A Think Tank for the Digital Era
The digital economy, driven largely by data and other intangibles, demands a new approach to international governance across the areas of trade, law, security, economic policy and privacy, to name a few.
Policy making is shifting dramatically as governments strive to keep up with new technologies and manage the increasing volume of data flowing across borders. Institutions — national, regional and international — must evolve quickly to fill governance and regulatory gaps exactly at a time when support for international cooperation is lacking.
Our research tackles these issues head-on. Through peer-reviewed research and analysis, our experts and partners around the world are identifying innovative approaches to bridge policy-making silos and fill gaps while pushing for new institutional structures and solutions.
The Economy Is Driven by Data
The policy and legal architecture needed to effectively govern data, artificial intelligence and platforms is not keeping pace with privacy, competition and consumer protection concerns. Trade policy, financial systems and international standards must be addressed.
New Technologies Threaten Democracy and Security
The international security and geopolitical landscape has changed fundamentally, a shift driven in many ways by new technologies and the lack of internationally accepted rules around their use. Innovation, intellectual property, cybersecurity, internet and digital platform governance, and online violence issues are at the core of this work.
Global Institutions Must Adapt to the Digital Era
Multilateral institutions must be renewed — or, in some cases, created — to counter the isolationism, dysfunction and stalemate that have hampered responses to some of the world’s biggest challenges. The Group of Twenty and the Group of Seven, the World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund are among the key institutions under scrutiny.
Learn more about the focus of our research in CIGI’s 2020–2025 Strategic Plan.