Opinion: Europe can lead in tech — if regulation and culture align

As an American born and raised in New York City, I’ve seen the power of US entrepreneurialism to change the world. The ambition, ingenuity, and relentless drive that have powered the country’s economy for generations have also been a global force for prosperity, stability, and innovation. Yet now the US is retreating into an aggressive and unpredictable form of unilateral bullying. I am deeply concerned — not just for America, but for the world. 

For the past few years, I’ve watched these developments from Europe. I’ve settled with my family in the Netherlands, where I work as CEO of cultivated leather startup Qorium. I’ve been impressed by the world-class infrastructure and public services, but I’ve also encountered frustrations for which Europe is famous: slow decision-making, risk aversion, and onerous regulation. Yet over time, I’ve come to see these as features to be worked with rather than bugs to be squashed. They are evidence of a system that values durability, collaboration, predictability, logic, and long-term thinking over speed, spectacle, and zero-sum “I win, you lose” politics. They offer Europe a unique advantage in the global race for technological leadership — and the continent can seize it with regulatory change. But its success hinges on a difficult shift: adapting its culture.

On the regulatory side, the signs are positive. Europe is forging a new path that supports technological ambition with public trust, democratic legitimacy, and stability. 

Take the AI Act. Often dismissed by Americans as slow and bureaucratic overreach, it is in fact the first serious attempt anywhere in the world to create a harmonised framework for the development and deployment of AI. Rather than leaving developers in a regulatory grey zone or overwhelming them with patchwork national laws, the act establishes clear risk categories and compliance pathways. Yes, it demands responsibility — I’d argue too much right now — but it also offers certainty. In sectors like biotech, healthtech, and critical infrastructure – where uncertainty is often a greater deterrent than regulation – this is crucial, especially as America becomes increasingly erratic.

Consider also the Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act. These regulations don’t just attempt to rein in Big Tech excesses; they lay the groundwork for a more competitive, open digital ecosystem. Combined with GDPR, now a de facto global standard (albeit not without its flaws), these frameworks show that Europe is no longer content to be a rule-taker in the digital age. It is becoming a rule-maker, and increasingly, the place where responsible innovation can get done.

This regulatory clarity is already making a difference. European universities and research centres are seeing rising applications from non-EU nationals. International PhD and postdoctoral researchers, particularly in ethically sensitive or publicly impactful fields, are beginning to choose Europe not just as a stopover but as a base. Venture capital is responding too, with notable upticks in funding for deep tech startups across Germany, France, and the Netherlands. Europe’s approach may not generate the overnight paper unicorns of Silicon Valley, but it fosters sustainable, scalable innovation with real-world impact.

On the cultural side, however, there is work to do. Process, structure, and legislation, no matter how effective, cannot replace the passion, optimism, and relentless drive that underpins innovation in US entrepreneurship.

Europe needs to learn to believe in itself, and if not to “move fast and break things,” at least move faster than it does now. Frankly, it needs to learn to work harder and more — a mindset that’s not easy to acquire.

Yet overall, the progress is positive. Pan-European initiatives – from Horizon Europe to the European Innovation Council – are addressing these gaps, with billions in coordinated funding and support for high-impact research and tech transfer. Perhaps most encouragingly, there is a growing sense of urgency among European policymakers that innovation isn’t just about competitiveness – it’s about values, focus, and prioritisation.

This contrasts starkly with the mood in the US. Higher education is under siege, with books banned, entire departments defunded, and educators fired for teaching history factually. Federal rhetoric is openly hostile to basic scientific facts. Research funding has been weaponised. If the US ceases to be a safe haven for open inquiry and intellectual freedom, the best and brightest minds will go elsewhere.

And they already are. A growing number of international students are choosing Canada, Australia, and EU countries over the US, citing visa challenges, political instability, and cultural hostility. American researchers, too, are beginning to take up posts abroad, often for the same reasons. The long-term effects of this brain drain will be profound. Europe, meanwhile, is sending the opposite message: that science and innovation are public goods, that truth is not a partisan issue, and that education is a right, not a privilege. For international talent – whether you’re an AI ethicist, a quantum physicist, or a biotech founder – that message is magnetic.

Let’s be clear: Europe is not perfect, and I still believe in the power of American innovation. But the global competition for talent and innovation is accelerating. The rules are changing, and Europe is playing the long game – with a strategy rooted in values, clarity, and collaboration. As someone who grew up believing America was the place where the future got built, I now find myself looking across the Atlantic and thinking: the future can be built here too. Europe can thrive as a stable, open, truthful hub for innovation — a zone of free inquiry between America’s instability and China’s ideology. 

If Europe maintains its foundations while embracing a pro-business, pro-innovation culture that rewards risk, hard work, and dynamism, it has a once-in-a-generation opportunity — not just to compete, but to lead. The world desperately needs it.