The Roma Factor: Catalyzing Innovation and Growth in Europe

Europe faces a defining choice. With nearly 10 million workers missing from its future labor force and pressure mounting from global competitors, the EU must unlock new sources of talent and innovation. One of its greatest untapped strengths lies in over 10 million Roma—a young, skilled and ambitious population that could add more than €10 billion to Europe’s economy each year if given equal access to education, employment and entrepreneurship.

Yet Europe’s growth model remains built on caution instead of confidence. Risk-averse financial systems continue to reward predictability and penalize potential—especially when it comes to communities and entrepreneurs deemed “too risky". The result: promising Roma innovators, social entrepreneurs and SMEs remain locked out of opportunity—not for lack of talent, but for lack of access to capital.

Across Europe, projects that challenge this logic are showing a different way forward, proving that when finance reaches those long excluded, returns follow. Inclusive investment initiatives are already creating jobs, building local businesses and expanding opportunity where others saw only risk. They show that inclusion pays—and that Europe loses when it refuses to take smart risks.

By having the courage to back those long left out, Europe can unlock growth, strengthen competitiveness and ensure that Europe’s next chapter is built on all its talent. As the EU prepares its next €2 trillion budget, the question is not whether Europe can afford to invest in inclusion—it’s whether it can afford not to.

The Roma Factor will convene policy makers and business leaders to explore the imperative of investing in Roma talent and uncover concrete solutions for averting the EU’s impending workforce crisis.