policy. At Northbridge he writes on deterrence, sanctions and the politics of endurance.
Banking resilience, capital markets and financial regulation
PhD in Political Economy, University of Zurich; MPhil in Economics, University of Cambridge.
She worked at the Swiss National Bank and later at the European Systemic Risk Board secretariat. Her research connects financial stability rules with the public choices made during crises.
Economic security, technology controls and supply chains
PhD in Political Economy, University of Warwick; MSc in International Political Economy, London School of Economics.
Previously a fellow at Chatham House and a consultant on export-control policy, he studies how governments can reduce strategic exposure while keeping research and trade open.
Digital regulation, AI governance and state capacity
PhD in Political Science, University of Amsterdam; MA in Public Policy, Sciences Po Paris.
She worked on digital-market legislation at the European Parliament and researched technology standards at KU Leuven. Her current projects examine whether new rules can be implemented by smaller firms.
Maritime security, critical infrastructure and the Mediterranean
PhD in International Security, University of St Andrews; MA in Strategic Studies, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.
A former researcher at the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy, he has advised shipping and infrastructure projects on resilience. He leads the institute’s Mediterranean security work.
European diplomacy, humanitarian policy and conflict mediation
Master of International Affairs, Sciences Po Paris; BA in Politics, University of Edinburgh.
She served in France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and later joined the International Crisis Group. At Northbridge she works on practical diplomacy and Europe’s external partnerships.
Power systems, regional interconnection and energy transition
PhD in Energy Systems, ETH Zurich; MSc in European Governance, University of Oxford.
He worked for the Croatian energy regulator and later researched regional electricity markets at the Florence School of Regulation. His projects focus on the delivery side of Europe’s energy transition.
Climate finance, development banks and adaptation
PhD in International Political Economy, University of Cambridge; MA in Global Affairs, Sciences Po Paris.
Previously at the Asian Development Bank and the OECD Centre for Green Finance, she studies how public finance can make adaptation projects investable without hiding risk.
Migration, neighbourhood policy and European diplomacy
PhD in Political Science, Université libre de Bruxelles; MA in International Relations, University of Geneva.
A former researcher at the European Policy Centre, she has worked with municipal integration programmes in Belgium and Morocco. She advises on the domestic politics of Europe’s external action.
Defence economics, procurement and public value
PhD in Economics, University of Cambridge; MPhil in International Relations, University of Oxford.
He worked at the UK National Audit Office and later at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. His research asks what defence spending delivers over the full life of a capability.
Infrastructure policy, logistics and regional development
PhD in Political Economy, University of Warsaw; MSc in Transport and Urban Policy, Delft University of Technology.
She advised Poland’s Ministry of Infrastructure before joining a regional development institute. At Northbridge she studies how ports, grids and public procurement shape Europe’s resilience.
We welcome research partnerships, visiting fellows and conversations with public institutions working on Europe’s strategic choices.