Because the Forrester analysis group carried out its evaluation for the highest 10 rising applied sciences this yr, it turned clear that a number of the dynamics in Europe are completely different, each for present and deliberate funding in rising applied sciences.
Opposite to continued well-liked false impression, this isn’t a narrative about European companies lagging behind in know-how adoption or an absence of revolutionary startups. For instance, after we look again at AI adoption charges throughout Europe in 2020, the European charges weren’t that completely different from what we have been seeing elsewhere; many of the software program, nevertheless, was procured from non-European corporations, principally US-based suppliers. As for Europe’s rising tech startups, one of the best tended to be snapped up by US companies (e.g., DeepMind, acquired by Google) or selected to maneuver their headquarters to the US to be able to develop (e.g., Spotify).
Whereas all of that is nonetheless the case as we speak, latest geopolitical developments have resulted in a concerted drive towards lowering that dependency. EU initiatives embody the AI continent motion plan, the purpose of which is for the EU to develop into “a worldwide chief in synthetic intelligence” and a number one AI continent. Lower than a month after the AI plan launch, European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen in early Might introduced the no much less bold Select Europe for Science drive, which seeks to draw worldwide analysis expertise to the EU with grants and diminished forms. The UK, ranked fifth within the 2024 Authorities AI Readiness Index and first in Western Europe, has laid out its personal AI Alternatives Motion Plan, despite the fact that it’s not clear but how a lot authorities funding will probably be accessible.
So with all of this in thoughts, let’s take a look at a number of of the rising applied sciences from our high 10 checklist by way of a European lens:
Generative AI for language is leveling the taking part in subject for different languages. Right now, solely one of the crucial broadly used massive language fashions comes from Europe (Mistral). But it surely’s not for need of expertise, as already talked about; for instance, the core of Meta’s Llama mannequin was additionally developed in France. So it shouldn’t be an excessive amount of of a stretch to fulfil the promise of growing fashions that assist European cultural and linguistic range. The cumbersomely named Alliance for Language Applied sciences European Digital Infrastructure Consortium shaped in 2024, along with the extra lately established Language Knowledge House, helps the gathering of multilingual information and making it accessible through a market for language information.
All of the AI applied sciences in our high 10 can profit from funding in compute infrastructure. Again in 2021, the EU launched a regulation to ascertain the European Excessive Efficiency Computing Joint Endeavor with the target of constructing a brand new era of supercomputers inside Europe and to widen entry to present and future supercomputing capability and companies. In 2025, quite a few AI factories turned accessible as a part of this initiative; they provide compute energy and assist companies freed from cost to small and medium enterprises in addition to startups.
Autonomous mobility applied sciences are extra broadly used than is clear. You received’t see any driverless robotaxis on European roads as we speak, and there aren’t as many manufacturing facility robots deployed as in a number of the APAC international locations. That mentioned, Germany is in fourth place on the subject of robotic density within the manufacturing trade (behind South Korea, Singapore, and China). Autonomous trams and underground trains function in lots of European international locations, and a wide range of transportation automobiles transfer autonomously in closed environments equivalent to factories and ports. Rollouts of companies like autonomous buying deliveries exist, as nicely, albeit at a small scale. Additionally value mentioning are the advances made within the {hardware} and software program of autonomous drones pushed by the wants of the warfare in Ukraine. Value pressures, demographic shifts, and the need to cut back dependency on imports will proceed to drive funding in the entire applied sciences below the autonomous mobility umbrella.
I’ve touched on some, however not all, of our high 10 rising applied sciences for 2025 on this put up. If you wish to get a deeper understanding of those applied sciences, take a look at our upcoming webinar on Might 21, the place Brian Hopkins, Forrester vp of the rising tech portfolio, will stroll by way of the ten applied sciences, clarify our profit horizons segmentation, and share extra use instances.
