Ivan Bešlić, President of Unit Croatia and co-founder of Sofascore, spoke at Weekend.18 in Rovinj on the panel “Europe vs. Big Tech – Who Sets the Rules of the Game?” His message was clear: Europe’s approach to digital regulation risks slowing innovation and weakening competitiveness.
Questioning the Balance Between Safety and Innovation
Bešlić argued that current EU policies often protect markets from profit rather than supporting growth.
“The idea that we are protecting so someone doesn’t earn is absurd. We are preventing competitiveness,” he said. He added that the development of AI tools could even lead to legal prosecution, creating what he called a “huge technological question mark.”
Ivan Bešlić, Unit president and Sofascore’s co-founder
Critical of Europe’s Regulatory Pride
From his perspective, Europe should not celebrate being first in regulation if that means falling behind in innovation.
“I am not happy to be a citizen of the EU that boasts about being the first to regulate something,” Bešlić said. “IT companies from the EU will be sold abroad, and developers from Croatia and the EU will end up outsourced to other countries.”
Ivan Bešlić, Unit president and Sofascore’s co-founder
He pointed out the lack of European-made devices in the audience. “No one here has a smartphone from the EU. Everyone uses products from outside,” he noted, highlighting how global tech dominance already shapes everyday life.
Lessons From Europe’s Past
Bešlić also reminded the audience that this is not the first time Europe has missed a key technological opportunity.
“Thirty years ago the EU had the Eurocard project. It was shut down. Now they talk about a digital euro – great, but 30 years too late. We all use Visa and Mastercard, outside the EU. If someone decided to block transactions, you wouldn’t be able to pay at this festival,” he explained.
Ivan Bešlić, Unit president and Sofascore’s co-founder
A Debate That Matters Beyond the Festival
Weekend once again proved to be a stage where Europe’s future in technology is openly discussed. With voices like Bešlić’s challenging the current direction, the conversation around regulation and innovation, will only grow louder in the years ahead.