Thursday, May 15, 2025

Key findings and recommendations from the Critical Infrastructure Lab’s new report on the EU’s digital innovation funding (like Horizon) and tech sovereignty. Lessons for Canada 🤔 #tech #techpolicy #digitalSovereignty

Key findings &10;1. There is an overreliance on the potential and promise of "disruptive" &10;technologies. The EU's funding strategies are heavily influenced by the idea &10;that breakthroughs in Al, quantum computing, and other emerging fields &10;will be a silver bullet that will turn things around for Europe's &10;competitiveness. &10;2. The approach to R&I funding is technology-centric rather than need-centric. &10;Funding for digital innovation remains overwhelmingly focused on &10;developing new technologies ("digitization for the sake of digitization") &10;rather than addressing well-defined, evidence-based needs and solving &10;problems ("digitization as a means to an end"). &10;3. Funding agencies fall for tech hype. EU funding programs often reflect &10;industry-driven narratives about new technologies and their potential. This &10;approach lacks critical rigor and analytical nuance in assessing the actual &10;potential of different technology areas. &10;Recommendations &10;1. Prioritize Public Digital Infrastructure (PDI) - EU funding should &10;strengthen public digital infrastructure rather than chase disruption. It &10;should ensure that publicly funded digital tools serve the public interest. &10;2. Align industry support with public interest - EU funding decisions in &10;support of industry should prioritize meeting public needs, with the goal of &10;enhancing both individual and collective autonomy. &10;3. Adopt a more critical approach to technology investments - Decision- &10;makers should move beyond techno-deterministic and techno-optimistic &10;narratives and take a more critical approach to assessing technologies.