Tech adoption in the EU
This introductory policy brief introduces the GLOBSEC GeoTech Tech Adoption Tracker. The Tracker is a data-driven project that provides action-oriented analysis and offers policy recommendations to accelerate tech adoption in Europe. The brief analyses the EU’s strategies in semiconductor manufacturing, AI adoption, and defence tech. These include, but are not limited to, the European Chips Act, Horizon Europe, Digital Europe, and ReArm Europe/European Readiness 2030. This introductory brief focuses on strategies at the level of the EU and its institutions. In the future, the Tracker will add coverage and analysis of national dimensions and policy frameworks.
This brief serves as an initial contribution to the discussion and may not capture all aspects of this complex issue. It will be revised and expanded in the coming months to incorporate ongoing reflections and input from a broad range of stakeholders.
Semiconductors
The European Chips Act, coming into effect in September 2023, allocated €43 billion to public-private coordination, funding and support for private sector investment and startups, skilling, and knowledge generation for the Commission. The stated purpose of the Act is to grow the European market share to 20% by 2030. However, the actual result is mixed: the Act is likely to only maintain the EU’s global market share at 8% by 2030, the same as before the Act. This is due to massive investments in the U.S. and Asia in semiconductors, with China as a leader in winning market share. While projected European investment in semiconductor manufacturing – fabs and skilling – between 2023 and 2025 reached €100 billion, comparable investment in the U.S. is up to $540 billion, and up to $884 billion by the major Asian players.
AI adoption
Horizon Europe and Digital Europe are the EU’s flagship programs for AI research and adoption. Currently, the EU invests more than €1 billion annually into AI. This includes Horizon Europe, the EU’s primary research program providing R&D funding to universities and research institutions. It also includes Digital Europe, which supports industry, small and medium enterprises, and public administration in digital transformation, and additionally funds skilling and advanced technologies like supercomputing and AI. One example is the EU’s AI Factories for the generation of AI models and applications. In particular, Horizon Europe has played a direct role in funding research that has allowed Europe to keep up with American output. Additionally, European firms have kept with their American counterparts in AI adoption. However, very significant disparities persist between member states and regions, highlighting the need for further cohesion-minded policies.
Defence tech
In March 2025, the EU announced ReArm Europe/European Readiness 2030, an ambitious plan enabling over €800 billion in defence spending, and freeing member states to spend on defence without breaching EU fiscal rules. The plan flags critical capability areas where gaps persist, such as air and missile defence and advanced technologies. These are areas where tech development and adoption are critical to success. It is too early to assess the outcomes of ReArm Europe/European Readiness 2030, but it is possible to look at the general direction of travel.
Recommendations for accelerating tech adoption in the EU We present policy recommendations for the EU and its institutions to accelerate tech adoption across Europe. These include identifying clear strategic directions for Europe’s tech adoption strategies, stable and long-term signalling on financing and support, increasing R&D expenditures, investments sensitive to European cohesion, public-private partnerships for education and skilling, understanding the demographics of tech, and stabilizing energy prices and access to raw materials.