Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice President of the European Commission for Technological Sovereignty, argued this Thursday at the Forum Europa in Brussels for the need for the EU to develop its own technological and defence capabilities to reduce external dependencies.

During the event organised by New Economy Forum in the EU's capital, Virkkunen stated that Europe must "mobilise more capital, simplify regulations, and invest in our own technological future" to maintain its competitiveness and sovereignty.

The Commissioner emphasised that technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, semiconductors, and quantum computing "are not mere tools; they are strategic assets" shaping the global balance of power, both on the battlefield in Ukraine and in everyday life.

Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice President of the European Commission for Technological Sovereignty, unveiled an ambitious plan this Thursday at the Forum Europa in Brussels to position the EU at the forefront of artificial intelligence and critical technologies.

During the event organised by New Economy Forum in the EU's capital, Virkkunen highlighted that Europe already has 13 operational AI factories across 17 Member States, which will provide optimised computing services for businesses and researchers.

The European Commission has received over 70 proposals from 16 Member States to establish AI gigafactories at 60 different locations, far exceeding the initial expectations of 4-5 planned facilities.

H.E. Mr. António Costa, President of the European Council, was awarded the 2025 Forum Europa Prize by New Economy Forum in a ceremony presided over by the H.M. the King of Spain, the President of the Spanish Senate; the President of the Spanish Constitutional Court; the Second Vice-President of the Government of Spain and Minister for Work and Social Economy; and the Spanish Minister for Economy, Trade and Enterprise; at the Teatro Real in Madrid, Spain.

The full transcript of his acceptance speech is reproduced below:

It is a great honour for me to receive this award from such an important institution of a sibling country such as Spain, on such a symbolic date, with the Forum celebrating 25 years and Spain and Portugal celebrating 40 years of integration into the European Union.

New Economy Forum's Forum Europa started its activities in Brussels, the capital of the European Union, in February 2024, under the motto "Ideas to Strengthen the Union". Since then, New Economy Forum has continued to consolidate it as a meeting point for the political, economic and social spheres of the EU, its Member States, neighbours and partners. 

So far, Forum Europa has organised 17 events in Brussels, including: 

Climate, Net Zero Emissions and Clean Growth commissioner, Wopke Hoekstra, said Tuesday at the Fórum Europa in Brussels that the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on society is "10 times greater" than that of the Industrial Revolution, as it is one of the main global challenges for the next 10 to 20 years, along with geopolitics and climate change.