In July, the Progressive Economy Forum hosted a policy roundtable on ‘Lessons from European National Investment Banks’, focussing on best practice for a prospective UK National Investment Bank.
The event consisted of a series of presentations on European National and Multilateral Development Banks and on the Welsh Development Bank. This was followed by a presentation on a potential UK National Investment Bank from Professor Stephany Griffith Jones and Peter Rice, Managing Director of Clearpoint. Then by a presentation from Dr Josh Ryan-Collins on ‘A New Public Banking Ecosystem’.
Matthias Kollatz, former Vice President of the European Investment Bank (EIB) spoke on the experience of Germany’s development bank KfW which has played a major role in funding the country’s infrastructure and onshore wind. Isabelle Bébéar, Head of International Affairs and Management Programs at Bpifrance, presented on the experience of Bpifrance which serves both as a National Investment Bank and a Sovereign Wealth Fund.
This was followed by a presentation from Laurent Zylberberg, Senior Executive Vice-President for International and Public Affairs at Caisse des Dépôts, a public sector bank which has been operating since 1816. Markus Berndt, Head of Industrial Strategy at the European Investment Bank, presented on the EIB – the largest multilateral financial institution in the world. Rhian Elston, Investment Director at the Development Bank of Wales, presented on the role of the Development Bank which has been operating since 2001.
With this roundtable, we hope to have developed thinking around best practice for National Investment Banks going forward, especially in light of the creation of the Scottish National Investment Bank and the interest in establishing one for the UK.
Photo credit: Flickr / Steintec.
