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Public attention on innovation often settles on a single field, yet the landscape of emerging technologies is broader. This contribution offers a neutral overview of several sectors and of the European policies that accompany them towards 2030.
Quantum computing and the Quantum Europe Strategy
Quantum computing draws on the properties of quantum mechanics to process information in ways that differ from conventional computing, with potential applications in materials simulation, process optimisation and cryptography. On 2 July 2025 the European Commission adopted the Quantum Europe Strategy, with the stated aim of making the European Union (EU) a global leader in the field by 2030 and of overcoming the current fragmentation of national initiatives. The document identifies five interconnected areas: research and innovation, quantum infrastructures, strengthening of the industrial ecosystem, space and dual-use applications, and the development of specialist skills. Announced measures include a shared design facility, six pilot lines for the production of quantum chips, a pilot facility for the European quantum internet and a skills academy, due to open in 2026. The strategy is expected to be followed by a legislative proposal, the forthcoming Quantum Act, anticipated during 2026.
Semiconductors and Europe’s productive autonomy
Semiconductors, the tiny components that govern the operation of every electronic device, sit at the heart of worldwide industrial competition and of recurring tensions along supply chains. Through Regulation (EU) 2023/1781, known as the Chips Act and in force since 21 September 2023, the Union has set out a framework of measures to reinforce its microelectronics supply chain. The stated ambition, embedded in the objectives of the Digital Decade programme, is to raise the European share of worldwide production of advanced components to 20% by 2030, reducing reliance on external suppliers through investment estimated at around 43 billion euros in public and private resources. The framework rests on three pillars: support for research and for the transfer towards manufacturing on an industrial scale, incentives for innovative production plants, and a mechanism to monitor and respond to supply crises.
The data economy and the rules on sharing
The spread of connected objects generates growing volumes of information, whose access and reuse raise economic and legal questions. Regulation (EU) 2023/2854, known as the Data Act, governs the sharing of the content produced by connected objects and related services. Adopted on 13 December 2023, it has applied since 12 September 2025, with some obligations phased in over the following years. The text grants individuals and businesses the right to access the information they help to generate, makes it easier to switch from one cloud service provider to another, and regulates the making available of such content to public bodies in exceptional circumstances. The stated purpose is to distribute more fairly the economic value of the digital record within the single market, without weakening its protection.
Space as strategic infrastructure
Orbital activities underpin services that are now part of daily life, from satellite navigation to telecommunications and Earth observation. On 25 June 2025 the European Commission presented the proposal for an EU Space Act, the first attempt to regulate the sector comprehensively at Union level, replacing the thirteen national approaches currently in force. The initiative is built around three axes: safety, resilience and sustainability. It envisages measures for tracking objects in orbit, mitigating debris, protecting space infrastructure against cyber threats and assessing the environmental impact of operations. The rules would apply both to European operators and to non-EU operators offering services within the Union’s territory. The proposal is currently being negotiated between the European Parliament and the Council under the ordinary legislative procedure.
Cybersecurity as an enabling condition
Network security accompanies every digital field and shapes its reliability. Two legislative instruments currently define the European perimeter. Directive (EU) 2022/2555, known as NIS2 (from Network and Information Security), replaces the earlier 2016 directive and extends risk-management and incident-notification obligations to numerous critical sectors; the deadline for transposition into national law was set at 17 October 2024. Regulation (EU) 2024/2847, the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), instead introduces security requirements for products with digital elements across their entire life cycle. Having entered into force on 10 December 2024, it provides for reporting obligations to apply from 11 September 2026 and for full application from 11 December 2027.
Outlook
The policies described here share a common time horizon, 2030, and a recurring logic: combining public investment, harmonised rules and reduced external dependencies. Some measures are already fully operational, such as the Chips Act and the NIS2 Directive; others provide for gradual application, such as the Data Act and the Cyber Resilience Act; still others remain under negotiation, such as the EU Space Act and the announced Quantum Act. The overall picture is therefore in motion, and its outcome will depend on implementation across the Member States and on the capacity to turn research results into market applications.
In dialogue with the 2030 Agenda
- Goal 9 (Industry, innovation and infrastructure): promotes resilient infrastructure, inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and greater support for scientific research.
- Goal 4 (Quality education): the development of quantum and digital skills calls for accessible and up-to-date pathways.
- Goal 17 (Partnerships for the goals): coordination among Member States and the harmonisation of rules are the condition for results on a continental scale.
