Speech by ERT Chair at the EuroFi conference in Dublin
Dublin, 16 September 2026: In his speech at the EuroFi conference in Dublin this morning, ERT Chair Sir Jonathan Symonds argued that Europe’s competitiveness challenge and the need for deeper capital markets are now inseparable. As Europe seeks to regain a lead in artificial intelligence, clean technologies, advanced manufacturing and defence, European companies require significantly greater access to long-term equity capital to start, scale and remain in Europe.
Drawing on ERT’s work on competitiveness, Sir Jon called for urgent progress on the Savings and Investments Union, stronger mobilisation of European savings into productive investment, and greater political accountability for delivering the reforms needed to finance Europe’s next generation of global champions.
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Read the full speech here.
This speech was further complemented by an Opinion Editorial published by the Irish Independent on 19 September, during the informal ECOFIN Council in Dublin. It can be downloaded here.
Background
Sir Jonathan Symonds is the Chair of the European Round Table for Industry (ERT) and Chair of GSK.
He was previously the Chairman of HSBC Bank and Partner & Managing Director of Goldman Sachs. A more detailed bio is available here.
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Europe does not need more diagnoses. It needs delivery. The real test is whether more European savings finance more European innovation, and whether more European companies choose to scale in Europe rather than elsewhere.