The second day of Europe as a Task 2026 took place at the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague and focused on some of the most pressing questions currently shaping the European agenda, including competitiveness, digital sovereignty, economic security, the Arctic, and the future of the European defence industry.
The second day was opened with introductory remarks by Mats Braun, Director of the Institute of International Relations Prague, who reflected on the message from the first day of the conference and recalled President Alexander Stubb’s argument that Europe is facing a narrow window of opportunity. Viktor Daněk, Executive Deputy Director of the EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, introduced the agenda of the day and highlighted the main topics that would guide the discussions. He stressed that the programme would focus on issues already high on the EU agenda, including how to help European start ups grow and scale within Europe, how to address digital security and sovereignty, and how to strengthen Europe’s defence industrial base. Vít Dostál, Executive Director of the Association for International Affairs, used his opening remarks to thank the partners, organisers, speakers and participants who made the conference possible. He underlined the importance of cooperation between institutions, think tanks, public authorities, business representatives and media partners in creating a platform where Europe’s key strategic questions can be discussed openly.
Milena Hrdinková, Advisor to the Prime Minister on EU Affairs, Czechia, reminded participants that Europe continues to be a task, especially at a time when both Europe and the wider world are changing rapidly. She spoke about the need for the EU to deliver more effectively, set realistic and achievable goals, and address structural challenges such as high energy prices, the absence of a fully functioning Energy Union, the future of the Single Market, and the need for predictable funding in areas such as health, space and defence. She also stressed that enlargement must strengthen rather than weaken the Union, which requires helping candidate countries meet EU rules in a practical and trust building way.
Michal Pěchouček, Rector of the Czech Technical University in Prague, focused on how Europe can bring geoeconomics into its strategic thinking. He argued that in the current geopolitical turmoil, the European Union has an opportunity to prove its relevance and strength. According to him, Europe’s diversity, education system and research capacity can be important competitive advantages, but they must be better connected to innovation, markets and economic growth. Pěchouček also spoke about the conditions needed for European start ups to remain in Europe and scale here. He pointed to three key elements: innovation, an attractive market, and experience, both among founders and investors. He also highlighted the role of universities, which should educate future generations, produce high quality research and provide a safe space for debate and knowledge creation. On AI, he stressed that Europe should prioritise artificial intelligence, continue investing in data infrastructure and look for areas where it can lead, especially in fields such as AI for healthcare and scientific discovery.
The presentation by Chiara Rinaldi and Izabela Kantor, Intelligence Analysts at Politico, focused on the growing strategic importance of the Arctic. The discussion opened with the message that what happens in the Arctic does not stay in the Arctic, as developments in the region increasingly affect Europe’s security, energy resilience, trade routes and access to critical raw materials.
The first fishbowl discussion focused on Europe’s persistent difficulty in helping innovative companies scale up and remain in the European market. Speakers discussed the barriers created by fragmented regulation, limited access to capital, weaker risk appetite and the lack of a truly integrated Single Market. The discussion also addressed the 28th regime, simplification, capital markets and the need to create better conditions for European start ups and scale ups.
Heleen Bakker, Director General for European Cooperation at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, stressed that competitiveness is rightly high on the European agenda, as technological leadership is closely linked to security and resilience. Alexandr Hobza, Cabinet of Executive Vice President Stéphane Séjourné at the European Commission, focused on the need to boost innovation and improve Europe’s ability to commercialise talent. David Müller, Director General for European Union and Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic noted that Europe remains rich, stable and supported by a strong research environment, but must find better ways to capitalise on these strengths. Christophe de Nijs, Director General for European Affairs at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Belgium, underlined the need to maintain urgency and momentum. He warned that Europe cannot only keep discussing the same problems without acting on them. Tomáš Pospíšil, Chief Analyst at the Czech Startup Association, focused on the importance of clear priorities. His remarks pointed to the need for more targeted support, better investment conditions and a more practical approach to helping innovative companies grow.
The second fishbowl turned to Europe’s digital sovereignty and the difficult balance between openness, resilience and strategic autonomy. Speakers discussed Europe’s dependence on foreign technology providers, especially from the United States, the role of AI, the future of digital regulation and the challenge of reducing dependencies without isolating Europe from global innovation.
Jean Carberry from Tourism and Employment of the Government of Ireland, stressed that Europe must continue to participate in global innovation. Dita Charanzová, Board Member of CEPS, focused on the need for a pragmatic middle ground. She argued that Europe should not move from one extreme to another, meaning from deep dependence to isolation. Vladimíra Chlandová, Board Member of Vodafone, highlighted the importance of trusted partners and long term cooperation in the digital sector. Lukáš Kačena, Government Envoy for AI in Czechia, focused on science, talent and the need for Europe to define its own path in artificial intelligence. Michael Toutonghi, former Corporate Vice President at Microsoft and founder of the eHome division, spoke about AI, open source and the strategic importance of software. Věra Jourová, former Vice President of the European Commission for Values and Transparency, warned that Europe is dangerously dependent on American technologies. She argued that Europe must become more competitive, more secure and more sovereign, while avoiding isolation. According to her, reducing dangerous dependencies will take years, but it is an existential necessity.
The final fishbowl focused on Europe’s defence industry, new EU instruments, procurement, industrial capacity and the need to respond to the changing security environment. Speakers discussed how Europe can scale up defence production, better support SMEs, reduce fragmentation and learn from Ukraine’s experience, while balancing national responsibilities with European level cooperation.
Arthur De Liedekerke, Partner and Senior Director at Rasmussen Global, argued that defence spending is no longer a marginal issue, but a central priority. He stressed that Europe must evolve faster and together, while recognising that the centre of gravity still remains with member states. Radka Konderlová, Director General for Industrial Cooperation at the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic, spoke from the perspective of a member state and the Czech defence industry. Andra Migiu, Head of Division for Security and Defence at the European Investment Bank, described how security and defence have become one of the EIB’s key policy objectives. Milosz Momot, Head of Unit for Defence Industry Programmes Directorate at DG DEFIS, European Commission, spoke about the European Commission’s efforts to support the defence industry through industrial policy.
The final remarks also returned to the meaning of the conference title, inspired by Václav Havel’s idea that Europe is not something given, but something that must be worked on. The conference closed with a message of gratitude to partners, colleagues, speakers, participants and the wider team, as well as a reminder that Europe needs more people willing to engage in this task.