Overview
Europe is enhancing its efforts to boost European tech sovereignty. The EU is a vital player in this effort, fostering tech innovation, supporting infrastructure programmes and advancing tech regulation. Yet pursuing European tech sovereignty is not necessarily exclusive to the EU and its members states; clarifying the UK’s contribution to European tech sovereignty is therefore pivotal, as the UK is a leading driver in science, research and innovation and makes significant contributions to Europe’s tech ecosystem.
Achieving tech sovereignty requires more than EU or state-led initiatives: it depends on deep, structured cooperation between governments, industry and academia. Public–private partnerships can accelerate innovation, align standards and de-risk investment in strategic technologies, while ensuring that security considerations are embedded early. However, such partnerships also illustrate how much policy initiatives rely on the private sector, from infrastructure to capital. How can governments balance competing interests and find common ground when collaborating with the private sector to secure European tech sovereignty?
Join us for a debate on the UK’s contribution to European tech sovereignty and the role that public-private partnerships play in securing economic and security benefits from tech innovation.
Speakers:
- Vice Admiral Andrew Burns CB OBE, RUSI Distinguished Fellow and President of Defence & Security at Sovereign AI
- Bryan Rich, Senior Managing Director – Global AI Lead – Health, Public Services and Defence, Accenture
- Madelaine Tuininga – Head of Economic and Trade Affairs at the EU Delegation to the UK
- Campbell Davis - Head of Strategy and Geopolitics Unit, Global Tech Directorate, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
This event will be moderated by Joseph Jarnecki, Research Fellow, RUSI.
How to attend
This is an in-person only event and it is open to all, taking place at RUSI, 61 Whitehall, London, SW1A 2ET.
The panel discussion will be followed by a drinks reception 1900 – 2000 BST.
If you have any questions, please email [email protected]
