Like it or loathe it, globalisation isn’t going anywhere in a hurry, and the latest findings by a group of European academics – The European Economic Advisory Group – suggest that the continent’s businesses should be thankful for that fact.

The report even goes so far as to claim that globalisation is a “blessing”, arguing that far from increasing unemployment as a growing number of positions go offshore, it could actually bring about a Europe-wide increase in jobs .

"If so, globalisation will not be a curse for employment in western Europe, it could instead turn out to be a blessing," the report trumpets.

However, despite the generally upbeat tone of the report, the EEAG – try saying that after a few too many Chablis – claims that there is a danger of increased inequality as a result of globalisation, with the rich and higher skilled benefiting at the expense of lower-skilled worked facing increased competition of a growing influx of migrant labour.

The key element identified by the report was the impact that globalisation has had, and is having, on flexibility in the European labour market - a flexibility that, they argue, allows for increased market competition and demand for output.

Whether they’re right of course, remains to be seen, but the findings are, at the very least, likely to open a very lively debate.