[Barrin92]

>There are are concerningly few tech companies in europe

That's because you've redefined technology to mean 'software company'. Oil & gas, automotive, industrial machinery, pharmaceuticals, chemical industry, transportation, aviation, construction, telecoms is technology. They're high productivity, high complexity and highly automated sectors. In Ludwigshafen were I grew up there's BASF's chemical complex, literally the largest one in the world. Is that not tech because it doesn't have a smoothie bar and hip people with macbooks in the lobby?

the productivity in wealthy European countries is roughly as high as in the US, and the only way that is possible is due to tech. Otherwise you'd be an agrarian society and much poorer.