ITI: Smart Implementation and Openness Will Drive EU Competitiveness
BRUSSELS – Today, Guido Lobrano, global tech trade association ITI’s Director General for Europe, reacted to the European Commission’s new “Competitiveness Compass”:
“The EU Competitiveness Compass lays out a solid vision toward strengthening Europe’s innovation, simplifying and consolidating regulation, and reducing reporting burdens. Its success will largely depend on deeper cooperation with industry to improve implementation, solutions that reflect complex supply chains, and consistency across Member States.”
In an op-ed previewing the Competitiveness Compass last week, ITI noted that closing the innovation gap in AI, quantum computing, and cloud infrastructure is critical. Initiatives like the EU Cloud and AI Development Act aim to boost investment, but to be effective, they must truly be designed to facilitate development and uptake of these innovative technologies:
- Europe’s decarbonization goals must align with economic growth. ITI applauds this new focus in the Clean Industrial Deal and Electrification Action Plan.
- Public investments such as the AI Gigafactories Initiative must prioritize scalability, public-private collaboration, and openness to global players to succeed.
- Strengthening Europe’s supply chain resilience must not come at the expense of openness. Restrictive measures such as a European preference in public procurement could ultimately undermine competitiveness and the adoption of cutting-edge technology.
- Regulatory simplification will be key to success. ITI stands ready to work with policymakers to ensure that Europe remains a global leader in innovation, sustainability, and competitiveness.
ITI will explore the Compass’s recommendations and other related topics during the event, The Digital Imperative: Europe’s Path to Innovation, Security, and Growth in partnership with Euractiv on 12 March. Register here.