The Great Technology Game: Europe and the Global Race for Innovation and Power
05.11.2026
17:00 - 18:30
oiip
Währinger Straße 3/12, 1090 Wien
Technological innovation has become a central driver of economic competitiveness and geopolitical power. The capacity to innovate and rapidly adapt to technological change will increasingly shape the global balance of economic and political power. As the US and China pursue distinct innovation models, industrial policies and infrastructure strategies, Europe faces growing pressure to strengthen its technological capabilities while managing critical dependencies.
What distinguishes European, U.S. and Chinese innovation cultures, strategies and policies? How do investment cultures, political frameworks and infrastructure shape their respective competitive advantages? Where do Europe’s most pressing vulnerabilities and key strengths lie, and how can it strengthen its position without undermining the benefits of global economic interdependence?
Drawing on European, American and Chinese perspectives, the discussion examines how competing approaches to innovation and infrastructural dependencies are reshaping economic and geopolitical power and what these shifts mean for Europe’s strategic positioning, industrial competitiveness and economic resilience, with particular attention to the implications for Austria
Panelists:
Erik Jones
Director Robert Schuman Centre, EUI
Susanne Weigelin-Schwiedrzik
University of Vienna, Österreichische Forschungsgemeinschaft (ÖFG)
Francesca Guadagno
Economist Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (wiiw)
Moderation:
Cengiz Günay
Director oiip
In cooperation with Österreichische Forschungsgemeinschaft (ÖFG) and Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (wiiw).