Europe’s Next Growth Engine: Building an AI-ready Single Market

Conference Details

Date: 14 October 2026

Time: 13:00

Duration: 1.5 hours

Location: Brussels, Belgium

Cost: Register online for more information.

Organiser: Friends of Europe, Google and Jacques Delors 
Friends of Europe
Foundation

Conference Website

Conference Description

Artificial intelligence (AI) has entered a new phase in Europe, moving from policy ambition to widespread adoption and becoming a defining test of the region’s competitiveness. As the EU advances its digital strategy, strengthens governance capacity and invests in infrastructure, the real measure of success will be whether companies, public institutions and citizens can adopt and benefit from AI at scale. 

The Single Market should be Europe’s greatest asset in this effort, drawing on its strong companies, research base and human-centric regulatory foundation. Yet fragmentation, uneven implementation, regulatory complexity, skills gaps, infrastructure bottlenecks and investment barriers continue to limit the ability of European companies to deploy and scale AI solutions across borders. 

Two years on from the landmark Draghi and Letta reports, and amid renewed calls to deepen Europe’s Single Market and strengthen its competitiveness, the question is not whether Europe should choose between innovation and trust. It is whether Europe can create the conditions for responsible AI adoption that are clear, streamlined and globally competitive, while giving citizens, businesses and investors confidence. 

This roundtable will assess the progress made so far and explore how the EU can move from policy design to strategic adoption and deployment. It will examine the potential of AI, including emerging forms of agentic AI, across Europe’s strategic industries, from automotive and pharmaceuticals to advanced manufacturing and the wider digital ecosystem. 

Held under the Chatham House Rule, the roundtable will bring together senior policymakers, business leaders, experts and civil society representatives for a focused discussion on how Europe can strengthen the Single Market as a platform for AI adoption, innovation and scale.