AI in Finance: Italy’s central bank is in talks with global AI providers to ensure new models are safely rolled out across the financial sector, with governance and continuity frameworks front and centre. EU Competition & China Links: The European Commission has opened an in-depth foreign subsidies probe into JD.com’s €2.5bn bid for Ceconomy, after concerns about possible China-linked support. Online Safety Crackdown: EU regulators fined Temu €200m under the Digital Services Act for failing to properly assess and curb systemic risks from illegal and dangerous products, with more penalties possible. Defense Tech Funding Gap: A Bruegel analysis warns Europe’s rearmament spending still favours legacy giants over startups, risking slower adoption of drones, robotics and electronic warfare. Auto Tech Pressure: Western carmakers face a “fight for our lives” as Chinese rivals consolidate EV, battery and software leadership, with faster and cheaper production. Business Tech Expansion: Merck has committed globally to Veeva Vault CRM, embedding AI agents into commercial workflows. Industrial AI for Productivity: Italy’s central bank chief says wider AI use could lift labour productivity, but adoption remains low and needs stronger VC support. EU Tech Scaling Rules: Founders and policymakers meet in Amsterdam to debate how overlapping EU digital rules are affecting scaling across Europe. Cyber-physical Operations: EUROGATE Technical Services is rolling out a data-driven maintenance upgrade across German terminals with Ultimo to improve uptime and field responsiveness.