New ETNC 2026 Report Maps Europe's Technological Relationship with China

China has become a major competitor in sectors ranging from electric mobility and renewable energy to artificial intelligence, telecommunications and advanced manufacturing. At the same time, European companies, universities and public institutions remain closely connected to Chinese suppliers, markets and research partners. The report shows that these ties increasingly involve difficult choices between access to affordable technologies and innovation on the one hand, and the protection of European competitiveness, infrastructure and technological capacity on the other. 

The Czech chapter, written by Jan Švec and Aleš Karmazin from the Department of International Relations and European Studies at Metropolitan University Prague, examines the contrast between limited Chinese investment and the extensive presence of Chinese products and technologies in the Czech economy. Czech industry, including the automotive sector, relies heavily on imported Chinese components, while Chinese consumer electronics, solar technologies and selected industrial products are widely used. The authors therefore describe a gap between the country's tendency to view Chinese technology through a security lens and its continued economic and technological exposure through trade and supply chains. 

The report concludes that closer European coordination will be essential as China strengthens its position in high-tech industries and innovation. Europe will need to support its own industrial and research capacity while determining where cooperation with China remains beneficial and where greater diversification or protection is required. 

Read the full report and the Czech chapter to explore how European countries are responding to China’s growing role as a technology and innovation power.