Europe’s Green Tech Development Security Challenges

This project examines the escalating security threats facing Europe’s green technology research and innovation ecosystem, which has become a strategic target despite achieving significant milestones including €93.5 billion in Horizon Europe investment and 48% renewable electricity generation. The project addresses how state-sponsored espionage, cyber attacks, and strategic acquisitions threaten both climate goals and technological sovereignty.
European green technology leadership faces systematic exploitation through multiple threat vectors that undermine competitive advantages and create dangerous dependencies. Cyber-enabled intellectual property theft has quadrupled since 2015, imposing €60 billion in annual economic costs while renewable energy companies endure approximately 1,000 daily cyberattacks. State-sponsored groups conduct sophisticated campaigns stealing sensitive technology data aligned with strategic competitors’ industrial development goals, from solar panel designs to wind turbine control systems.
Critical supply chain vulnerabilities compound digital threats through concentrated dependencies on geopolitical rivals. China controls 98% of rare earth elements, 97% of magnesium, and 60-70% of lithium and cobalt refining essential for green technologies, while dominating 75% of global solar manufacturing and 37% of electric vehicle battery production. Foreign investment patterns create additional exposure through strategic acquisitions that establish operational footholds with potential intelligence gathering capabilities.