Aura Salla, the Member of the European Parliament, participated this week in Euractiv’s panel discussion, Europe’s Competitiveness in Emerging Technologies, which explored Europe’s competitiveness in emerging technologies and the role of standards, markets and quantum innovation in shaping the future economy.
The discussion highlighted the growing strategic importance of quantum technologies for Europe’s competitiveness, security and economic resilience. According to Aura, quantum technologies will become one of Europe’s most important strategic assets in the coming decades, and those who lead in developing and commercializing these technologies will also shape future industries, value chains and global standards.
Aura stressed that Europe must play an active role in defining international standards. Strong intellectual property protection, interoperability, predictable licensing frameworks and well-functioning global standards create the certainty businesses need to innovate, strengthen trust in emerging technologies and accelerate their market adoption. International standards should be driven by technological excellence, innovation and industry-led cooperation.
According to Aura, Europe already has the foundations to become a global leader in quantum technologies. European universities, research institutions and innovative companies are producing world-class research and developing technologies that will play a central role in the future economy. The key challenge is translating this scientific excellence into commercial success and globally competitive companies.
Finally, Aura stated that to strengthen its competitiveness, Europe must improve the pathway from research to market, increase investment in scaling innovative companies and create a regulatory environment that supports growth and innovation. At the same time, Europe must reinforce its technological sovereignty and reduce critical dependencies to secure its position as a global technology leader.
