DELI & DCU Brexit Institute win EU funding to establish Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence COMPETE

The DCU Brexit Institute and Dublin European Law Institute at Dublin City University have been awarded €100,000 in funding from the European Union to establish a new Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence, to be called COMPETE (Competitiveness, Opportunity and Money: Promoting the Economic Transformation of the EU).

The goal of COMPETE, which will run for 3 years, is to explore pathways for increasing the EU economic competitiveness at a time of major geo-political re-ordering, in line with the high level reports authored by Enrico Letta and Mario Draghi. Led by Professor Federico Fabbrini as Principal Investigator and Dr. Ian Cooper as Research Coordinator, COMPETE will involve a core team of 10 interdisciplinary scholars based at DCU with expertise on EU integration, economic governance, internal market, regulation, financial services, public finances, trade and defence.

Through a wide range of activities – including international conferences, seminars, policy workshops, and collaborations with EU institutions – COMPETE will generate new knowledge and engage policymakers, academics, business leaders, SMEs, and the wider public. 

The Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence COMPETE builds on the success of DCU’s first Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence REBUILD (2022–2025), and interplays with the Jean Monnet Network PROSPER (2025-2027), which is coordinated by the Brexit Institute & DELI.

Speaking about the award, Professor Federico Fabbrini, Full Professor of European Law & Founding Director of the DCU Brexit Institute and Dublin European Law Institute, said:

“We are delighted to receive yet another prestigious EU grant to launch the new Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence COMPETE, less than a year before the start of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the EU. At a time when the EU faces global economic challenges, COMPETE will provide rigorous research, policy and informed debate on the crucial question of how Europe can strengthen its competitiveness and economic resilience."

This project is co-funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ Programme.