The European Veto: Protection or Paralysis?

Friday, October 9, 2026

Europe’s national veto protects sovereignty and ensures that sensitive decisions receive broad support. Yet it can also delay collective action and turn consent into bargaining power. This Perspective examines how the EU can protect national interests while keeping shared commitments deliverable.

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The Sovereign Developer

Wednesday, October 7, 2026

Yasir Al-Rumayyan sits at the centre of Saudi Arabia’s effort to turn sovereign wealth into new industries, infrastructure and investable markets. The real test is not how much PIF can build, but whether private capital eventually follows.

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Vodafone’s Platform Test: Can a Network Operator Capture the Value It Enables?

Thursday, October 1, 2026

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?

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Europe Can Make Photonic Chips. Who Will Buy Them?

Thursday, October 1, 2026

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?

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Can Allison Kirkby Make BT Smaller—and More Powerful?

Tuesday, September 29, 2026

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?

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Grenoble’s Photonics Test: Who Shapes the AI Systems Built Around European Chips?

Tuesday, September 29, 2026

Grenoble already has silicon photonics in volume production, while CEA-Leti works to bring the next generation closer to industry. The strategic question is whether Europe can shape the AI systems that rely on its chips.

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Can Deutsche Telekom Turn American Scale into European Power?

Tuesday, September 29, 2026

Deutsche Telekom’s American business gives Tim Höttges unusual financial room. As the group invests in European cloud and industrial AI while returning cash to shareholders, the central question is whether telecom can capture lasting value above its networks.

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Europe’s Photonics Test Begins at the Factory

Monday, September 28, 2026

Europe’s photonics sector is approaching its industrial test. As Eindhoven expands wafer capacity and SMART Photonics partners with GlobalFoundries, the challenge shifts from proving chips can work to deciding who controls production, integration and value at scale.

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The Geography of Europe’s Returns

Monday, September 28, 2026

EU funding does more than return money to member states. A study of Dutch provinces shows how research, cohesion and agricultural funds shape different regional economies—and why Europe’s next budget must consider where growth takes place.

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Building Europe’s Electro-Powered Continent

Friday, September 25, 2026

Europe already possesses many of the foundations of an electro-powered economy. The challenge is no longer simply building more generation, companies or infrastructure, but connecting these strengths into one functioning continental energy architecture.

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Altair Media Europe is an independent foundation based in the Netherlands, exploring the systems shaping Europe’s future — from infrastructure and governance to technology, society and culture.
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