European digital sovereignty: Secure, competitive and free

This event is part of our European Sovereignty Days series of events at BIG. Discover the full programme here.

Artificial intelligence and other disruptive digital technologies are reshaping the fabric of our societies – and with them, global power dynamics. Yet while Europe has been a global leader in AI regulation, it has not managed to nurture a competitive homegrown tech sector capable of rivalling the US and China. Without a robust AI and tech ecosystem of its own, Europe will struggle to become a competitive player in the digital revolution already in progress.

Beyond the economic threat, there is a strategic challenge too: Europe risks ceding control over critical technologies, compromising its democratic resilience and digital autonomy. With the titans of US Big Tech and Trump’s authoritarian project increasingly in symbiosis, Europe faces a dystopian scenario in which the tools of prosperity – not to mention our information ecosystem – are outsourced to MAGA and its Silicon Valley acolytes.

To explore how to move beyond this dire situation and cultivate the European prowess which our digital sovereignty demands, the Brussels Institute for Geopolitics is proud to convene a conversation between two expert thinkers on the cutting edge of digital policy, tech regulation and emergent cyber technologies:

• Marietje Schaake, International Policy Director at the Stanford University Cyber Policy Center as well as a former MEP (2009-19) and one of the most clear-sighted advocates of European tech autonomy active today.
• Paul Timmers, professor at KU Leuven and European University Cyprus, geopolitics and technology, former Director at the European Commission’s DG CONNECT, where he led key legislation and funding programmes for cybersecurity, e-ID, and societal applications of ICT.

The discussion will be followed by a Q&A and refreshments.