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Euronews
2 days ago
- Business
- Euronews
EU launches global digital strategy to build tech alliances
The EU published a digital strategy on Thursday to diversify and expand digital alliances with "like-minded partners" such as Japan, South Korea, Canada and India, but no mention was made of the US. This year, digital trade agreements with Singapore and South Korea were signed to facilitate data flows - despite critics warning it could pave the way for threats to personal data. The bloc also plans to structure its growing diplomatic network through the creation of a Digital Partnership Network, aimed at connecting these relationships in a more strategic and coordinated way. But while the strategy highlights a wide array of partners, the absence of references to further meeting under the EU-US Trade and Technology Council (TTC) with the United States was notable. This forum of discussion between the two blocs on trade and technology was created in 2020 to de-escalate tensions during US President Donald Trump's first mandate. Quizzed by Euronews on the future of the TTC, Tech Commissioner Henna Virkkunen replied that trade negotiations were currently the priority - without elaborating. While the EU's other big tech competitor, China, is also absent from the strategy – Virkkunen said that digital cooperation will be discussed during the July 2025 EU-China summit. In its immediate neighbourhood, the bloc is prioritising integration with the EU Digital Single Market notably for Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans – to assist integration into the EU. These countries will benefit from support to align with EU rules on areas such as digital identity, secure infrastructure and regulatory frameworks, paving the way for potential mutual recognition of digital services. In Africa, Asia and Latin America, the strategy builds on the Global Gateway initiative, the EU's strategic response to China's Belt and Road adopted in 2021. Through this framework, the EU is co-financing the deployment of secure submarine cables, AI factories, and digital public infrastructure, while, according to Commissioner Virkkunen, promoting European tech standards and regulatory models abroad. The Commission said that they will move forward with the implementation of new digital partnerships, including preparations for agreements with countries in the Southern Neighbourhood and sub-Saharan Africa. A dedicated Tech Business Offer, a mix of private and public EU investment, will be rolled out to support digital projects in partner countries. A first meeting of the new Digital Partnership Network is also planned, involving representatives from the EU and its partner countries. Meanwhile, joint research programmes are set to be launched with Japan, Canada and South Korea, notably in quantum technologies and semiconductors. Drones will be as key to Taiwan's national security as they have been for Ukraine, a Taiwanese legislator told Euronews Next. The embattled country's war efforts have boosted morale on the Asian island as it ramps up its own defences against the potential threat of a future Chinese invasion. "When the United States withdrew from Afghanistan [in 2020], it undermined the morals of Taiwan tremendously at the time," said Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Chen Kuan-ting, adding that some people at the time were even trying to transfer their money abroad. "But then after Russia initially launched the war against Ukraine… this is the first time in Taiwan that we have a common ground, we have consensus that we probably will prevail because of what Ukraine did". Taiwan, which is roughly 180 km from China, functions as an independent democracy with its own constitution and elected government. But China maintains that the island is a renegade province destined for reunification with the mainland, through military means if necessary. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Saturday that "the threat China poses [to Taiwan] is real and it could be imminent". Beijing is "credibly preparing to potentially use military force to alter the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific". China's foreign minister warned the US against using Taiwan as a bargaining chip to contain China and is 'playing with fire". In April, China deployed its armed, naval, and air forces for drills around Taiwan. China said the manoeuvres were to practice a blockade of the island. Taiwanese President William Lai Ching-te has called for peace with China while also saying in April that the island's defence budget would rise by 3 per cent of its gross economic output and would reform its national defence forces. US President Donald Trump has previously said Taiwan should increase its defence spending as high as 10 per cent of GDP. But spending wisely, like Ukraine has done with cheaper drones to counter the first line of attack, is a lesson that Taiwan can learn from, Kuan-ting argues. The lawmaker helped establish and became president of a so-called Taiwan-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Association in April, which aims to "send a signal to the world, including China, that superpowers may lose modern warfare" due to new technologies. The second reason for the group is to learn from Ukraine and be able to answer questions such as managing the logistics of delivering weapons or how decisions are made in warfare. "They have the experience we don't have," he said. Asked if Taiwan is using Ukrainian drones, Kuan-ting said he had no knowledge of this. According to the legislator, based on conversations he has had with Ukrainian think-tanks, China is doing the same thing in Europe and is learning "the techniques of the Russian soldiers" and is also "there to observe how Westerners react to their aggressions". Taiwan has "a moral obligation to help Ukraine because it's a strategic deterrence to superpowers to launch war against a peace-loving country such as Taiwan," he said. "It proves that even if you have those conventional weapons, even if you have a bigger economy, bigger troops, you might lose," he added. But China too has been working on asymmetric warfare for the last decade and is producing "thousands if not millions of drones every year," Kuan-ting said, such as unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) and all kinds of weapons systems. "They're good at those [drones] because they believe conventional military equipment is not sufficient to counter the United States' super military power. So they were focusing on asymmetric warfare long before we did, because they were worried about America's intervention in the region,' he added. However, the difference between the war in Ukraine and Taiwan and China's tensions is that Taiwan is separated by sea, so China would have to conduct an 'amphibious attack'. "If they do so, I believe we will acquire the abilities and the quantity of the drones - UAV, UUV, and all kinds of asymmetric warfare equipment - to counter these kinds of aggressions". One of Taiwan's challenges is building enough drones to counter China, Kuan-ting said. "We are trying to reverse the situation, that they [China] have the quantity we don't. That's why in the past two, three years, the Ministry of Defence, and also most of the leadership of Taiwan, decided to try to include more public companies". "Instead of conventional equipment like big tanks, big aeroplanes, they probably couldn't adapt to modern warfare. We decided to buy smart and use a smart weapon system," he said. Taiwan has set itself the goal of manufacturing 15,000 domestically made drones a month by 2028. It is a tall order, but Taiwan is a strong manufacturing country known for its quality. However, Taiwan-made drones cost on average 25 per cent more to make than Chinese drones. Scaling Taiwan's defence tech companies is therefore paramount, and working with Europe and the US to expand the markets will be key, the legislator said. At Taiwan's biggest tech fair COMPUTEX in May, one Taiwanese defence company is using artificial intelligence (AI) to vastly improve thermal cameras that see in the dark and clarify the noise in its audio equipment. The company, Thunder Fortis, says its technology can detect enemies from 300 m away in the dark. "Our advantage is also our challenge. So we want to produce internally, but our cost will be very high if we don't rely on exports from other countries," sales manager Nancy Lin told Euronews Next. "Our challenge will be to try to sell to the market, but still keep a low cost. But we are very confident in manufacturing good quality products that not only serve the military market," she added. The company is so far partnering with tech giants such as Nvidia and Arm. "Everyone is aware that Taiwan is in a strategic position in the Taiwan Strait, and we have our allies from Japan, South Korea, and also from other countries," she said. "We don't want to make other countries an enemy, it's a bit sensitive, but we want to make ourselves strong enough so no one will try to violate our boundaries of our countries. "Especially many of our components are made in Taiwan, assembled in Taiwan manufactured in Taiwan so we can rely on our self-produced products and we don't need to rely on imports from other countries," she said. But to deter China, it is not just about building the best defence tech, it is also necessary to use cheap methods to eliminate military targets such as drones. "It's not just about drones to drones, it's about how to apply the best systems, the best equipment to make sure they cannot close the Taiwan Strait," Kuan-ting said. "I believe if there is any country that can stop China, Taiwan might be one of them, but it has to be collective actions with our partners. So we can't do this alone," the legislator added. Trump's America First trade policy has sent shockwaves around the world and raised questions over international relations. Despite this, Kuan-ting believes that Taiwan's ties to the US are still just as strong as before Trump's reelection. "I believe the Congress and the Senate of the United States are sending very firm and clear signals to Taiwan and China that the United States is staying with us and they are providing us more military equipment," he said. There has been speculation of Europe's rapprochement with China due to Trump's tariffs. However, the legislator believes that the bloc's connection with Taiwan is still close. "Most of our friends in Europe are aware of the situation and are also aware of how the Chinese government is trying to dump their EVs (electric vehicles) onto Europe, so we have pretty much the same common ground. They're facing economical [threats], we are facing both economic and militarised threats," he said. Marcin Jerzewski, head of the Taiwan Office of the European Values Center for Security Policy, said that "it's too early to say that Europe is distancing itself from Taiwan" and that he has "high hopes" related to the upcoming EU-China summit that will happen in Beijing. However, he said that this does not mean that Europe will move away from Taiwan. "I believe that a lot of signs of goodwill and openness that are coming out of the current European Commission towards China are also a signal to the United States that the EU is willing to continue down the path of strategic autonomy". He said that Europeans still has a tendency to look at Taiwan as only a difficult subset of overall relations with China, rather than trying to look at Taiwan as a partner in its own right. But he said there is a small shift in Europe looking at Taiwan as a partner on its own. "It doesn't mean that we're recognising Taiwan as an independent country or abandoning one-China policy, but it's about identifying spaces for engagement that are not just sub-engagements under this broader umbrella of dealings with China," he said. Jerzewski also said that Chinese information operations are playing a big role in stoking division in Taiwan. He said that this has two objectives. The first is sowing the seeds of anti-Americanism. "Definitely in the current climate, with unpredictability reigned in by Trump 2.0, China has been gifted many narratives on a silver platter because there is no longer a need for them to produce this information. They can just amplify the actual headlines that are coming out of DC," he said. The second objective has always been to undermine democratic processes, trust, and the public trust in democratic processes and institutions, he added. However, Taiwan is also using technology to boost its own foreign policy standing. During the a recent speech by the Taiwanese president Lai Ching-te, he highlighted a need to turn Taiwan into an "AI island" and use its advantage of semiconductors to be ahead of the curve and embed Taiwan very firmly in those AI supply chains, so that giving up on Taiwan is more difficult for countries around the world. Taiwan also, in its National Security Act, included specific provisions for protecting its talent and technology. "I think that this legal change is a very conspicuous manifestation of this realisation about the simultaneous pursuit of both technological advancement and beefing up its security strategies," Jerzewski said. Securing Taiwan and Ukraine is key to global security, the legislator said, urging Europe to continue its support for Taiwan and Ukraine. "It serves both national interests and values as well. If you want to stay, if you want to live the way you want, freely, then we must stop them. "Because they are trying to undermine everything we are standing for, the way we live. We should not let that happen, because if it happened in Ukraine, it could happen to Poland. "If it happened to Taiwan, it could happen to other neighbours. So we have to stop the domino here," he said.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
IHKIB boosts Türkiye digital, eco fashion with Metamorphosis project
This initiative, backed by the Ministry of Industry and Technology, aims to bolster Türkiye's position in the global fashion market by embracing technological advancements and sustainable practices. At the project's culmination event, İHKİB vice-president Mustafa Paşahan remarked on the pivotal role of the apparel sector in spearheading digital and ecological innovation. Paşahan said: 'Despite the economic challenges over the past two years, we maintain a long-term perspective. The apparel industry will remain crucial for the Turkish economy for many years. With this awareness, we are designing the infrastructure that will strengthen our position in global trade.' The METAMORPHOSIS project, which secured a €10.4m grant from the EU, conducted a thorough analysis of the textile and apparel sectors, developing strategies for compliance with the EU Digital Single Market and establishing a roadmap for digital transformation. It facilitated institutional capacity-building, trained 125 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) representatives in digital fashion design, and provided digital maturity assessments for 60 SMEs. Moreover, over 100 SMEs benefited from digital transformation and social compliance consultancy services. According to Paşahan, the project has also delivered 100 testing and analysis services to improve quality standards and spearheaded R&D on Turkish organic cotton. The Digital Transformation Center (DDM), a project funded by the IHKIB and established in 2022, now functions as an evaluator in the ministry's digital transformation support programme, aiding businesses with assessments, roadmaps, and investment planning. Paşahan also stated that total EU grant support for various projects has reached €37m. He revealed that they have completed and publicly shared a Sustainability Action Plan for the apparel and textile sectors. This plan serves as a roadmap for alignment with the EU Green Deal. Plans are underway to initiate a project focused on tracking and reducing carbon footprints. Paşahan also emphasised that competing solely on price is no longer a sustainable strategy in the fashion industry. "Therefore, we must carve out a new path through value-added production. Design, innovation, and branding are key. Indeed, we have many successful brands. Our apparel brands operate over 3,000 stores in more than 100 countries. We take pride in our brands that are market leaders in their respective countries. 'All of this is important, but we also recognize that our future role in the global fashion industry will be shaped by our twin transformation performance. We aim to create a window of opportunity for our industry through this twin transformation,' he said. Zekeriya Coştu, Türkiye Industry and Technology Deputy Minister, highlighted the country's long-standing engagement with IPA funds since 2007. He noted that these financial aids have facilitated projects aimed at enhancing institutions' commercial and administrative capacities while addressing Türkiye's priorities in its journey toward EU membership. Coştu detailed that during the first phase of the Competitive Sectors Program—co-financed by the EU—46 projects were implemented across 43 cities with a budget totalling €500m; €400m sourced from EU funds and €100m from Türkiye's Ministry budget. For IPA-2, with a €260m budget for 43 new projects in 23 cities, the focus is on R&D, innovation, digital transformation, green transition, creative industries, and technology transfer. Coştu said: "Our goal is to integrate SMEs and entrepreneurs into a more sustainable, technology-rich, efficient, creative, and competitive ecosystem. In 23 cities, we have implemented 43 projects under the IPA-2 programme, with a total budget of €260m. 'Through the digital transformation projects we support in this phase, we ensure that our leading manufacturing and export sectors keep up with the demands of the digital era. Our efforts in artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and big data aim to position Türkiye as a leader in these rapidly evolving fields. 'We believe that the METAMORPHOSIS Project, implemented by İHKİB, will provide significant benefits to SMEs in Türkiye's apparel and textile sectors by enhancing digital transformation, ensuring compliance with international standards, and promoting eco-friendly solutions.' Counsellor at the EU Delegation to Türkiye, Jurgis Vilcinskas, also lauded the progress made by Turkish textile and apparel industries in aligning with EU standards. Since 2007, the EU has invested €780m in Türkiye's industrial competitiveness and innovation through the IPA programmes. While speaking with the media, Jurgis Vilcinskas said: 'I think it's amazing event because it gathers the industry players from textile and apparel it also brings the partners from European Union it also brings the people on the research side, those who are investing in digitalisation of the sector who are working on making industry more eco-friendly as well more sustainable so it's a nice Forum it's a nice platform to share the ideas and make the industry more competitive.' When asked about his thoughts on partnership in the IPA 2 project and what outcomes are expected, he said: 'From this collaboration European Union is helping to increase competitiveness of textile apparel sector already for many years and we work very closely we actually help Türkiye to build some very important clusters in the field. So for example, we helped establish Istanbul model Academy, we helped establish digital Transformation Center which will help small medium companies to go through this costly and difficult […] so we have a number of projects talking about metamorphosis project which is very much focused on digital transformation of the sector which helps actually do the audits of the companies to understand how they can improve how they can save on production and how they can build the production which is more closely linked to the consumer demands and also more efficient production wise.' On how the European Union supporting the Turkish textile industry and the main reasons behind this support, he added: 'Well there are very good reasons for this support because our markets are very closely integrated most of exports in Turkish textile and apparel sector they go to European Union more than 60% so your companies are integrated in European Supply chains. We learn from each other, we trade with each other and of course we're interested that Türkiye's companies adopt European environmental standards and also produce the products which sustainable which are recyclable, which are also environmentally friendly, so the partnership is really mutual and we hope that the trade volume will go even further.' Vilcinskas further added: 'In terms of overall support we so far invested TLR1.2bn in support on textile and apparel sector in particular for 2025. We plan to start a new project where the money will come from instrument for pre accession it will be roughly €7.5m and it will help the companies to companies transition to being more green more environmentally friendly.' "IHKIB boosts Türkiye digital, eco fashion with Metamorphosis project" was originally created and published by Just Style, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. 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