Competitive markets and strong partnerships have always encouraged companies to innovate. Policies that foster such an environment allow for more inventions and creations in national, regional and international markets.
The EU leads the world in understanding the broad, interconnected forces driving technology innovation in the digital sector. The adoption and enforcement of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) exemplifies this leadership and are critical to preserving an open digital ecosystem.
The development of communication network infrastructure is another important area that can spur innovation. The European Union has recognized the need to encourage investment in digital infrastructure through ‘virtuous circles’ to bring about reliable and secure connectivity. The physical network is at the heart of the digital ecosystem, but it is also at the heart of our economies and societies.
Furthermore, the EU has focused on the strategic value of semiconductors as an engine of the digital transition boosting Europe’s competitiveness. The EU Chips Act highlights the need for geo-diversified production and coordinated strategy between countries to balance global mobility, security requirements and supply priorities.
nurture talent
In addition to the regulatory environment, it is important to nurture the human talent that drives technology by strengthening partnerships that bring people and companies together.
Successful partnerships that lead to cutting-edge innovations are built on personal human connections that spark new ideas. Talent is the most valuable resource for today’s knowledge economy. Promoting participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines is essential to creating the skilled workforce needed for the global digital economy. Qualcomm collaborates with community stakeholders across Europe on a range of programs that reach and inspire students from all backgrounds.
In addition, local innovation centers have a paramount role in attracting, retaining and developing talent. With this in mind, Qualcomm established a 5G/6G R&D Center in Lanyon, France and an Artificial Intelligence (AI) R&D Lab in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, with innovation fundamental to fuel the Connected Intelligent Age Doing research.
Successful partnerships that lead to cutting-edge innovations are built on personal human connections that spark new ideas.
change through partnership
Partnerships to develop and apply advanced technologies are pivotal in unlocking access to future innovations and use cases, such as leveraging the metaverse for industrial and learning applications. Europe is an epicenter of technology R&D leadership – and our laboratories in Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and Spain are integral to our ability to engage in such partnerships.
From operators to automotive and industrial players, Qualcomm’s partnership with European companies is a good example of how combining complementary technologies and expertise can create shared digital value across a wide range of verticals.
The automotive sector is a prime example. Digital transformation is a priority for automakers as vehicles become connected computers on wheels. Qualcomm’s digital chassis high-performance solutions empower automakers to add a full suite of technologies to build software-defined intelligent vehicles that are highly customizable and upgradeable. This flexibility enables adoption of a wide range of powerful automotive platforms, while allowing automakers to maintain relationships with their customers and shape the in-vehicle digital experience.
Europe is a hotbed of technology research and development leadership – and our laboratories in Austria, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and Spain are integral to our ability to engage in partnerships.
protect new ideas
As companies like Qualcomm drive cycles of innovation and creativity, it is important to have a strong intellectual property regime that protects the ideas that emerge. One major area that relies on such security is communications standards such as 5G. Standards are the foundation of the digital ecosystem. They are also important for competition, helping new entrants compete with existing players.
Today’s 5G standard is a direct descendant of a European initiative in the 1980s that pushed for a single mobile standard to enable a single market. Europe’s strong patent rights were crucial to its early leadership in mobile standards. These rights have given the necessary impetus to innovative companies to invest in research and development and contribute their intellectual property (IP) to the standards. Without these incentives, innovation within the ecosystem would stagnate.
This year, the European Commission will tackle files that will affect the development of standards – including the IP that fosters essential ongoing innovation. It is our hope that their importance to the digital ecosystem will continue.
Qualcomm partners Europe in achieving its digital transformation through talent development, transformational partnerships and continuous innovation.
building a vision
All stakeholders have a role to play in fostering a vibrant digital ecosystem. Taking a holistic view of all aspects that support a healthy digital ecosystem, Europe is bound for success.
This success can be further enhanced by continued joint EU-US dialogue. We look forward to the Trade and Technology Council (TTC) being a vehicle for EU-US cooperation to address new and emerging global technology and trade challenges. The TTC can serve as a focal point to enhance trust and understanding to enable innovation, encourage investment and foster competition. Global leadership can only be achieved through policy collaboration and a market-led approach.
Qualcomm partners Europe in achieving its digital transformation through talent development, transformational partnerships and continuous innovation. Our connected future depends on it.