2025年欧洲科技洞察

INTRODUCTION This year’s edition of European Tech Insightscaptures how Europeans are embracingtechnological progress while remaining trueto their social and human values. Findingsshowgrowing supp or t for Europ e’stechnologicaland defense sovereignty,stronger calls for a firm stance towardthe United States and Tech firms, and anotable rise in openness to China. Time andagain,Europeans express support fortechnological advancement if it reinforcessecurity, inclusion, and social welfare; andresistance when change feels imposed,unaccountable, or misaligned with the valuesthat define their societies. As 2025 draws to a close, the pace andcomplexity of global change continue toreshape how Europeans perceive technology,power, and the future of the continent.Technological shifts have unfolded amid aturbulent geopolitical backdrop. U.S.–Chinarivalry has intensified while diplomacy andtrade have grown increasingly transactional.In Europe, defense spending — once politicallysensitive — is now mainstream policy debate,with NATO members committing to higherbudgets and the European Union presentingits Defense Readiness Roadmap. At IE University, we remain committed tofostering a rigorous and inclusive dialogueabout the future of technology. Our missionis to educate leaders capable of understandingthe complexity of these transformations andguiding them responsibly. As Europe reflectson a year of profound technological andgeopolitical shifts, understanding publicattitudes remains essential to building theforesight and institutional capacity requiredfor the decades ahead. The insights in thisreport offer a grounded perspective on thepreferences and concerns that will continueto shape Europe’s path forward. At the same time, Europe has had to confrontanother challenge: how to regain its economicand technological edge. Building on theanalyses presented in the Draghi and Lettareports, the European Commission is nowprioritizing competitiveness to achieve thescale, productivity, and investment speedrequired to compete with global powers.Areas such as AI, energy, digital infrastructure,defense, biotech, or advanced manufacturingwill be central to this effort, shaping thecontinent’s capacity to innovate and assertleadership in the next decade. Artificial intelligence is no longer seen as anemerging tool but rather as an ever-presentcompanion — supporting our work, assistingin education, and increasingly stepping intodeeply human domains such as emotionalsupport and cognitive guidance. At the sametime, concerns among Europeans about itslong-termef fects on cognition,socialcohesion, and diversity have grown, withsome fearing cultural homogenization andhuman dependency. Diego del Alcazar Benjumea,CEO of IE University. Chair, IE CGC Manuel Muñiz,Provost of IE University. Chair, IE CGC KEY HIGHLIGHTS #3 #2ALLIED BUTNOT ALIGNED #4 #1 THE AGE OFEUROPEAN AUTONOMY EUROPEANS WANTTECHNOLOGICAL PROGRESS,BUT NOT AT ANY COST AI MEETS A WALLOF SKEPTICISM While competitiveness dominatesEurope’s political agenda, it ranks lowamong citizens’ priorities. Only22%see it as Europe’s top technologicalgoal, compared with42%who prioritizesafety and resilience and36%whofavor inclusion. The same logic appliesto AI investment to stay competitive:around71%of Europeans wouldrather see public funds allocated topriorities such as education andhealthcare. For citizens, technologicalprogress must serve social welfare— not compete with it. Across the areas that touch everydaylife, Europeans show reluctance to handover meaningful decisions to artificialsystems. A strong majority oppose theuse of AI in their children’s education(77%), would not trust AI to managetheir personal finances (81%), andoverwhelmingly prefer an imperfecthuman boss to a flawless AI (90%).Furthermore, almost half of Europeancitizens fear that AI could threaten theiremployment or income. Together, thesefindings constitute signs of growingdistrust of automation in contexts thatinvolve care, judgment, or responsibility. In a context of geopolitical rivalry, a clearmajority of Europeans continue to preferalignment with the United States overChina, yet the share favoring Beijing isrising sharply — up 15 points since 2023.At the same time, almost four in tenEuropeans favor standing firm andpushing back against U.S. and Big Techpressure. Together, these attitudessuggest a Europe that still seesWashington as a partner but morecautiously than in the past. Support for defense and technologicalsovereignty is no longer confined topolitical rhetoric; it has become partof public sentiment. A large share ofEuropeans (47%) would accept higherdefense spending even if it meantcuts to social programs. Most citizensalso prefer European-made securitytechnologies (63%), even at a higherprice, and almost three in four (72%)want sensitive data stored only onEuropean servers. Europeans appearincreasingly willing to prioritize self-reliance and security over economicconvenience or global openness. T