Europe’s defining challenge is no longer just vision. It’s speed.
For years, Europe has been recognised for its engineering excellence, quality, reliability, regulatory leadership, commitment to sustainability and ability to balance economic growth with social cohesion. Yet as the global competitive landscape shifts, a new challenge is coming into focus. In a complex world of fast-moving technology and competing regions, Europe does not suffer from a lack of ideas; it suffers from a lack of speed.
While topics such as defence, healthcare, energy, food systems, finance and artificial intelligence are often at the heart of business and political summits such as Almedalen, a recurring question defined the 2026 agenda: how can Europe innovate, invest and scale fast enough to remain competitive in a world increasingly shaped by the technological leadership of the United States and the industrial scale of China?
The real debate is not Europe versus the United States or China. It is how Europe can preserve the strengths of its economic and social model while increasing its ability to execute. Across sectors, one conclusion became increasingly clear: Europe’s future competitiveness will depend less on strategy and more on its ability to accelerate innovation through partnerships. This report explores how innovation, investment and cross-sector partnerships will determine Europe’s future competitiveness.