Technology, talent, leading research and capital already exist in Europe. But without a unified market and greater willingness to scale, Europe risks losing the companies that will shape the future and secure technological sovereignty. Europe has everything to gain—and everything to lose.
This was the overarching message from participants at the European innovation conference, Ascend, hosted by The Technical University of Denmark, DTU, on 25–26 November in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education and Science under the Danish EU Presidency.
"We must act. And act now. To safeguard our competitiveness. Our resilience. Our technological autonomy. And for this, innovation is the key. So that we are not only the birthplace of deep-tech ideas, but also the place where they grow, mature, stay and thrive," said DTU President Anders O. Bjarklev as he opened the conference.
More than 700 decision-makers, investors, start-ups, politicians, researchers, and industry leaders from across Europe gathered in Copenhagen. The goal was to discuss what it takes for more deep tech companies to take root in the European market. And there was no doubt: Europe must roll up its sleeves and break down the barriers that naturally arise when EU member states work together yet maintain their own systems and ways of doing things.
Europe must build better
Europe's greatest challenge is allowing others to set the rules for the next technological era. Margrethe Vestager, Chair of the Board at DTU and a former European Commissioner for Competition, was the first to point this out.
In a world where the US and especially China are investing heavily in research and development of critical technologies, Europe risks being left without the ability to shape the world and the societies of the future:
"Europe must move deliberately, reflect on what we want and what we are building. We should not catch up. We should build differently and better," said Margrethe Vestager in her keynote.
Europe can create what others cannot—innovative, competitive and fair, said the Danish Minister for Higher Education and Science, Christina Egelund:"It's not just about technology, but also about ethics, morality and democratic values. That is Europe's competitive advantage," she said from the stage.
On our own
There is a need for "Europe to be able to stand on its own two feet," as former Danish Prime Minister and NATO Secretary General, and founder and chair of Rasmussen Global, Anders Fogh Rasmussen put it.
And to succeed, we must renew our institutions and invest in innovation—not attempt to recreate the past, advised Professor Peter Heather of King's College London, historian and author of Why Empires Fall, a book about the fall of the Roman Empire.
He drew parallels to today's Europe: "Empires do not collapse through sudden breakdowns, but through institutional rigidity, loss of innovation, and failure to adapt," he said.
European leadership in deep tech is within reach, but it requires targeted action and a clear, shared vision of where we want to go.
In the words of former Minister for Higher Education and Science, investor, and adjunct professor at DTU, Tommy Ahlers: "Europe must decide where it wants to be in 2050 – and work backwards from there."
The conference's recommendations will be compiled in a report for the European Commission, to be published in 2026.
Recordings of selected sessions from the conference are available on: ascend.dtu.dk
