In the first episode of season 6, Alexandra Ebert sits down with Kai Zenner, Head of Office and Digital Policy Adviser to MEP Axel Voss at the European Parliament, for a deep dive into Europe’s digital future. They outline what Brussels is still not getting right on AI and debate what is urgently needed in 2026: a long-term AI, data & digital strategy for Europe, the courage for bold political leadership, and taking action where it matters most.

KEY TOPICS:

00:00 — Intro
07:08 — Davos and the geopolitics of AI
12:03 — Why the EU lacks a long-term strategy for AI and digital policy
16:09 — The “European Way”: Partnerships and more focus on areas where the EU could actually lead
24:00 — Beyond scattered Moonshots: Making AI work across the European economy
27:58 — AI Factories and Digital Innovation Hubs? That's not enough! The EU needs an AI innovation ecosystem
31:09 — The EU's opportunity costs of chasing frontier models and more compute. Let's focus on AI adoption instead!
36:52 — Proprietary business data: The EU’s real competitive AI advantage?
39:05 — Where the Data Act & Data Governance Act fall short
50:08 — Why the EU policy cycle is broken — and why Kai calls for more courage and bold political leadership
53:25 — The biggest risks & opportunities in 2026 for the EU's digital policy
57:42 — The surprising impact of public procurement on the AI startup ecosystem

Follow Kai Zenner on:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kzenner/?skipRedirect=true

Website: https://www.kaizenner.eu/

53. “The EU Policy Machine Is Broken. Brussels Lacks Courage!”—Kai Zenner on Europe’s Digital Future and the Steps We Must Take in 2026 to Reclaim It