Europe in the Geopolitics of Technology: Connecting the Internal and External Dimensions
To respond to growing global competition, the EU has made notable progress on the internal dimension of technology policy over the past 3 years. It is now also seeking to adapt its foreign policy – from the transatlantic relationship to global partnerships – to technological challenges.
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.
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Europe in the Geopolitics of Technology: Connecting the Internal and External Dimensions
Author(s)
Alice PANNIER
Former Associate Research Fellow, Former Head of Ifri's Center for Geopolitics of Technology, Ifri
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Center for Geopolitics of Technology
Artificial intelligence (AI), 5G, cybersecurity, robotics, semiconductors, space... Technology, especially in the digital domain, is now deeply affecting all human activities and, by extension, international relations. The resulting political, strategic, economic and social issues manifest themselves at multiple political scales involving states, international organizations and private companies. The dynamics of international competition and cooperation are transformed.
It is to respond to these challenges that Ifri is launching the Geopolitics of Technology program in the fall of 2020, which builds on the work it already carried out on these subjects for several years.
The program takes a resolutely European approach to international issues related to so-called critical technologies. Its work is organized around four cross-cutting themes:
- Power: redistributions of power caused by new technologies, in particular digital; military and dual innovations; transformations of international competition;
- Sovereignty: definition of critical infrastructures and technologies; industrial and innovation policies in strategic sectors; opportunities and risks associated with international value chains;
- Governance: ethical and legal issues; interactions between companies, states, international organizations and users; public-private partnerships and GovTech;
- Society: political and social impacts of technological innovations; risks and opportunities for the future of work, health, the fight against climate change; connectivity and economic development.
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