Europe is fighting for digital sovereignty: dependence on Big Tech!

Europe is fighting for digital sovereignty: dependence on Big Tech!

Europa, Deutschland - Europe is in a critical phase of its digital independence. The continent is strongly dependent on the technologies of large American and Chinese companies. This not only affects public administration in Germany, which mainly uses US technology, but also numerous European companies that import 96 percent of their digital technologies. The dependence on external actors carries considerable risks, especially in the face of geopolitical tensions and unpredictable political decisions in the United States, such as possible executive orders that could affect US IT companies. Experts warn that these one -sided dependencies can lead to problems in crisis situations and demand urgent measures to strengthen the digital sovereignty of Europe.

A current study by Bitkom shows that only a quarter of German companies actively act as a provider for foreign partners. The dependency is particularly high in key technologies such as semiconductors, quantum computing and 5G components. Companies have concerns about trust in international suppliers, whereby they consider European partners to be significantly more trustworthy. In view of these threats, many companies see urgency to strengthen Germany's digital sovereignty.

zero tolerance compared to one -sided dependencies

For the successful implementation of these measures, Europe needs political will. The planned Digital Ministry should position itself as a ministry of digital sovereignty. A central initiative, the "Eurostack", aims to sustainably strengthen the digital infrastructure of Europe. This initiative will be necessary to reduce the dependence on external technologies and to promote European innovations. To achieve this, an estimated 300 billion euros will be invested in the next ten years.

The role of companies and new technologies

Geopolitics significantly influence the digital sovereignty of Europe. The proximity of tech companies to political decision-makers, as can be observed in the United States, is a challenge for the digital world. In particular, the impending customs conflict between the US government and the EU is illustrated by the fragility of digital sovereignty.

The discussion about digital sovereignty not only includes raw materials and infrastructure, as in the network policy, but also the immediate players: States, companies and civil society. Critics warn of any techno nationalism that may arise and call for democratic governance and transparency in dealing with digital technologies.