Semiconductors have become the fault line of modern geopolitics. The United States and China are investing aggressively in domestic chip production, treating semiconductors not as consumer goods but as strategic infrastructure. Europe, by contrast, spent decades optimising research while outsourcing large-scale manufacturing — until recent crises exposed how fragile that model had become.
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As much of today’s technology and economic news is framed through an American lens, Europe often appears hesitant, fragmented or slow. The loudest narratives come from across the Atlantic, while China remains largely silent. In that contrast, Europe tends to underestimate its own strengths — institutionally, economically and technologically.
Last Friday at Nieuwspoort, former ASML CEO Peter Wennink presented his report, “The Netherlands: From Delay to Action”, outlining a roadmap for the country’s economic future. Central to his vision is a shift toward a technologically advanced and highly productive society, supported by top-tier education and resilient economic structures. Wennink emphasizes that the Netherlands cannot rely on incremental policy adjustments alone; achieving long-term prosperity requires decisive action to secure technological leadership and strengthen national earning capacity.
Sovereignty in the 21st century is often misunderstood. Governments and regions talk about autonomy as if it meant complete independence, a digital Fort Europa impervious to the outside world. In reality, true sovereignty is far more nuanced. It is not about building isolated islands of control; it is about creating resilient, interoperable networks where strategic autonomy and collaboration coexist.
While geopolitics and infrastructure shape the trajectory of artificial intelligence, the micro level determines how AI is actually lived. This is the layer where citizens, entrepreneurs and institutions encounter the technology directly—through tools, applications, automated decisions and subtle shifts in daily routines. What appears strategic at the macro level and infrastructural at the meso level becomes personal here. Micro is where abstract capabilities turn into concrete experiences, shaping trust, productivity and social expectations.
Fake news is no longer just a clumsy Photoshop job or a wild conspiracy thread. It has evolved into a sophisticated ecosystem of deception: deepfake videos that put words in the mouths of presidents, AI-generated articles that sound wiser than most humans and social media feeds that reward outrage over accuracy. And the worst part? We are voluntarily drowning in it.
