- The European Union is considering working more closely with Japan on key technologies such as artificial intelligence, said Thierry Breton, the European Union’s head of industry.
- EU Commissioner Thierry Breton met with the Japanese government on Monday and said artificial intelligence would be a “very important topic” on his agenda, he said in a video posted to Twitter on Sunday.
- The EU seeks to “de-risk” China, and part of that strategy includes deepening ties with technology allies.
European Union Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, delivered a keynote speech at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Angel Garcia | Bloomberg | Getty Images
The European Union aims to reduce its dependence on China in certain areas, and the European Union is considering working more closely with Japan on key technologies such as artificial intelligence, said a European Union industry head. said.
EU Commissioner Thierry Breton met with the Japanese government on Monday and said artificial intelligence would be a “very important topic” on his agenda, he said in a video posted to Twitter on Sunday.
“I engage in it [the] The Japanese government … is looking at how the digital space, including AI, can be organized based on shared values,” Bretton said.
Breton also said an EU-Japan Digital Partnership Council will be held to discuss areas such as quantum and high-performance computing. The EU held a similar council meeting with South Korea last week, and the two countries agreed to cooperate on technologies such as AI and cybersecurity.
As the EU seeks to “ditch the risk” of China, partnerships with major Asian powers with strong tech sectors are realized, but this is a different approach than the US, which seeks to decouple from China’s economy. .
Part of the EU strategy includes deepening ties with technology allies.
Breton told Reuters on Monday that Block and Japan would cooperate on semiconductors. Japan is an important country in the semiconductor supply chain, and Tokyo aims to strengthen domestic industry. Last week, a fund backed by the Japanese government proposed to buy domestic semiconductor manufacturer JSR for about 903.9 billion yen ($6.3 billion).
The EU is also looking to strengthen its own semiconductor industry across the region.
Semiconductors are critical components that go into everything from cars to smartphones, with potential military applications. Countries around the world are reviewing their supply chains, and some, like the United States, are considering bringing semiconductor manufacturing back home.
Semiconductors are also key to training artificial intelligence models. AI and chips are seen as two key technology areas for him in the future, and countries are looking to capitalize on this area.
At the same time, the United States, in particular, is trying to cut China off from critical technologies such as semiconductors through export controls, and Washington is trying to convince its European allies to join.
The Netherlands, home to ASML, one of the world’s most important semiconductor companies, last week announced new export controls on advanced semiconductor equipment.
