Spotify CEO Daniel Ek: Europe Is Falling Behind - Here Is How to Fix It | MD MEETS #4

In this new episode of MD MEETS, Axel Springer CEO Mathias Döpfner sits down with Spotify founder and CEO Daniel Ek for a focused conversation about Europe’s future - what it is, what it could be, and what it must become.

Ek argues that Europe’s challenge is not talent but throughput - too little R&D, too few scaled software companies, and a culture that stigmatizes risk. He points to a simple lever with outsized impact: channel even 1 percent of Europe’s vast savings into innovation, and the continent could double its venture firepower and unlock a new generation of builders. Policy and power matter, too. Energy costs are a brake on competitiveness, while smart regulation in fintech shows where Europe can lead. Ek makes the case for investing in AI and new defense technologies that raise deterrence at lower cost to human life - and for a more confident Europe that can defend itself while deepening the transatlantic alliance.

Can Europe turn world-class talent into world-class scale? And will the next decade be the moment when Europe stops admiring its past and starts building its future?

0:00:00 – Introducing Spotify CEO Daniel Ek
0:00:23 – Why Daniel Ek Still Believes in Europe
0:01:17 – Why Europe Is Falling Behind in Innovation
0:04:26 – European Patriot or Global Citizen?
0:06:55 – How Europe Can Unlock Its Full Potential
0:11:22 – Taking Risks: What Europe Can Learn from the US
0:15:01 – Is Europe Overregulated or Just Playing It Safe?
0:27:58 – Should Europe Return to Nuclear Power?
0:31:52 – How to Cut Red Tape and Make Europe Move Faster
0:37:07 – Europe and America: Can the Transatlantic Relationship Survive?
0:40:56 – War, Defence and AI: Daniel Ek on Europe’s New Reality
0:48:57 – AI Defence, Smart Drones and the Future of Security
0:55:36 – Daniel Ek: “I Want to See Europe Do Better”
0:58:23 – The Next Decade: Daniel Ek on the Future of Europe

--
MDMEETS with Mathias Döpfner brings unedited conversations with the world’s most influential voices. From politics and science to arts and business, each episode dives into the most pressing issues of our time - and sometimes the completely unexpected.

Subscribe for essential insights, candid perspectives, and the dialogues that matter most

Video:    / @mdmeets   | Instagram: instagram.com/mdmeets | Web: https://mdmeets.com | Mail: [email protected]

MD MEETS is a podcast of Axel Springer SE. Produced by Daniel van Moll. All rights reserved

Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this content is prohibited. For more information and updates, follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/mdmeets