Michael’s research considers the entrepreneurial history of Greece and Turkey. His focus is urban, and looks particularly at the trajectory of Levantine port cities across time. Here, he looks at how entrepreneurship rates survive the seeming dislocation of pre-existing institutions and economic conditions. His interest is in the interaction of entrepreneurship, culture, and historical memory in his two case studies, Thessaloniki (Greece) and Izmir (Turkey).

In parallel to his academic pursuits, Michael co-founded and continues to direct the pan-European think tank, 89 Initiative, which seeks to foster fresh political thinking about the generational challenges facing Europe. The group runs twenty separate research programmes across branches in seven European cities, and has a long-time association with the European Institute.

Academic Supervisors

Professor Kevin Featherstone and Professor Saul Estrin