How can Ireland and other smaller European countries strengthen their digital capabilities, support business innovation and ensure they have a meaningful role in shaping Europe’s technology future? This was the focus of the OpenForum Europe Capital Series, held in Dublin on 13 October as an official associated event of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Organised by OpenForum Europe in collaboration with Trinity College Dublin, the ADAPT Research Ireland Centre, APELL and the Open Ireland Network, the forum brought together representatives from government, European institutions, research, business and the open-source community to discuss the opportunities and challenges presented by Europe’s evolving digital landscape.

The discussions centred on how open technologies can help smaller countries build their own capabilities, strengthen competitiveness and retain greater control over the digital systems on which they depend.

Shaping Europe’s digital future

The event featured keynote addresses from Ireland’s Government Chief Information Officer, Louise McKeever, and Dimitri Lorenzani, Head of Unit at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CNECT).

Their contributions brought Irish Government and European Commission perspectives to discussions on the opportunities for Ireland within Europe’s changing technology landscape.

A key focus was the European Commission’s Open Source Strategy, published in June as part of its Tech Sovereignty Package. The strategy sets out measures to support skills development, sustainable open-source businesses and greater use of open technologies in public procurement.

Participants considered how smaller Member States can help shape this agenda and translate European policy ambitions into practical benefits for their economies and businesses. Drawing on experience from Nordic and Baltic countries, discussions also highlighted the importance of collaboration across national borders, sectors and research communities.

Clara Thébert, Policy Advisor at OpenForum Europe, emphasised the importance of ensuring that smaller countries benefit from Europe’s open-source ambitions and have a meaningful role in shaping its technology agenda.

Ireland’s Presidency provides an opportunity to bring these perspectives into European policy discussions, exploring how countries can build digital capabilities, remain competitive and contribute to Europe’s wider digital future.

Open technologies and AI for Irish businesses

The forum also examined what open-source technologies and artificial intelligence mean in practice for Irish businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) seeking to adopt new technologies, develop products and reach customers across Europe.

A panel discussion, Open Source Technologies and AI for Irish SMEs: Unlocking Cross-Border Growth, was chaired by Olivia Waters, Head of Impact and Growth Strategy at the ADAPT Research Ireland Centre. Panellists included Jamie Hackett, CTO of AI² (AI Adoption Ireland); John Durcan, Chief Technologist at IDA Ireland; Aoife Tierney, Knowledge Transfer Manager at Trinity College Dublin; and Rhys Oxenham, VP for AI at SUSE.

The panel explored how open technologies can help SMEs adopt AI, maintain greater control over the technology they use, and turn research and innovation into products and services with potential to reach European markets.

These questions are particularly relevant as businesses navigate changing skills requirements, emerging technologies and competition across international markets. For smaller companies, access to appropriate expertise and technology can be important in determining how effectively they adopt AI and develop new opportunities for growth.

The discussion also highlighted the importance of connecting research, industry and policy to ensure that businesses can make practical use of technological advances.

Connecting research, policy and innovation

The OpenForum Europe Capital Series formed part of a wider programme of engagement during Ireland’s EU Presidency, creating opportunities to bring European policy priorities into conversation with Irish researchers, businesses and public-sector leaders.

For Trinity, the event reflected the value of collaboration across research, industry and government in addressing shared European challenges. Digital competitiveness and technological sovereignty are not only questions of technology development; they also involve skills, access, business capability and the ability of countries and organisations to shape the systems on which they rely.

By bringing these perspectives together, the forum contributed to wider discussions about how Europe can support innovation while ensuring that countries of different sizes can participate in and benefit from the digital transition.

As Ireland continues its Presidency of the Council of the EU, these conversations underscore the role of research, knowledge exchange and cross-border collaboration in helping shape Europe’s digital future.