Alexander Rinke, co-founder and co-CEO of Celonis, warns that Europe must develop its own AI champions and sovereign AI technologies to avoid falling further behind the US economically and to secure a stake in the booming AI economy.
- Europe's GDP gap with the US risks widening without strong AI players
- Sovereign AI means owning model weights and protecting sensitive data
- Celonis advocates for tailored AI models and open platforms within Europe
What happened
At HumanX in Amsterdam in September 2026, Alexander Rinke discussed Europe's competitive stance in the global AI landscape during a panel and podcast interview. He referenced Europe’s economic position compared to the US over the last 30 years, highlighting a significant relative decline and cautioning against allowing AI to accelerate this gap.
Rinke, whose company Celonis specializes in process intelligence and AI-driven business optimization, called for the emergence of strong European AI companies that can foster a sovereign AI ecosystem. He stressed the importance of European entities controlling their data, intellectual property, and AI model weights to maintain autonomy and competitive advantage.
Why it matters
Europe's slower GDP growth relative to the US signals the risk of losing influence in future technology-driven markets like AI. By building sovereign AI capabilities, Europe can ensure its businesses and governments participate fully in the economic benefits AI will generate.
Rinke’s perspective underscores the critical need for open, adaptable AI platforms that can be tailored to unique organizational processes and deployed within sovereign environments. This approach protects sensitive data and complies with privacy concerns, which is paramount in the increasingly regulated European tech ecosystem.
What to watch next
Industry observers should follow how Celonis expands its Context Model and AI solutions that integrate with open-source technologies to personalize AI use cases for diverse business tasks. The company’s recent acquisition of MIT spin-off Ikigai Labs reveals a focus on specialized AI models for time-series and simulation, enhancing its strategic market offerings.
The broader European AI landscape will be shaped by initiatives to foster local champions and investments into sovereign AI platforms. Stakeholders should watch government policies and collaborations aimed at developing infrastructure that safeguards data sovereignty while driving innovation across the AI value chain.