Global Turbulence and Europe’s AI Response
We are witnessing an era of rapid and far-reaching global change—geopolitical tensions are rising, trade relations are being reshaped, and power balances are constantly in flux.
In this environment, digital technologies, especially artificial intelligence (AI), are emerging as both strategic assets and potential vulnerabilities for nations and industries. AI is no longer just a tool for boosting productivity; it has become integral to national security, industrial competitiveness, and global influence.
Against this backdrop, Europe is taking a bold step. With the EU’s new €200 billion InvestAI initiative, European leaders are sending a clear signal: developing robust AI ecosystems is vital to safeguarding Europe’s technological sovereignty. This significant investment will bolster critical AI infrastructure, accelerate innovation, and reduce reliance on external tech giants. Meanwhile, European policymakers—long recognized for their stance on responsible technology governance—are updating certain regulatory processes to fast-track AI adoption while maintaining high ethical standards.
As AI reshapes markets and intensifies competition, leaders in both private and public sectors face a landscape that blends economics, strategy, policy, and leadership. From our perspective, this underscores the urgent need to intertwine AI expertise with strong business acumen. AI is no longer just reconfiguring organizations; it is redefining entire market structures. Combining insights from economics, strategy, policy, and leadership becomes ever more crucial as we navigate these complex shifts.
We see this moment as a catalyst for new avenues of research—opportunities that can supplement ongoing initiatives as well as the recently submitted AI center grant application. Larger European and Nordic research funding agencies have recognized this potential and are opening up additional funding possibilities, which we aim to pursue. At DIG—and at the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH) more broadly—these new research directions are already manifesting in multiple ways. First, we see a growing number of faculty engaging with AI-related topics, from talented PhD candidates to seasoned senior academics, and we are particularly looking forward to welcoming our new AI professor this fall. We also see DIG steadily increasing its collaboration with faculty from other NHH departments. Finally, we have noticed an upward trend in funding opportunities across the Nordics and Europe, with DIG often invited to lead or join proposals as a Norwegian partner.
Though the global climate may be turbulent, it brings a wealth of research opportunities—opportunities we at DIG are eager to seize. We can be assured there is much more to come.