How Influence Is Crossing Borders in Europe’s Technology Debate  

Influence in Europe’s technology sector no longer behaves in predictable ways.  

Ideas, opinions and narratives move freely across borders, platforms and formats, often gaining momentum far beyond the market where they began. 

A conversation that starts locally can quickly become international, shaping perception, government policy and commercial decision-making across multiple markets all at once. 

This shift is clear in the latest edition of the Tyto Tech 500 – our annual ranking of Europe’s top technology influencers. The data shows just how international Europe’s technology debate has become, and how much influence now comes from outside the region, particularly the United States. 

For PR teams responsible for pan-European programmes, this is not something to fear. But it does require a different way of thinking about influence, visibility and how narratives are shaped. 

The globalisation of Europe’s tech conversation 

For the first time, the Tech 500 includes a separate, data-driven ranking of international technology influencers whose voices carry real weight in European debates. 

It’s striking that 78% of these figures are US citizens. This reflects the continued dominance of American technology companies, but also the role their leaders, founders and senior spokespeople play as the public faces of those businesses. 

Executive from global firms are shaping European conversations on technology, regulation and investment through media interviews, keynotes, podcasts, newsletters and, increasingly, AI search results.Not to mention, political summits like those we’ve seen at Windsor Castle and the White House in the last 12 months. 

At the same time, influence is not flowing in just one direction. 

European voices are increasingly shaping global debate. A discussion that begins with a policymaker in Brussels, a journalist in Paris or a founder in Berlin can quickly spill into a wider international conversation, picked up by global media, amplified on social platforms and referenced well beyond Europe. 

In practice, conversations about technology now scale faster and travel further than most communications plans anticipate. 

AI is accelerating the pace of debate  

One of the less obvious, but most important, forces behind this shift is the role AI is playing in making local conversations visible to international audiences. 

English has long been the default language of business and technology debate. And that remains true today. Many European influencers still begin by speaking primarily to domestic audiences, then naturally switch into English as their reach grows. That shift is often the moment when local influence becomes international. 

AI is speeding this up. With translation tools now built directly into social platforms, language is far less of a barrier than it once was, allowing ideas to travel faster and further than before.  

Layer onto this the rise of podcasts, newsletters, and LinkedIn, and the result is no longer a series of national conversations, but a single, interconnected one. 

For PR teams, this changes the rules. A campaign designed for one market can quickly gain traction elsewhere. Sometimes this is helpful, but not always, depending on how clearly the narrative is defined and how credible the voices are that carry it. 

Influence through credibility, not volume  

The Tech 500 data reinforces something we see repeatedly across the tech sector. True influence is not about having the loudest or biggest voice. It’s about being trusted and often that starts with the people who lead the business.   

Audiences, whether customers, policymakers or investors, increasingly place more weight on credible individuals than on corporate statements. That’s why global tech leaders, influential journalists and respected creators play such an outsized role in shaping perception.  

For senior PR leaders, this presents a real opportunity. 

Rather than trying to control every message in every market, the focus shifts to helping executives develop clear and credible points of view that stand up internationally, understanding which voices genuinely shape debate in different contexts, and engaging with those figures in ways that feel natural and authentic. 

When this is done well, influence becomes something you participate in rather than something you chase. 

What this means for pan-European PR programmes in 2026 

There are a few practical implications worth keeping in mind this year. 

First, influence mapping needs to be broader and more dynamic. The old divide between local and global stakeholders is no longer helpful. Many of the most influential figures operate across both at the same time. 

Second, executive visibility needs to be considered in an international context from the outset. A strong point of view expressed in one market may travel much further than expected, which makes clarity, consistency and intent essential. 

Third, engaging international voices does not mean sidelining local expertise. The most effective programmes blend global themes with local nuance, recognising that credibility is still built market by market, even when conversations cross borders. 

An opportunity to build influence at scale  

The rise of international voices in Europe’s technology ecosystem does not signal a loss of control. Instead, it marks a shift in where authority sits and how it is earned. 

For PR leaders who recognise that change and invest in building trust through credible voices and thoughtful engagement, it creates more opportunity than risk. 

The Tyto Tech 500 is designed to help comms teams make sense of this complexity.  

Not by simply offering a definitive list of who matters, but by showing how influence is evolving, where it is coming from, and what it takes to engage with it effectively. 

If you are planning pan-European programmes for the year ahead, understanding this new landscape shouldn’t be an afterthought. It must be the starting point.

Now in its ninth edition, the Tyto Tech 500 is the only pan-European index of its kind. It contains the data and insights PR and comms teams need to identify the right voices to partner with and the most effective ways to work with them across the region.