European Tech Insights 2025 Reveals Growing Openness to China

European citizens show stronger support for closer ties to China and call for a tougher stance on the US and Big Tech. These are some of the main findings of the ‘European Tech Insights Report 2025’, the CGC's annual survey on European attitudes towards technological and geopolitical change.

This year’s edition captures how Europeans are embracing technological progress while remaining true to their social and human values. Findings show growing support for Europe’s technological and defense sovereignty, stronger calls for a firm stance toward the US and tech firms, and a notable rise in openness to China - a 15-point rise in approval for deeper engagement with the country since 2023. Time and again, Europeans express support for technological advancement if it reinforces security, inclusion, and social welfare; and resistance when change feels imposed, unaccountable or misaligned with the values that define their societies.

Key findings include: 

• Technology with purpose. Across Europe, citizens express strong support for technological advancement when it promotes inclusion and well-being. While only 22% see competitiveness as Europe’s main technological goal, 42% prioritize safety and resilience, and 36% favor inclusion. A large majority (71%) would prefer public funds to be directed toward education and healthcare rather than simply boosting AI competitiveness. For Europeans, technology is most valuable when it enhances social welfare.
• An informed approach to AI. Europeans are calling for responsible and ethical AI development. The report reveals that a vast majority oppose its use in contexts that involve care or ethical judgment: 77% reject AI in their children’s education, 81% would not trust it to manage their finances, and 90% prefer a human manager to an automated one. These results reflect a desire for technology that respects human values and accountability.
• Confidence in Europe’s global role. In a shifting geopolitical environment, Europeans continue to see the US as a strategic ally while growing more open to Beijing, with support for closer ties rising 15 points since 2023 (and up to 39% of under 25 siding with China). Nearly four in ten citizens believe Europe should assert itself more strongly in response to US and Big Tech influence. According to the report’s authors, these attitudes reflect a Europe that is increasingly confident and autonomous on the world stage.
• A stronger commitment to European sovereignty. The CGC report highlights that technological and defense sovereignty have become central to public opinion. Almost half of Europeans (47%) would accept higher defense spending even at the cost of social programs. Most citizens (63%) prefer European-made security technologies, even at a higher price, and 72% want sensitive data stored exclusively on European servers. These findings highlight a collective will to strengthen Europe’s capacity, security, and independence.

“Understanding how technology is transforming society has become a strategic imperative", noted Irene Blázquez-Navarro, Director at the IE Center for the Governance of Change. "At the Center, we map its impact on politics, prosperity, peace, and security, working across institutions and sectors while recognizing one decisive actor: citizens. Only an informed and critically engaged public can ensure that technological change strengthens our collective future. Our European Tech Insights project embodies this conviction”.

“Europeans are sending a nuanced message: they seem to embrace technological progress, but not if it undermines security or their social safety net”, said Carlos Luca de Tena, Executive Director at the IE Center for the Governance of Change. “The data also reveals a call for innovation that not only serves people and societies, but strengthens the continent’s ability to act independently on the global stage.”

*Survey Methodology. The European Tech Insights 2025 survey was conducted in October 2025. It gathered responses from over 3,000 adults across ten countries: Estonia, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The samples were nationally representative in terms of age, gender, region, and education level.

Click here to read the full report