Euroviews. Innovation in Europe is falling behind. What can we do to catch up?

Historically, China stood out as a leader in technology and innovation, often surpassing Western advancements. 

Throughout the 18th century, China’s development matched that of Britain in terms of literacy, life expectancy, and GDP.

Within Chinese culture, there is even the concept of The Four Great Inventions, discoveries from ancient China celebrated for their historical significance as symbols of advanced technology: the compass, gunpowder, papermaking, and printing. It took centuries for these to reach Europe.

Then came the transformative impact of the Industrial Revolution, accelerating economic growth and life expectancy throughout Europe and the US. 

However, although leaps and bounds ahead of Europe throughout much of history, China missed out on the Industrial Revolution that transformed Europe in the 19th century. Why?

The development of pre-industrial technologies often involved trial-and-error, changing or combining existing technology until reaching a desired outcome without necessarily understanding how it worked. These solutions were low-tech.

Scientific thinking allowed people to understand how the world around them worked, limiting the need for trial and error. This birthed a science-based approach focusing on technologies most likely to work: deep tech innovation.

Whilst Europe was engaging in, and benefitting from, deep-tech innovation, China continued to rely on low-tech trial-and-error. This led to a significant development gap as Europe propelled forward with developments such as mechanised textile making, steam engines, and iron making.

Despite being considered a global powerhouse of innovation just a century ago, 21st-century Europe finds itself in a similar position to that of China at the dawn of the