The Future of EU Collaborations: Geopolitical Shifts and Legal Implications

In an era of intensifying global geopolitical tensions, the European Union is redefining the principles of openness, trust, and strategic collaboration—particularly in digital infrastructure, AI, and cybersecurity. This presentation explores how recent EU legislation and court rulings reshape international cooperation in light of growing concerns about security, economic coercion, and foreign influence.

In the presentation we will analyse the effect and impact of amongst others the AI Action Plan, Cyber Resilience Act and the 5G Cybersecurty Toolbox, alongside recent binding legal instruments including the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR), International Procurement Instrument (IPI), and Anti-Coercion Instrument (ACI). This by going beyond traditional cybersecurity to describe what it means to participate in Europe’s digital and research ecosystems, affecting universities, research networks and understand how EU legal tools operationalise strategic autonomy and intersect with broader geopolitical and trade dynamics.