AI as a driver of business innovation: Europe’s challenge to lead the data economy

Artificial intelligence is no longer merely a technological tool: it has become a critical factor in competitiveness, innovation and business growth. Europe has distinctive strengths — such as its industrial capacity, leadership in exports and regulatory framework — but it needs to accelerate the creation of sovereign digital infrastructures, specialised talent and open data ecosystems to compete with global AI giants. In this context, companies such as Telefónica play a key role in driving infrastructure, connectivity, edge computing, data spaces and business transformation based on responsib