Description

The European Union’s technology law framework comprises over 150 legal acts spanning several thousand pages. This is in addition to numerous delegated and implementing acts, as well as authorisations for further norms and technical standards. This vast regulatory landscape raises pressing questions: How much room remains for technological innovation and regulatory agility within such a complex system? Can the EU effectively promote sustainable digitalisation while also advancing digitised sustainability, ensuring that environmental goals are embedded in digital transformation? What mechanisms does the EU offer to support the convergence of artificial intelligence and biotechnology, particularly in light of the ethical, safety and governance challenges these fields present? How is the EU preparing for the potentially transformative and disruptive impact of quantum technologies on security, privacy and data integrity?

In this context, can tools such as collective impact assessment, strategic foresight, regulatory experimentation, adaptive governance and agile policymaking truly enable responsive, future-oriented regulation? Or will the upcoming Digital Omnibus — a proposed legislative package aimed at streamlining existing rules — ultimately serve as a catalyst for innovation by reducing compliance burdens on SMEs and start-ups, which form the backbone of Europe’s economy?

This talk critically examines these questions, assessing whether current and emerging regulatory strategies are sufficient to meet the challenges and seize the opportunities of technological evolution in the EU.