CV and DOI
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Eurofound
Ivailo Kalfin
Ivailo Kalfin joined Eurofound as Executive Director on 1 June 2021. Mr Kalfin’s expertise covers a range of areas, from the dynamics of the labour market and social policy to global political trends, the EU and budget, as well as digital transformation. He has outlined five main priorities for his role at Eurofound: supporting the mainstreaming of Europe's green and digital transitions; complementing the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan with evidence-based research; increased cooperation with international organisations and external partners and greater outreach to European Neighbourhood Policy countries; support for enhancing and expanding the capacity of social partners within the remit of the Agency; raising Eurofound's profile among key stakeholders.
Research outputs
Ivailo is the author of the following publications.
Events, commentary and analysis
Ivailo has contributed the following events, blog posts and podcast episodes.
22 October 2025
Blog post
50 years of EU Agencies and Joint Undertakings: The founding vision of Cedefop and Eurofound is more contemporary than ever
Fifty years ago, in 1975, the EU's first specialised agencies were born: the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) and the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound). Today, these agencies, together with over 50 other Agencies and Joint Undertakings, provide specialised knowledge for the future of Europe.
4 July 2025
In-person event
Competitiveness and inclusion in a new geopolitical era: Prosperity for all?
To mark its 50th anniversary, Eurofound hosted a high-level event with EU institutions, social partners and stakeholders in Brussels to debate Europe’s future. Speakers discussed social dialogue, competitiveness and fairness amid profound uncertainty.
14 January 2025
Hybrid event
Foundation Forum 2025: Europe’s social model – the key to competitive growth
On 19–20 November 2025, Eurofound is organising its 8th Foundation Forum at IMMA Venues. It is the agency’s quadrennial high-level flagship event which has been running for the past 20 years and is organised in cooperation with the Irish Government.
8 January 2025
Blog post
50 years supporting better policies for a strong social Europe
Improving the lives of people in Europe, strengthening social dialogue, and embracing the principle that economic competitiveness and social progress are complementary objectives are the very essence of Eurofound.
14 May 2024
Podcast episode
Shaping the future of European democracy
In a special edition of Eurofound Talks, Mary McCaughey is joined by Eurofound Executive Director Ivailo Kalfin and Ivan Krastev, Chairman of the Centre for Liberal Strategies and permanent fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna, to look at the political, social and economic drivers in Europe and how they might influence voters at the ballot box in the European Parliament elections on 6-9 June 2024.
8 May 2023
Blog post
Europe’s year of resilience and resolve
Europe Day is a celebration of unity, solidarity and harmony. While we may not have had much to celebrate this past year, one thing we can be proud of is how Europe has come together in the face of large-scale challenges and threats, showing that solidarity is the key to resilience and resolve.
19 December 2022
Blog post
2022 in review
The dawn of 2022 brought muted optimism to a Europe beginning to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the progress of vaccination programmes worldwide brought hope. Government and EU support during the pandemic had kept unemployment at bay, averting the widescale collapse of businesses. In step with the EU’s plans for the year, Eurofound’s focus was firmly on a post-pandemic Europe: the recovery and the twin transition to a green and digital economy. All this changed with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the start of a war of aggression. The EU and its institutions were compelled to respond rapidly.
9 May 2022
Podcast episode
Living and working in Europe: Past, present and future
This podcast focuses on our annual update on the state of ‘Living and working in Europe’. It highlights trends and changes – both positive and negative – in the way citizens across the EU work today, and serves as a guide to policymakers at EU and Member State level. Our experts detail these with useful examples and insights which might also help face into the challenges raised by the most recent results from Eurofound’s unique pan-European Living, working and COVID-19 e-survey.
9 May 2022
Blog post
Europe Day: Europe’s future hangs in the balance
Today is Europe Day, and one hundred young people from Ireland and Ukraine will be marking the event at Eurofound, in peaceful south Dublin. Europe Day has traditionally been seen as a celebration of peace and unity in Europe, but, unfortunately, it must be marked differently this year. Europe Day 2022 must rather reaffirm the values of Europe: human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law and human rights. These values are now being tested daily and must be rigorously defended for the future of Europe and the future of our young people.
11 March 2022
Blog post
Recovery and resilience in the EU – Back to the future? Some reflections on Foundation Forum 2022
When it comes to Europe’s COVID-19 recovery and its aspiration to build back a more resilient society, the so-called green and digital transitions have dominated EU policy discussions. And as Eurofound made preparations for the 2022 Foundation Forum – a unique occasion for high-level debate on the state of living and working in Europe – these twin transitions were at the forefront of people’s minds. That is, until one week before the event, when Russia invaded Ukraine.
8 December 2021
Podcast episode
The future of living and working in Europe
If you ever wondered what it means to be European today, to live and work in Europe, across 27 countries, young and old, urban, rural, rich and poor, this is the podcast for you. Most recent results from Eurofound’s unique pan-European Living, working and COVID-19 e-survey reveal ongoing challenges for Europeans as they seek to move out of the shadow of the pandemic while facing into the impact of the war in Ukraine. This podcast looks at how these challenges will shape the future of Europe.
3 December 2021
Blog post
Recovering from this pandemic means rebuilding hope for the future
We need to study and understand the blow Europe’s youth have suffered from the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to adjust recovery and resilience measures to their needs: without prioritising young people in the present, we have little hope for the future.
Other members of the Eurofound unit
Find more staff members of the Eurofound unit below.
Maria Jepsen
Deputy DirectorEurofound
Maria Jepsen is Eurofound’s Deputy Director, appointed on 1 November 2019. She coordinates the Agency’s programme development. Prior to this, she was Director of the research department at the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI), and assistant professor and research fellow at the Free University of Brussels (ULB). She is currently also associate professor in labour economics at ULB and external lecturer at the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium. Her main research interests include gender studies, the impact of welfare states on labour supply, wages and working conditions, and the development of the European social dimension. Ms Jepsen has been a member of various committees, councils and advisory boards at national and international level on employment, social, gender and research issues. She has also served as a coordinator on the European Commission tripartite advisory committee on health and safety at work. She holds a PhD in Economics and a Master’s degree in Econometrics from the Free University of Brussels (ULB).
X: @MariaJepsenEF
Anna Ludwinek
Liaison Manager - Brussels Liaison OfficeEurofound
Anna Ludwinek is the Liaison Manager at Eurofound’s Brussels Liaison Office, which she joined in 2019. Her responsibilities focus primarily on coordinating the work of the Brussels office, including the relationship with the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council and thinks-tanks. Prior to this, Anna was a research manager in the Social Policies unit with responsibility for work on intergenerational social mobility and equal opportunities, youth inequalities and access to social benefits. Her earlier work at Eurofound involved managing a European network of cities for local integration policies (CLIP), working on issues around diversity, housing, intercultural policies and ethnic entrepreneurship. Other areas of research included reintegration of long-term excluded groups into the labour market and the impact of digitalisation on social services. Anna holds an MA in Political Science from Warsaw University and a BA in International Relations and MA in Social Applied Research from Trinity College Dublin.
Robbie Stakelum
Brussels Liaison OfficerEurofound
Robbie Stakelum is the Brussels Liaison Officer, responsible for the European Economic and Social Committee, Social Partners and the European Commission. He has been working in Brussels since 2014 with a focus on social and employment policies.
Documents
The following documents are available for download.
