Europe’s Innovation Crisis: A Personal Perspective on Why the Continent Is Falling Behind

(All photos in this article were taken by me, the author, personally with an iPhone during my recent trip in Europe. They are not necessarily explanatory to the contents of this article.)

The headlines are full of it: countless papers trying to explain why Europe is lagging behind North America and East Asia in cutting-edge technology. The analyses point to everything from a lack of venture capital to a culture of bureaucracy. But for someone who has just completed a PhD in engineering in the UK, these arguments often feel abstract.

My experience points to something more fundamental, a series of personal, concrete encounters that might resonate more with people outside the world of socioeconomic research. While these anecdotes are my own, I believe they reveal a deeper truth about the European mindset that stifles the very innovation it claims to seek.

1. The 18-Year-Old Ceiling: Trapped by Your First Choice
2. The Curse of Curiosity: Penalized for Knowing Too Much
3. The ‘Unicorn’ Applicant: Europe’s Impossible Job Requirements
4. Skills Over Vision: The Myopia of Immediate Profit
5. Final Thoughts: Is Europe Trading Innovation for Inexperience?

The 18-Year-Old Ceiling: Trapped by Your First Choice

As I was finishing my bachelor’s in mechanical engineering at a university in Wales, I was eager to pivot. I applied for a master’s in robotics and automation at a world-renowned Swedish university and another in electronics in Denmark. Both rejected me within a week. The reason was identical: “your bachelor’s course is not in robotics, computer science or electrical engineering… you don’t have the fundamental knowledge.”

The same wall appeared when I finished my M.Sc. in renewable energy. My dissertation was in computational physics, and I wanted to dive deeper with a PhD in that field. I applied for doctoral positions across Norway, the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark. Again, the rejections came swiftly, echoing the same logic: “Your bachelor’s degree is in mechanical engineering, which means you don’t have sufficient knowledge of mathematics or physics…”

I eventually found a PhD position in the UK in 3D data analysis, in which I could continue my curiosity. Yet, even there, the mindset persisted. During presentations, professors from mainland Europe would often ignore my research and question my background: “Who admitted you? You didn’t study computer science. You don’t have the fundamental knowledge.” (For the record, I am now a PhD in engineering with two publications, while a colleague with the “perfect” CV failed his second-year annual review.)

This doctrine seems to be embedded in European talent acquisition: you must decide your entire career path at 18. Any deviation, any sign of evolving interests or discovering new talents, is seen not as growth, but as a flaw. Geniuses like John B. Goodenough or Steve Jobs, who famously changed directions, would likely have been told “no” in Europe. In Germany and the Netherlands, this can start even earlier, with children sorted into technical or academic tracks at age 12.

The Curse of Curiosity: Penalized for Knowing Too Much

In my spare time, I took courses on Coursera in political science and economics. In my undergraduate years, I even managed to publish an op-ed in the Financial Times on macroeconomic issues. To me, this was broadening my horizons. To potential European employers, it was a stigma.

In a few interviews, the ridicule was barely concealed. One interviewer said, “We invited you mainly to tell you that your CV doesn’t look like a professional engineering graduate. We just want to know why you studied those irrelevant courses…”

Others simply couldn’t comprehend it. When applying for computational engineering PhDs, professors were baffled that a mechanical engineering graduate could program in Python or understand partial differential equations. The assumption was that my knowledge couldn’t possibly extend beyond the title on my diploma.

This narrow-mindedness extends beyond just me. Several PhD colleagues who applied for jobs in market research and business intelligence were rejected with feedback like: “As a PhD in engineering, it is difficult to imagine that you know what is going on in society and business.” In the age of AI, where interdisciplinary skills are paramount, Europe seems determined to keep its experts in neatly defined, isolated boxes.

The ‘Unicorn’ Applicant: Europe’s Impossible Job Requirements

Ironically, while penalizing knowledge outside a degree’s scope, European institutions demand omnipotent candidates. I’ve saved two perfect examples. The first is a PhD position from a top Swiss university, which was published about three years ago. The ideal applicant needed:

• A bachelor’s in mechanical/structural/aerospace engineering AND a master’s in robotics/software/computing.
• High proficiency in Python, C++, C AND Haskell.
• Mastery of structural mechanics, cost accounting, software engineering, deep learning, business valuation AND European sustainability laws.
• Fluency in English, German AND French.
• To have completed their master’s within the last two years.

The second was an entry-level job from a British corporation in 2024, requiring a new hire to seemingly build an entire department from scratch:

• A Master’s or PhD in mechanical engineering, robotics, software engineering or physics.
• At least three years of work experience in R&D, marketing AND business analytics.
• Educational AND career experience in multiple countries.
• Proficiency in LLMs, pattern recognition AND UX design.
• Practical experience in designing optical devices AND sensors.
• Knowledge of the British AND EU laws.
• A UK driving licence.

The salary for this “prodigy” position, based near London? An annual salary of £40,000 (about $51,100 or €47,400 at the time). A friend in HR at a major German company confirmed this isn’t unusual. She told me they have positions that have been open for years because not a single applicant has ever met all 17 of their rigid requirements.

Skills Over Vision: The Myopia of Immediate Profit

European leaders talk a big game about attracting foreign scientists, but the job market tells a different story. The market is friendliest to vocations with immediately applicable, non-academic skills. This isn’t to disparage any profession, but to highlight a stark reality: Europe prefers personnel who can deliver immediate profit, often at the expense of those with a vision for the future. The latter are simply branded “unskilled.”

This creates a significant “brain drain.” I’ve seen visiting PhD students from Asia, brilliant researchers, struggle to find an employer willing to sponsor a work visa. European companies argue that researchers don’t have “business-ready skills” like a technician. Yet, according to these same students, a cook from their home countries could get permanent residency in the EU in two weeks with near-100% certainty.

For the few PhDs who do land a corporate job, they are often treated as mere “programmers,” their advanced training in critical thinking, creativity and innovation completely ignored. They are stuck at the same level as a bachelor’s graduate. So when Silicon Valley, Dubai or Singapore comes calling with a million-dollar package, why would they stay?

Final Thoughts: Is Europe Trading Innovation for Inexperience?

I’ve always believed that to understand a society, you must look at the unquantifiable phenomena—the shared attitudes that shape the statistics. My personal journey may be an outlier, but the stories all point in the same direction.

Europe’s innovation problem isn’t just about funding or policy; it’s cultural. It’s a deep-seated belief system that prioritizes:

• Rigid, linear career paths defined at age 18.
• Punishing interdisciplinary curiosity instead of rewarding it.
• An obsessive hunt for the perfect “unicorn” employee, who doesn’t exist.
• A short-sighted focus on immediate profits over long-term vision.
• A chicken-and-egg obsession with experience, even for internships meant to provide it.

The frontiers of technology are not forged by experience alone. Revolutionary products and world-changing ideas come from sparks of ingenuity, from creative minds given the freedom to explore, pivot, and combine disparate fields. Experience is valuable, but in today’s rapidly changing world, an over-reliance on it has become a lock on the door to inspiration. In the global race for the future, Europe seems to be driving with its eyes fixed firmly on the rearview mirror.