Rob Hoeijmakers
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Reskilling the Mind: Europe’s Next Transition
Future of Work

Reskilling the Mind: Europe’s Next Transition

No one truly knows what lies ahead. We can sense that work is changing, that the ground beneath knowledge and skill is moving, but the direction is still uncertain. This article is an exploration, a way to think aloud about what reskilling could mean for Europe when intelligence, both human and art
07 Nov 2025 3 min read
The Real Cost of Leaving Microsoft 365
AI Governance

The Real Cost of Leaving Microsoft 365

The ICC left Microsoft 365 for OpenDesk, trading convenience for control. A lesson in digital self-awareness and the true cost of sovereignty.
05 Nov 2025 6 min read
The Paradox of Sovereignty: Europe’s Search for Freedom in a Connected World
Europe

The Paradox of Sovereignty: Europe’s Search for Freedom in a Connected World

The EU talks about digital sovereignty as independence, yet its strength still depends on shared systems, U.S. clouds, and global code.
30 Oct 2025 4 min read
Elections and AI
AI Strategy

Elections and AI

Two reports on AI and politics sparked debate in the Netherlands. Beyond the headlines lies a deeper unease: how do we live with technologies that not only reflect language but act within it?
27 Oct 2025 3 min read
Reading Breakneck by Dan Wang
Europe

Reading Breakneck by Dan Wang

Few books capture our accelerating era like Dan Wang’s Breakneck: global, personal, and clear-eyed about what drives modern change.
23 Oct 2025 5 min read
From Free to Paid: Choosing the Right AI Model (with a European Lens)
Europe

From Free to Paid: Choosing the Right AI Model (with a European Lens)

Building on Ethan Mollick’s excellent ‘Opinionated Guide to Using AI Right Now’, this article explores how to choose between the leading AI systems. And what a European perspective adds when moving from free to paid use.
20 Oct 2025 6 min read
Investing in Atoms: Alain le Loux on Building the Deeptech Future
Europe

Investing in Atoms: Alain le Loux on Building the Deeptech Future

Deeptech demands patience, guts, and hands-on conviction. This article profiles Alain le Loux and the rare venture model behind Europe’s hardware hopes.
05 Sep 2025 5 min read
Streams and Archives: Two Ways of Living with Our Digital Data
Europe

Streams and Archives: Two Ways of Living with Our Digital Data

Personal data lives in two worlds: flowing streams of fresh information and enduring archives of credentials. Both shape our digital future.
28 Aug 2025 4 min read
An interview on the structural gaps holding Europe back in deeptech
Europe Featured

An interview on the structural gaps holding Europe back in deeptech

Deeptech isn’t SaaS. It’s often slow, risky, physical and still underfunded in Europe. What’s behind the gap with the US? A rare cross-Atlantic perspective.
20 Aug 2025 3 min read
Wero: Europe’s new payment brand
Europe

Wero: Europe’s new payment brand

Wero is Europe’s bid for payment sovereignty: pay across borders with just an email or phone number, without relying on US networks.
14 Aug 2025 2 min read
From Shopping Cart to Server Rack: How Lidl Builds a European Cloud
Europe

From Shopping Cart to Server Rack: How Lidl Builds a European Cloud

From groceries to gigabytes: how Lidl’s parent turned its retail IT backbone into STACKIT, a sovereign cloud based in Germany and Austria.
13 Aug 2025 5 min read
Digital Europe in Two Acts: DSA and DMA
Europe

Digital Europe in Two Acts: DSA and DMA

Europe’s DSA and DMA work in tandem. One governs digital content, the other digital competition. Together they form the EU’s Digital Services Package.
27 Jul 2025 4 min read
Europe's DSA and the New Contours of Online Freedom
Europe

Europe's DSA and the New Contours of Online Freedom

The DSA marks a shift in digital governance. As platforms adjust and states assert control, the question becomes: what kind of internet are we building?
27 Jul 2025 4 min read
What the UK's Online Safety Act Reveals
AI Governance

What the UK's Online Safety Act Reveals

DSA vs OSA: the EU regulates platforms, the UK regulates users. VPNs become more than privacy tools. They signal a shift in digital trust.
26 Jul 2025 3 min read
Invoices in the Eurozone: A Practical Guide to SEPA Payments and Digital Processing
Europe

Invoices in the Eurozone: A Practical Guide to SEPA Payments and Digital Processing

Understand SEPA, EPC QR codes, and UBL invoices. A hands-on guide for anyone sending or receiving payments in euros within the Eurozone.
19 Jul 2025 5 min read
Innovation or Digitalisation?
Europe

Innovation or Digitalisation?

When researching AI funding in Europe, I discovered a key distinction: innovation vs. digitalisation. If you're navigating this space, it matters.
18 Jun 2025 2 min read
The EuroStack explained
Europe

The EuroStack explained

EuroStack isn’t from the EU, but it might shape its future. A private initiative to build a sovereign, open European tech stack caught my attention.
17 Jun 2025 3 min read
Sovereignty Without Soil
Europe

Sovereignty Without Soil

The Knights of Malta rule without land. So do Google, Meta, and Apple. What does it mean when power no longer needs territory to govern?
17 Jun 2025 6 min read
Learning to Work with the EU AI Act
Europe

Learning to Work with the EU AI Act

I used to avoid EU regulation. Now I’m learning to work with it. The AI Act isn’t perfect, but it’s shaping how I think about risk, trust, and tech.
15 Jun 2025 4 min read
The Digital Markets Act (DMA) is Here and It's Changing How Apps Work
Europe

The Digital Markets Act (DMA) is Here and It's Changing How Apps Work

Big tech feels broken in the EU? It’s not. It’s the Digital Markets Act. More choice, more friction, and a big shift in how apps are allowed to behave.
09 Jun 2025 4 min read
Intentional Power: Europe Between Negawatts and Realpolitik
Europe

Intentional Power: Europe Between Negawatts and Realpolitik

AI runs on energy. Europe’s grid isn’t ready. I’m starting to see how digital strategy, infrastructure, and sovereignty all connect.
09 Jun 2025 4 min read
From Resistance to Strategy: What the EU’s Digital Acts Mean for the Work I Do
Europe

From Resistance to Strategy: What the EU’s Digital Acts Mean for the Work I Do

As I’ve made peace with regulation, I’ve noticed some signposts—practical cues for navigating strategy in this new digital terrain.
09 Jun 2025 4 min read
Mapping Europe’s Digital Ruleset
Europe

Mapping Europe’s Digital Ruleset

Mapping the EU tech landscape wit a focus on the Netherlands: from GDPR to ESMC, from Brussels to Brabant. A strategist’s guide to rules, funds, and where to plug in.
08 Jun 2025 6 min read
Playing the EU Game: Learning the Digital Rules by Getting in the Game
Europe

Playing the EU Game: Learning the Digital Rules by Getting in the Game

From grants to governance, the EU’s digital world is a maze. I dove in—starting with DG CONNECT, DIGITAL, and the logic behind the rules.
08 Jun 2025 4 min read
My Venture into Venture Capital: What I Learned About DeepTech Investing
Europe

My Venture into Venture Capital: What I Learned About DeepTech Investing

Behind every groundbreaking technology lies a hidden system of risk, funding, and patience. This is what I discovered about venture capital.
04 May 2025 4 min read
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