On 4 November, Barbara Lazarotto, Managing Director of the Hub, attended the high-level event “Can Europe Foster a Global Tech & AI Revolution?”, held by Clifford Chance in Brussels.

The event brought together leading policymakers, academics, and industry representatives to discuss how Europe can unlock investment, drive innovation, and strengthen its position as a major hub for technology and artificial intelligence.

The conference coincided with the launch of a landmark academic study on the economic impact of the GDPR and examined how a simplified and innovation-friendly regulatory environment could promote sustainable growth across Europe’s digital economy.

The programme featured a keynote address by Leo Varadkar, former Irish Taoiseach, followed by remarks from Professor Francesco Decarolis (Bocconi University), author of the new report. A distinguished panel then discussed the balance between regulation and competitiveness in the European digital landscape, including Karolina Mojzesowicz(Deputy Head of Unit, Data Protection, European Commission), Natascha Gerlach (Center for Information Policy Leadership), Benoit Oberle (Sirdata), and Helen Dixon, former Data Protection Commissioner for Ireland. The discussion was moderated by Phillip Souta, Global Director of Tech Policy at Clifford Chance.

Barbara’s attendance highlighted the Hub’s ongoing engagement with EU-level discussions on data governance, innovation, and regulatory reform.