On March 24, Meta hosted ‘Build to Lead: The Brussels AI Symposium’ — bringing together European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, US Ambassador to the EU Andrew Puzder, Italian Vice Minister Valentino Valentini, UK AI Adviser Matt Clifford, and leaders from industry and civil society to ask a straightforward question: can Europe seize the AI opportunity?
Below are the opening remarks from Markus Reinisch, VP Public Policy Europe, Meta:
“We are truly honoured to have you here today. And it’s a moment that, lacking a better word, feels a little heavy. I don’t know about you, but when I wake up and open the news, I often feel a deep sense of uncertainty: uncertainty about the economy, about security, and about the direction of the world. Yet in uncertain times, there is one constant in Europe: we need to build a resilient future. That future is built with strong institutions and highly skilled people, but above all, it is innovation that drives the growth and productivity we need to secure it.
That’s why we’re here. AI, and the ecosystem around it, may be the single most important engine of resilience in Europe.
Tonight, we’re celebrating some truly outstanding European leadership, champions who are shaping what comes next. We have companies like Essilor-Luxottica, Circus Group, and many others represented in this room.
They are the builders, the makers, and the deployers of the next platforms.But before we continue celebrating, allow me to share a few uncomfortable truths.
First: the global AI race, especially at the frontier, is not just moving fast. It is increasingly becoming a two-horse race between the United States and China. This is a contest for technological and economic leadership. But it is also a contest over whether Western democratic values are embedded in the technologies that will shape the future. That is what’s at stake.
Second: Europe’s position, even as a potentially distant third, is not guaranteed. Across India and the Middle East, we see ambition matched with investment, and, crucially, rapid adoption. And that combination can change the global scoreboard faster than we might think.
Which brings us to the real question – how do we scale European leadership fast enough for this moment? A few ideas are often raised.
One is sovereignty, tech sovereignty and strategic autonomy. Personally, I do see the case for certain forms of digital sovereignty. But if our response to the most transformative technology of our time is to wait until we can replicate every layer of the stack ourselves, we will miss the momentum.
Europe’s challenge is not primarily a sovereignty crisis. Right now, it is a relevance crisis. And relevance isn’t created by pulling up the drawbridge.
Another idea, one I’m much more sympathetic to, is simplification. Europe must roll back some of the mistakes and barriers we have built over the last decades. But if we’re being honest, current simplification efforts are not yet ambitious enough. What do we expect when the same people asked to reform the regulatory framework are often the ones who just finished writing it? Too often, for every step forward, we seem to take two steps back. Simplification is absolutely the right goal, but its execution is underwhelming.
That’s why I believe in a third way. Europe should back what we uniquely do well, world-class science, design, engineering, and the ability to turn technology into trusted products that people genuinely want to use.
That is why I’m proud there are so many champions here tonight. And I’m proud of Meta, the company I represent, and our partnership with EssilorLuxottica on wearables, which I believe will become the next computing platform.
When Europe leads in design and hardware, it doesn’t just create products, it reshapes industries and strengthens societies. But to do that, we have to stop holding ourselves back, especially by applying rules written for yesterday’s technology.
Let me give one example. Many of you have experienced these [AI] glasses, and what’s truly special is the impeccable Italian design. But that uniqueness is undermined by requirements like battery replaceability, requirements that don’t fit the reality of this new category and don’t help Europe’s position as a technology leader.
So my message tonight is simple: Europe does not need less ambition. Europe needs fewer self-inflicted barriers. And above all, Europe needs more confidence.
If we can match our values with speed, and our principles with investment, Europe won’t just participate in the AI era, we will lead in it.
Meta is an American company. But we are deeply invested in Europe, through our people, our partnerships, our business, and the broader innovation ecosystem. When Europe succeeds, Meta succeeds too.
So let’s keep building, together, with pride in technology. And I genuinely believe that, in doing so, we can fall in love with the future again.”
For more information about the event and to watch full videos of the sessions please click here.
