What happened Two sweeping regulatory shifts arrived within weeks of each other in early 2026, and together they are reshaping the operating environment for every European company touching strategic technology. First: the EU proposed phasing out Chinese-made telecommunications equipment from critical infrastructure, following a January 2026 draft that specifically drew Huawei's public criticism. Huawei called the plan discriminatory; Brussels kept moving. Second: on 4 March 2026, the European Commission formally proposed the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA), introducing 'Made in EU' local-content requirements tied directly to public procurement eligibility and subsidies. The headline number is 55 percent — at least that share of components must be manufactured within the EU to qualify. For operators in automotive and construction, the IAA applies lower-carbon steel criteria rather than the full local-content threshold, but the direction of travel is identical: source closer to home or lose access to public money. Running in parallel,…