No, it really is in the sense that a lot of technology is developed here. Where things go awry is when someone tries to use that technology to create something and is met by a sheer wall of regulations, taxes, levies, restrictions and demands. This often results in those people jumping over the pond to continue their efforts in the USA. A good example is the development of the first practical electrically driven regional airliner which started off in Göteborg, Sweden: [1] In May 2024, Heart Aerospace announced the establishment of a new research and development hub in Los Angeles focusing on its hybrid-electric propulsion system, and the Forslunds moved there to oversee operations. The company subsequently closed its Swedish operations in 2025 and moved its headquarters to Los Angeles. In interviews with the Forslunds they quote better access to financing, ease of attracting those with the needed knowledge and experience to design and build these aeroplanes, easier access to the required materials and the general attitude towards startup companies. Mind, they're in California, the place where many American companies are fleeing away from due to over-regulation and excessive taxation. Coming from the EU it still seems to win and that is unfortunate.
I think we can do a lot better in this respect but to get there we'll need to scale down the regulatory mammoth which is the EU.
I think we can do a lot better in this respect but to get there we'll need to scale down the regulatory mammoth which is the EU.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_Aerospace