EU Digital Decade: Can it still Empower European Startups and Citizens?

15 October 2025

Our Voices for Choices report highlights a need from EU citizens to feel more prepared to digital challenges while seeking upskilling opportunities in the tech & AI sector. While they recognise its potential to create new jobs and stimulate economic growth, they also express concerns about its impact on social cohesion.

We sat down with Victor Negrescu MEP and Vice-President of the European Parliament, Karen Massin, Head Government Affairs and Public Policy (EU Institutions), Google, Radu Puchiu, Technology & Society Program Director, Aspen Institute Roma nia and Catalina Dodu, Board member of ANIS Romania to discuss:

Globally Competitive and Trusted Innovation: What strategies can foster globally competitive, trusted, and sustainable innovation?

Europe’s strength lies in its ability to build consensus and foster open dialogue between the public and private sectors, said MEP Victor Negrescu, stressing that innovation must be driven by citizens rather than imposed on them from above.

Digital Decade and AI Integration: How can the Digital Decade scale startups while bridging digital divides and accelerating AI integration?

Europe must accelerate AI adoption to remain competitive, said Karen Massin, noting that only 11% of European companies currently use AI compared to over 80% in China. She emphasised that achieving the EU’s 75% target by 2030 will require greater speed, scale, and initiatives like the AI Apply strategy.

Digital Inclusion and Startup Growth: Can initiatives like Eurostack drive both startup growth and digital inclusion in an AI-enabled economy?

Building digital infrastructures requires both time and resources, noted Radu Puchiu. He cautioned that while major players will benefit first, smaller innovators may have to wait, highlighting the need to develop a “social layer” alongside the infrastructure to ensure inclusiveness from the start.

Startup Impact and Digital Skills: How can startup success reflect societal priorities – climate, education, fairness – and support digital skills adoption across generations?

Romania’s growing tech ecosystem shows strong innovation potential, said Catalina Dodu, highlighting the country’s startups that are already reaching high levels of success. She underlined the importance of connecting these innovators with institutions and ensuring their work contributes meaningfully to society.

Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.