Prof. Dr Klaus Gretschmann is a former Director-General at the EU Council of Ministers responsible for Competitiveness, Research, Industrial Policy, Transport and Energy. After an international career as a tenured professor of public economics, he served as Director-General for Economics and Finance and the G7/G8 sherpa in the German Prime Minister’s Office. He has authored numerous publications on subject such as EU integration, economic and monetary policy, and innovation. Today he is an independent adviser to EU governments and business leaders, and holds the Commander’s Cross of the French Legion of Honour and the Federal Cross of Merit of Germany.