As the EU seeks to strengthen its economic position in an increasingly competitive global environment, its ability to develop, scale, and deploy new technologies will be critical. Yet technological innovation alone will not guarantee greater competitiveness. Investment conditions, infrastructure, regulation, access to capital and skills, industrial capacity, and cross-border cooperation will all shape whether technological advances can translate into sustainable economic growth.
Germany, Italy, and Poland offer a particularly valuable lens through which to examine these questions. As three of the EU’s largest economies, they combine significant economic and political weight with different industrial structures, innovation ecosystems, and experiences of digital transformation. Their geographic positions and economic profiles also bring together perspectives from Northern, Southern, Central, and Eastern Europe. Closer cooperation among the three countries therefore offers an opportunity to identify shared interests and develop approaches that can contribute to the broader debate on the EU’s future competitiveness.
Program Structure
From September 2026 to August 2027, the project brings together up to 24 decision makers and experts from Germany, Italy, and Poland – eight from each country – representing government and the public sector, business, academia, think tanks, and civil society. The cohort will participate in a structured foresight process combining four digital sessions with three in-person meetings in Berlin, Rome, and Brussels.
Rather than focusing primarily on current policy debates, the foresight process encourages participants to take a longer-term perspective. Through expert input, facilitated discussions, scenario development, and collaborative exercises, participants will identify key technological, economic, political, and geopolitical drivers that could shape the EU’s digital competitiveness over the coming decade. Particular attention will be given to critical uncertainties and to how different developments could interact to produce alternative futures for the EU economy.
Building on this analysis, participants will develop a set of future scenarios and examine their implications for Germany, Italy, Poland, and the EU as a whole. The process will explore where the three countries share interests, where their approaches and priorities differ, and where closer coordination could generate tangible benefits. In doing so, the project seeks to move beyond identifying challenges toward developing concrete pathways for cooperation.
Project Timeline
Participation in the project spans approximately ten months, from the first digital foresight sessions in November 2026 through the concluding meeting in Brussels in June 2027. Participants are expected to take part in the full process, with each meeting building on the discussions and outcomes of the previous sessions.
November 2026 | Virtual Meetings 1 & 2
The cohort comes together for the first time and begins the foresight process by establishing a common foundation and identifying key drivers and uncertainties shaping the future of the EU’s digital competitiveness. Participants will also take a deeper look at industrial digitalization and the application of AI, exploring how technological advances can affect productivity and industrial competitiveness.
Early December 2026 | Berlin – First In-Person Meeting
The first in-person meeting brings the full cohort together in Berlin to deepen the foresight work and strengthen relationships across the three countries. Participants will identify key uncertainties and strategic variables shaping digital competitiveness and begin clustering the central themes that will inform the development of future scenarios. The program will also include engagement with relevant stakeholders in Berlin.
January 2027 | Virtual Meeting 3
Participants reconvene digitally to further develop and test the emerging scenarios, compare perspectives across the three countries, and begin identifying the strategic trade-offs they may entail.
Late February 2027 | Rome – Second In-Person Meeting
The cohort meets in Rome to examine the implications of the emerging scenarios and combine the foresight work with national case studies and policy discussions. Together, participants will explore opportunities for trilateral cooperation and begin translating the scenarios into potential areas for action. The program will also include exchanges with relevant local stakeholders.
March 2027 | Virtual Meeting 4
The final digital session consolidates the cohort’s foresight work and translates the emerging scenarios into policy-relevant implications, priorities, and potential pathways for cooperation.
June 2027 | Brussels – Final In-Person Meeting
The project concludes in Brussels, where participants discuss the final findings and recommendations and bring the results of the foresight process into dialogue with a broader EU policy audience.
Call for Applications
Applications for the cohort will open soon. Aspen Germany welcomes applications from mid- to senior-level experts and decision makers from government, business, academia, think tanks, and civil society in Germany, Italy, and Poland. Participants will have the opportunity to build new cross-border relationships, exchange perspectives with peers from different sectors, and contribute to the development of forward-looking ideas for strengthening the EU’s digital competitiveness.
Travel and accommodation costs associated with the in-person meetings will be covered in accordance with the applicable guidelines of the German Federal Government.
The project is led by the Aspen Institute Germany, which retains full editorial independence over the project and its findings. Its project partners are Aspen Institute Central Europe and Aspen Institute Italia. The project is financially supported by Meta Platforms Ireland Limited (Meta).
