Vietnam is quietly transforming. Often seen merely as a hub for outsourcing, the country is stepping into the global spotlight as a rising technological and economic power. Behind its rapid growth lies a defining advantage: a young, ambitious and technologically literate population that is driving innovation across sectors.
Innovation in Asia is too often reduced to scale, speed and state power. Yet some of the most consequential debates about technology today are not being driven by corporations or governments alone, but by individuals who understand how innovation intersects with democracy, geopolitics and human dignity.
Europe’s conversation about artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly mature. We debate regulation, ethics, sovereignty and competitiveness. We compare ecosystems, discuss talent shortages and measure ourselves against the United States and China.
Japan does not approach artificial intelligence as a race to be won. There are no grand declarations about supremacy, no promises of disruption at scale. Instead, AI in Japan emerges quietly, embedded in factories, hospitals and care facilities — shaped by necessity rather than ambition.
When Warren Buffett speaks, markets listen. His annual letters are dissected line by line, his investment choices treated as signals of economic truth. Yet far from the spotlight, a far larger and arguably more consequential investor shapes global capitalism with almost no noise at all. Norway’s Government Pension Fund Global — often called the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund — does not try to beat the market. It is the market.
Quantum computing is often presented as a technological race: who has the most qubits, the lowest error rates or the boldest scientific claims. That framing is misleading. The real story unfolding in 2025 is not about hardware benchmarks, but about how societies choose to organize technological power.
Algorithms rarely draw attention to themselves. They do not speak, persuade or campaign. Yet they increasingly decide how we move through cities, how markets function and how information reaches us. Their influence is subtle, procedural — and deeply political. To understand why algorithms matter today, it helps to start somewhere deceptively simple.
Artificial intelligence is often discussed at the level of cloud infrastructure, foundation models and geopolitics. Yet its most immediate societal impact may unfold much closer to home. As AI increasingly becomes embedded in consumer products — from smart appliances to home automation systems — European retailers find themselves at the frontline of the next phase of AI adoption. MediaMarktSaturn Group, Europe’s largest consumer electronics retailer, offers a revealing lens into how this transition may unfold.
Last Friday at Nieuwspoort, former ASML CEO Peter Wennink presented his report, “The Netherlands: From Delay to Action”, outlining a roadmap for the country’s economic future. Central to his vision is a shift toward a technologically advanced and highly productive society, supported by top-tier education and resilient economic structures. Wennink emphasizes that the Netherlands cannot rely on incremental policy adjustments alone; achieving long-term prosperity requires decisive action to secure technological leadership and strengthen national earning capacity.
Artificial intelligence is no longer a peripheral technology for Europe’s telecom operators. Companies such as Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile and KPN are increasingly embedding AI deep into their networks, operations and strategic positioning. What was once a tool for optimization is now becoming a prerequisite for survival in a sector under pressure from low margins, heavy regulation and global technological competition.
