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At Think & Do 2025, CFG’s CEO @thomaslingard.bsky.social explained why Europe needs a new approach to technology and governance.
CFG's mission is to help European policymakers anticipate technological change rather than simply respond to it.
Think & Do 2025 brought Europe’s policymakers, technologists, and thinkers together for a full day of conversations on how to shape the future of emerging tech.
Link to our event recap post below:
Why isn’t Europe leading tech innovation?
At Think & Do 2025, Anu Bradford argued that “overregulation” is the wrong answer, and laid out four forces holding innovation back.
Link to the Think & Do wrap up article below:
That’s a wrap on #ThinkAndDo2025.
Strange times call for collective thinking. Today’s mix of debates, workshops, and reflection felt like the right way to face them.
Thank you to everyone who spoke, questioned, and listened.
We look forward to meeting you all again soon!
@leoquattrucci.bsky.social urged a focus on how Europe gets things done: hiring, funding, and institutions that can match the speed of change.
Gilberto Morishaw warned that values aren’t slogans; they show up in how we organise work and coordinate action.
#ThinkAndDo2025
Ann Sander Nielsen calls for economic realism:
Europe should invest in what it’s good at and scale it's companies through interoperability and open markets.
Sana Afouaiz reminded that inclusion drives innovation. Diverse teams design better products for everyone.
#ThinkAndDo2025
Final plenary:
Designing the Brussels Effect 2.0.
How can Europe lead in tech not just by regulation, but by example?
#ThinkAndDo2025
Need a break? Check out the quiet room with an art exhibition featuring work from Louis-Paul Caron. #ThinkAndDo2025
For CFG’s Climate Interventions team, the focus is on engaging and listening.
Today’s exchanges showed that trust, accountability, and access to knowledge will decide how the world handles these tools.
#ThinkAndDo2025
The discussions surfaced familiar tensions:
* open research vs. control,
* precaution vs. preparedness,
* trust vs. verification.
Ideas drew from non-proliferation models, intl. law, and the challenge of governing tech moving faster than our institutions.
#ThinkAndDo2025
In the workshop “Who gets to dim the sun?” by our Climate interventions team, participants explored different scenarios about how future decisions on solar radiation modification could unfold, and what preparedness really means for Europe.
#ThinkAndDo2025
From a European perspective, readiness means more than access to models.
It's about building fallback options, scientific niches, and agile governance that can move at the speed of the tech.
Or as one participant put it: "get agile, or get left behind."
#ThinkAndDo2025
From a transatlantic view, AI is no longer narrow or niche.
Military alliances are planning for dual-use risks, adversarial applications, and the massive power demands of frontier systems, while trying to uphold democratic principles and interoperability.
#ThinkAndDo2025
Next up: breakout sessions, starting with AGI and geopolitics.
The sense is clear: AI is already reshaping defence and strategy.
One question is around how Europe prepares for the next leap without fuelling an arms race.
#ThinkAndDo2025
Thomas Auger (opposition): Europe doesn’t need to trade values for growth.
The energy transition shows sovereignty and competitiveness can reinforce each other.
“Our model works when we build on our assets — single market, public procurement, and our values.”
#ThinkAndDo2025
@mariafarrell.bsky.social pushes back: “We can be both.”
We need to foster competition, not just competitiveness.
More players across every tech layer means more resilience.
“Sovereignty isn’t isolationism. It’s how we stay European in a digital world.”
#ThinkAndDo2025
Robin Wauters (proposition) adds: “Sovereignty isn't top of mind for tech entrepreneurs.”
Sovereignty risks becoming isolationism in disguise. Europe should focus on collaboration and supporting founders instead of trying to do everything alone.
#ThinkAndDo2025
@chloeteevan.bsky.social (proposition): sovereignty and competitiveness can’t always coexist.
Europe will need to navigate trade-offs.
“Sovereignty shouldn’t mean Europe-first protectionism, but we’ll need realism about where we take hits.”
#ThinkAndDo2025
Now, on the the Oxford-style:
“This house believes that Europe cannot be both sovereign and competitive on technology.”
An Oxford-style clash moderated by Aaron Maniam — asking whether Europe must choose between its values and its edge.
#ThinkAndDo2025
Cynthia: tech readiness must keep social cohesion in mind. “If we don’t bring the public along, we’ve already lost.”
Solving the tech challenges of our time takes courage to face facts, collaboration across borders, and compassion for those hit hardest by change.
#ThinkAndDo2025
Jérôme Van Biervliet brings the biotech angle: Europe’s science is excellent, but it often stops there.
To turn research into impact, we need deeper capital markets, targeted EU-level regulation, and more focus on building great companies.
#ThinkAndDo2025
SerpilTascioglu argues to see supply chains through a strategic lens.
Europe needs smart partnerships and cross-border collaboration that creates demand.
ASML shows what happens when vision, public backing, and university ecosystems align.
#ThinkAndDo2025
First panel of the day:
CONTROL: Is geopolitical readiness possible without technological readiness?
With Serpil Tascioglu, Cynthia Scharf and Jerome Van Biervliet.
How can Europe turn its tech strengths into genuine geopolitical leverage? 🧵#ThinkAndDo2025
"This can be Europe’s Sputnik moment", Anu closes. "Europe should raise the bar. Think more creatively, act more boldly. Because our peace, democracy, and prosperity depend on it." #ThinkAndDo2025
"US and Chinese firms dominate; European scale-ups still fly to Silicon Valley for capital. The fix: unify the market, unlock late-stage funding in Europe, reform bankruptcy to reward risk, and compete hard for world-class founders." #ThinkAndDo2025
"It’s not digital rights which hold Europe back. The drag comes from:
• A fragmented digital market
• No true capital markets union
• Punitive bankruptcy norms that kill second chances
• Weak pull for global talent"
#ThinkAndDo2025
Kicking off the day, Anu Bradford reminds us that waiting isn’t an option for Europe.
"The EU has to be a tech actor in its own right, not just just a regulator. Build as well as govern. Aim for technological independence and real autonomy." 🧵 #ThinkAndDo2025
