Meeting with Denmark’s Tech Ambassador

March 21, 2024 - a group of S&TDC Shanghai representatives from Europe had a breakfast meeting with Denmark’s Tech Ambassador Anne Marie Engtoft Meldgaard, engaging in a fruitful discussion on several topics like research competitiveness in the context of China’s technological rise, the importance of transparency and openness in AI, and how to balance international collaboration with protecting research security and its core values.

China’s progress in areas such as AI and emerging technologies is reshaping global competition. For Europe, the challenge is not only how to remain attractive to international researchers, but also how to compete while staying true to the principles that underpin its research system.

Europe’s strength has long been rooted in openness, international cooperation, and academic freedom. These values are also essential for trustworthy AI, which ultimately depends on transparency and the ability to scrutinize and improve systems collaboratively.

At the same time, Europe cannot ignore the growing risks to research security, including the possibility that scientific cooperation could be misused in ways that undermine security or conflict with European ethical standards. Research organizations therefore need stronger support to navigate these challenges.

The way forward may lie in being more strategically selective in cooperation with non-EU partners, including China—ensuring that collaboration takes place under clear conditions, on a level playing field, and with respect for shared values.