Available worldwide via Amazon (Kindle Edition)
US: $5.99
Other regions: Local Amazon pricing
Available here:
https://www.amazon.nl/dp/B0GMXLX56T
Europe’s Strategic Seven have called for urgent action to restore technological competitiveness. Their next test is what they will commit themselves: capital, customers and shared commercial risk. Individual partnerships show ambition. Where is the collective plan to turn Europe’s industrial strengths into scale?
Mistral’s latest model puts European AI in the spotlight. Its lasting advantage will depend on how much control customers can actually exercise over algorithms, infrastructure and commercial dependencies — including their ability to evaluate, adapt and ultimately replace the systems they use.
Nvidia’s planned investments in four French technology companies could accelerate European AI while expanding demand for its own infrastructure. The strategic test is whether these businesses gain lasting commercial strength—and retain the freedom to choose another supplier.
A working photonic chip is only part of the industrial challenge. Ahead of PIC Summit Europe 2026, Altair Media Europe examines five questions about reliable production, customer adoption, financing and European control—and the evidence needed to turn technical progress into lasting commercial value.
Europe wants stronger networks, but more traffic does not automatically mean better returns. Operators need a business model that earns from the capacity, reliability and certainty they deliver. What should large users pay for—and what can Brussels and operators themselves change?
Europe’s AI Gigafactories will be shaped by electricity, cooling, connectivity and industrial demand. Finland, Spain, Germany and Brainport illustrate competing priorities — and a deeper question: who will control the infrastructure and secure lasting access for European users?
Margherita Della Valle has taken full control of VodafoneThree while Germany remains a difficult market. Africa’s financial services and Vodafone Business offer routes beyond connectivity. Can Vodafone turn those businesses into lasting returns for the group?
Europe is scaling photonic-chip production, while Ericsson, Thales and others develop applications. The missing step is a European customer willing to commit to volume. Can system design become the long-term demand that sustains an industry?
TU/e and Motion Imager are researching a memory that could be accessed through both light and electricity. It may help photonic computing move beyond data transmission, but its performance, manufacturing route and first practical use remain to be demonstrated.
Allison Kirkby is narrowing BT’s focus to Britain while sharing its international business with Verizon. Openreach’s fibre network offers scale, but competition, regulation and debt raise the stakes. Can BT capture more value from services built above it?
