DEA at Digital Euro Lab – How Europe Wins: The Future of its Sovereignty

European innovation around the Digital Euro is gaining momentum, but its launch still raises a crucial question: What happens to the infrastructure that already exists?

At the Digital Euro Lab, of the European Forum Alpbach, hosted by the Oesterreichische Nationalbank and Deutsche Bundesbank, DEA Executive Director Anne-Sophie Kappel joined an invitation-only group of experts and stakeholders to explore exactly that.

Across the EFA26 forum, several key takeaways emerged:

• An Ecosystem Effort: A successful market introduction requires collaboration across the entire ecosystem.
• Trust & Communication: Clear messaging and trust will determine whether public stakeholders are willing to adopt the Digital Euro.
• Seamless Usability: User experience will dictate long-term adoption.

However, its longer-term contribution to European sovereignty and competitiveness may also depend on whether the market can innovate and build on top of it.

This opens up a much bigger conversation around interoperability, open standards, incentives, and the conditions needed to turn public infrastructure into a foundation for European innovation. 🚀

The DEA extends its sincere thanks to Petia Niederländer and the Oesterreichische Nationalbank, Dr. Alexandra Hachmeister and the Deutsche Bundesbank, Three Coins, and all participants for an excellent few days of exchange. 🤝

📑Read more insights in the exclusive DEA Member Brief. Access is reserved for DEA members—learn more about DEA memberships here.

 Below, you can find a selection of photos from the event.