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

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 — Intro07:08 — Davos and the geopolitics of AI12:03 — Why the EU lacks a long-term strategy for AI and digital policy16:09 — The “European Way”: Partnerships and more focus on  areas where the EU could actually lead24:00 — Beyond scattered Moonshots: Making AI work across the European economy27:58 — AI Factories and Digital Innovation Hubs? That's not enough! The EU needs an AI innovation ecosystem31:09 — 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 short50:08 — Why the EU policy cycle is broken — and why Kai calls for more courage and bold political leadership53:25 — The biggest risks & opportunities in 2026 for the EU's digital policy 57:42 — The surprising impact of public procurement on the AI startup ecosystemFollow Kai Zenner on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kzenner/?skipRedirect=trueWebsite: https://www.kaizenner.eu/