Common Questions

What is the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change?

The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change is a London-based policy think-tank founded by former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, working with governments on technology, economic reform and AI governance. Keegan McBride leads its Science and technology work.Source: Sovereign Tech Europe conference programme

What does Keegan McBride do at the Tony Blair Institute?

Keegan McBride is Director of Science and Technology at the Tony Blair Institute, focusing on how governments can effectively build and deploy AI. He represented the Institute at the Sovereign Tech Europe summit in Brussels in April 2026.Source: Sovereign Tech Europe conference programme

Why is the Tony Blair Institute involved in EU tech sovereignty discussions?

The Institute is active on AI governance globally and participates in EU-adjacent policy forums on digital sovereignty, including the April 2026 Brussels summit. Its presence reflects continued UK-EU policy dialogue on technology governance post-Brexit.Source: Sovereign Tech Europe conference programme

Background

The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change is a London-based policy institute that works with governments on economic reform, technology governance, security and state capacity. Keegan McBride, Director of Science and Technology at the Institute, represents it at the Sovereign Tech Europe conference in Brussels on 23 April 2026, where he appears on the think-tank panel circuit discussing digital sovereignty policy.

Founded by former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, the institute operates across multiple policy domains and has become an active participant in the global AI governance debate, publishing analysis on AI strategy, digital public infrastructure and state capacity to deploy technology. McBride's Science and technology directorate focuses specifically on how governments can build and deploy AI effectively, a theme closely aligned with the EU's tech sovereignty discussions.

The Institute's presence at the Brussels summit reflects the cross-channel dimension of European digital sovereignty. Despite Brexit, UK think-tanks and the UK Ambassador Lindsay Croisdale-Appleby both feature on the agenda, signalling that EU sovereignty discussions remain of direct interest to British policy institutions, particularly as the UK Government pursues its own Sovereign AI Unit concurrently.

How the World Sees Them

United Kingdom

The Institute's Brussels summit participation reflects continued UK engagement with EU digital policy frameworks despite Brexit, consistent with the UK's own sovereign AI programme.

European Commission

Think-tanks from the UK and US policy circuit participate in EU sovereignty forums as analytical contributors rather than stakeholders, providing external benchmarking for EU regulatory choices.

AI governance community

The Institute occupies a centrist-technocratic lane in AI governance debates, favouring state capacity-building over precautionary restriction.

Global south and developing states

The Institute's government-advisory model extends beyond the EU, advising developing-country governments on technology deployment, making it a bridge between EU governance frameworks and wider global implementation.