In its role as a global, nonpartisan, nonprofit think tank, the Milken Institute has launched an initiative called Investing in Europe’s Competitiveness. Its aim is to develop actionable steps to catalyze the investment needed in the European Union and the United Kingdom to meet productivity challenges and generate growth. The initiative is centered on three pillars: attracting new investment into infrastructure and decarbonisation, closing the innovation technology gap, and investing in Europe’s defense and security priorities.

In summer 2025, the Milken Institute hosted a workshop at the Royal Society of Chemistry in London, bringing together leaders from infrastructure, technology, policy, finance, and academia. This workshop sought to identify opportunities and challenges—as well as how public and private finance can best be deployed to address them—in two of the initiative’s pillars: attracting new investment into infrastructure and decarbonisation, and closing the innovation technology gap. The third breakout session, focused on defense and security, will take place in autumn 2025.

This document summarizes the breakout session on infrastructure and decarbonisation.