Universities and competitiveness. A big picture view on the EU’s new policy paradigm and the implications for universities

The EU's new policy paradigm heavily emphasizes 

competitiveness, security, and sustainable prosperity, positioning universities as crucial assets for innovation, skills, and tech leadership (AI, green tech) to counter geopolitical shifts. Universities are responding by embracing this, but the EUA (European University Association)report highlights risks like instrumentalization and calls for strong autonomy, sustainable core funding, and strategic vision to avoid being mere tools, offering future scenarios (resurrection, tech oligarchy, fragmentation) to guide long-term planning. 

https://eua.eu/images/publications/Publication_PDFs/Universities_and_competitiveness.pdf