The ongoing tech competition between the United States and China has intensified, with both powers adopting distinct strategies to assert technological dominance. In this context, the European Union is increasingly exposed to the negative spillover effects of this rivalry. The United States, in particular, has been using unconventional “carrot and stick” tactics—such as generous subsidies, regulatory pressure, and strategic alliances—to attract investment, talent, and key resources from technologically advanced countries like Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea. As a result, the EU’s own competitiveness is being undermined. This trend poses a growing strategic risk, as Europe faces the threat of being squeezed out of critical value chains and falling behind in the global race for technological leadership.
This research project provides an assessment of the EU’s digital collaboration with Asian partners, including formal partnerships with the South Korea, Japan and Singapore and other forms of collaboration with Taiwan and India. By mapping the issue areas that are not sufficiently covered in the existing relationships, the research report will offer a roadmap to achieve digital resilience through bilateral and minilateral collaborations in the era of polyalignment and derisking from both superpowers.
