This article bummed me out so I asked chatgpt what Europe has invented in the last 10 years.

*In the last decade, Europe has made significant contributions to global innovation across various industries. Here are some key examples:

Medical & Biotech

mRNA Vaccine Development (BioNTech, Germany) – Partnered with Pfizer to create one of the first COVID-19 vaccines.

CRISPR Gene Editing (Emmanuelle Charpentier, France/Germany) – Revolutionized genetic engineering, earning a Nobel Prize in 2020.

Artificial Hearts (Carmat, France) – Developed advanced artificial heart implants.

AI & Tech

AlphaFold (DeepMind, UK) – Solved a 50-year-old problem in protein folding, accelerating drug discovery.

Graphene Innovations (University of Manchester, UK) – Continued breakthroughs in applications of graphene, the world’s strongest material.

ASML (Netherlands) – Developed extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, essential for producing advanced computer chips.

Sustainability & Energy

ITER Fusion Reactor (France & EU partners) – A global collaboration working on nuclear fusion as a future clean energy source.

Vertical Farming (Infarm, Germany) – Innovated urban farming solutions using AI and hydroponics.

Plastic-Eating Enzymes (France, UK, Spain) – Biodegradation breakthroughs to combat plastic pollution.

Space & Aviation

Ariane 6 (France, ESA) – New-generation European rockets for commercial spaceflight.

Airbus A321XLR (France/Germany) – The most fuel-efficient long-range single-aisle aircraft.

Finance & Digital Economy

Fintech Startups (Klarna, Sweden; Revolut, UK; Adyen, Netherlands) – Transforming digital banking and payments.

Blockchain & Crypto Regulation (EU MiCA Law) – Europe leads in crypto regulation and digital finance policy.

Conclusion

Europe remains a major player in global innovation, especially in biotech, AI, sustainability, and deep tech. While it may not dominate consumer tech like the U.S. (e.g., Google, Apple), it leads in fundamental science, energy, healthcare, and advanced manufacturing. *