European leaders advanced a “Buy European” vision focused on achieving technological sovereignty during their summit addressing Europe’s competitive position. The gathering of all 27 member states emphasized protecting capabilities in emerging technologies that will determine future economic and military power.
The emphasis on quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and other emerging technologies reflects recognition that future power will depend on technological leadership in these areas. Quantum computers could break current encryption methods, revolutionizing cybersecurity with profound implications for national security, financial systems, and privacy. They could also accelerate drug discovery, optimize logistics, and solve complex problems currently beyond computational reach. If Europe lacks quantum computing capabilities, it will depend on American or Chinese quantum systems with potential vulnerabilities to surveillance or disruption.
Artificial intelligence will shape everything from military capabilities to economic productivity to social control. AI systems are already transforming industries from healthcare to finance to transportation. Future military systems will increasingly rely on AI for targeting, decision-making, and autonomous operations. Economic competitiveness will depend on AI capabilities for automating tasks, analyzing data, and optimizing operations. Even social cohesion could be affected as AI-powered platforms shape information flows and public discourse. If Europe lacks indigenous AI capabilities, it will depend on American tech giants or Chinese systems, with potential vulnerabilities to surveillance, manipulation, or cutoff.
Payment systems provide critical financial infrastructure that could be weaponized if controlled by foreign powers. Currently, Europe depends heavily on American credit card networks and increasingly on Chinese digital payment systems. American payment processors have demonstrated willingness to freeze accounts for political reasons, as when Visa and Mastercard suspended service to Russia after the invasion of Ukraine. While that particular action served European values, it demonstrated that payment infrastructure could potentially be weaponized against European interests if controlled by powers whose interests diverge from Europe’s. European payment systems would provide autonomy from such vulnerabilities.
Clean technology represents the intersection of climate imperatives and industrial policy. Europe has led global climate action through ambitious emissions reduction commitments and policies like the emissions trading system. However, European climate leadership could be undermined if Europe becomes dependent on Chinese manufacturers for the solar panels, batteries, wind turbines, and other technologies needed for energy transition. Chinese dominance would transfer wealth to China, create strategic dependencies, and potentially enable China to slow or accelerate Europe’s energy transition based on Chinese interests rather than European needs. European clean tech capabilities would enable Europe to pursue climate goals while maintaining industrial capacity and strategic autonomy.
The summit’s focus on these emerging technologies represents a shift from Europe’s traditional strengths in traditional manufacturing toward building capabilities in sectors that will define future power. This requires not just “Buy European” procurement preferences but also substantial investments in research, development, and commercialization. Europe has strong research capabilities but often struggles to translate scientific discoveries into commercial products that capture global market share. Addressing this requires not just funding but also regulatory frameworks that enable innovation, capital markets that fund scale-up, and procurement policies that provide early market opportunities for European technologies.
