The EIB is partnering with the London School of Economics (LSE) in many areas including research (EIBURS research grant on Economic analysis of energy efficiency investments) and consultancy projects (capstone projects) on selected topics relevant to the EIB. LSE students also regularly attend the EIB Summer School.

Capstone projects are part of the curriculum of the LSE’s Master in Public Administration (MPA) Programme. Fifteen capstone projects have already taken place, the most recent one presented in 2024 on How did the COVID-19 pandemic impact EU SMEs?.

Estimating the needs of European SMEs, in 2021, What drives fintech development, in 2020 Mapping the Fintech ecosystem in the EU in 2019 and in 2018 How to estimate SME credit rationing and financing gap in Europe using firm-level micro data, all with the European Investment Fund (EIF).

In 2017 two capstone projects were conducted, one with the EIF on how to make the SAFE European survey a more useful tool for the EIF? and one with the EIB on the rate of return to capital in the EU.

In 2016, the first time two capstone projects were conducted, one was about evaluating the EIB Institute’s Knowledge Programme and one with the EIF on new indicators for SME financing in Europe.

The first capstone, in 2013, was about analysing the process of interest rate re-setting employed by the EIB in the financial restructuring of existing loans. In 2014, the capstone was a study of bad banks and a comparative analysis of bad banks vs restructuring teams. In 2015, the focus of the capstone was the impact of the new UK regulatory framework on the credit profile of energy and water utilities. Other organisations regularly hosting capstone projects include the World Bank, EBRD and OECD and the UK Government.