Europe is seeking to enter the global technology competition as a fully-fledged player to reap the economic, social and security benefits of the ongoing transformations, and to respond to the challenges posed by digital authoritarianism and by unrestricted big tech companies.

This calls for a dual set of policies, some internally focused, and others underpinning Europe’s external action. 

The transatlantic relationship is key to Europe’s external tech policy. A challenge is to settle disagreements on data protection, big tech regulation and AI ethics, while at the same time trying to push a common agenda globally.

Europe must also find its place among many other more or less inclusive cooperation and governance frameworks – such as the "Summit of democracies" – that are being put forward to define international norms and standards for critical and emerging technologies.