Introduction
This transformation is not just a matter of innovation; it is an imperative need to preserve European democratic values, protect citizens’ privacy and ensure that Europe maintains its place as a relevant player on the global technological stage. Recent months have seen significant progress in this direction, with ambitious initiatives redefining the continent’s digital future.
Europe’s awakening to technological dependence
Europe consumes technology that, in part, it does not control. Eighty per cent of the digital products used on the continent come from non-European companies, mainly American and Chinese. In the cloud computing sector, Amazon, Microsoft and Google control approximately 70 per cent of the European market, while in artificial intelligence, the most disruptive advances continue to emerge from Silicon Valley.
This dependence has created a worrying paradox: the United States uses European data to develop technologies that it then sells back to Europe. China, for its part, has shown that it is possible to build an autonomous technological ecosystem in just 15 years, starting from a GDP lower than that of all European countries combined.
The European Commission has recognised that Europe has critical vulnerabilities due to this external dependence, especially in digital infrastructures that support essential services such as hospitals, energy networks and financial systems. Technological sovereignty has thus become a matter of national security and democratic resilience.
STEP: The European strategic response
The Strategic Technologies Platform for Europe (STEP) represents the EU’s most ambitious instrument for achieving technological autonomy. With more than €50 billion, this initiative reorients 11 existing European instruments, including Horizon Europe, InvestEU and the European Defence Fund, towards critical technologies.
STEP is not simply a funding programme; it constitutes a fundamental transformation of the European development model. It focuses on four strategic areas: digital technologies, clean technologies, advanced biotechnology and quantum technologies. The aim is for Europe to control the technologies that underpin its socio-economic model, from artificial intelligence to communication networks.
The strategy recognises that technological autonomy requires a comprehensive approach that combines investment in research, talent development, the creation of proprietary infrastructure and the establishment of regulatory frameworks that foster European innovation without compromising the continent’s fundamental values.
Artificial Intelligence: The battle for digital leadership
The ‘AI Continent’ Action Plan marks a new phase in European strategy. With the creation of 13 AI Factories equipped with 100,000 state-of-the-art chips and connected to European supercomputers, the EU seeks to transform its leadership in scientific research into economic leadership.
Europe leads the world in scientific publications on artificial intelligence, but lags behind in commercialising this research. While attracting only 5% of global private quantum funding, China and the United States are consolidating their dominance in commercial AI applications.
European regulation of artificial intelligence, a global pioneer, seeks to balance innovation with the protection of fundamental rights. However, challenges remain on how to maintain competitiveness without compromising the ethical standards that distinguish the European approach from its global competitors.
Gaia-X and the Digital Sovereignty Paradox
The Gaia-X initiative illustrates the complexities of building digital sovereignty in an interconnected world. Designed to create a federated and sovereign data infrastructure, Gaia-X has faced the paradox of incorporating dominant non-European cloud providers in order to be commercially viable.
This experience demonstrates that digital sovereignty cannot be built in isolation. Europe must strike a balance between strategic autonomy and international cooperation, developing its own capabilities while maintaining interoperability with global ecosystems.
Gaia-X’s ‘compliance by design’ approach represents an attempt to achieve sovereignty through governance and standards, rather than through exclusive control of infrastructure.
This hybrid model can offer valuable lessons for other technological sovereignty initiatives.
The regulatory framework as a tool for sovereignty
Europe has chosen to lead through regulation, setting global standards with initiatives such as the Digital Markets Act (DMA), the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the AI Act. This ‘Brussels Effect’ approach seeks to make European rules the de facto global standards.
The DMA review, currently underway, assesses its effectiveness in addressing AI-powered services and other emerging digital challenges. The first fines imposed for non-compliance demonstrate that Europe is willing to enforce its rules, even on the world’s most powerful technology companies.
The European Chips Act complements this regulatory approach with direct investments in semiconductor manufacturing capabilities. Recognising that control of the chip supply chain is critical to technological autonomy, Europe seeks to reduce its dependence on Asia in this critical sector.
Cybersecurity: The foundation of digital sovereignty
The EU’s cybersecurity strategy recognises that technological sovereignty must be based on the resilience of connected services. Without robust digital security, any attempt at technological autonomy is undermined at its very foundations.
Investments in quantum cybersecurity, such as the Quantum Safe Networks project, represent a commitment to technologies that will ensure the security of communications in the post-quantum era. These initiatives demonstrate that Europe is thinking strategically not only about current needs, but also about future threats.
The European approach to cybersecurity integrates technical protection with robust regulatory frameworks, creating an ecosystem where innovation and security reinforce each other rather than competing with each other.
Challenges and opportunities on the road to 2030
The State of the Digital Decade report reveals that Europe is making slow progress towards its 2030 goals. Significant challenges remain in connectivity, digital skills and innovation capacity. The shortage of specialised talent in critical technologies threatens to slow progress.
However, Europe has unique assets: universities of excellence, a single market of 450 million consumers, robust regulatory frameworks and a tradition of international cooperation. The key lies in mobilising these resources in a coordinated and efficient manner.
Transformation requires not only public investment, but also changes in the regulatory environment to facilitate business consolidation and the creation of ‘European champions’ capable of competing globally. The balance between internal competition and external strength will be crucial to success.
The role of European companies in the transformation
European technology companies, especially in sectors such as telecommunications, play a key role in this transformation. Their experience in critical infrastructure, their knowledge of the European market and their commitment to European values position them as key players in building technological autonomy.
Public-private collaboration will be essential to accelerate the development and deployment of critical technologies. European companies must invest in their own capabilities, while governments facilitate regulatory frameworks that enable innovation and the scale necessary to compete globally.
The experience of companies such as Telefónica in implementing emerging technologies, from 5G to artificial intelligence, provides valuable lessons on how to translate European research into competitive commercial solutions.
Conclusions
European technological autonomy is not a destination, but an ongoing journey that requires strategic vision, sustained investment and unprecedented coordination. Recent months have shown that Europe is waking up to the urgency of this transformation, with ambitious initiatives addressing everything from artificial intelligence to quantum technologies.
Success will depend on Europe’s ability to maintain a delicate balance: preserving the values that set it apart while developing the competitiveness needed to thrive in a multipolar technological world. The window of opportunity is open, but it requires decisive and coordinated action from all players in the European ecosystem.
Europe has all the pieces necessary to lead the next technological revolution: exceptional talent, sophisticated markets, robust regulatory frameworks and a clear vision of the future it wants to build. The question is not whether Europe can achieve technological autonomy, but whether it will have the political and entrepreneurial will to make it a reality in this decisive decade.
