Web Summit founder: China will lead the new tech era

On the evening of November 10, the 2025 Web Summit opened in Lisbon, Portugal. Founder Paddy Cosgrave discussed the differing roles of Western countries and emerging markets in technological innovation during his speech.

He pointed out that the innovation center of the tech industry is shifting from the Western countries to Asia. Chinese companies are taking the lead in fields such as AI and humanoid robots, Cosgrave said, adding that China will lead the new tech era, while the West is gradually losing its dominant position.

China is vigorously promoting the development of AI and robotics, with open-source models available for free use, and has become a global driving force, he noted. In contrast, the dominance of Western countries is clearly declining, Cosgrave said. He added that innovation centers are shifting to places like China, Brazil and India. This year's trend is more evident than in any previous year, and the era of tech dominance by Western countries is fading, he said.