Digital Sovereignty: what it means and why governments consider data and digital technologies strategic infrastructure

Call it the geopolitics of digital technologies or the awareness that we must participate in the ongoing competition for technological leadership between the U.S. and China. The fact is that the European Commission is reviewing its policies around the strategic importance of digital technologies and data. Let’s find out together how.

The turning points from the European Commission about the importance of data and digital technologies are various. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in the State of the European Union (SOTEU) 2022, announced a push to create a new fund for European sovereignty: “I will push to create a new European Sovereignty Fund. Let’s make sure that the future of industry is made in Europe.” The push focuses, among other points, on digital and data as elements of strategic focus along with cybersecurity, cloud, edge, etc. For more background, read “A European Sovereignty Fund for an industry Made in Europe.”

Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton also outlined three inseparable pillars for digital sovereignty: computational power, control over data, and secure connectivity.

Even the French presidency announced it in The Building Europe’s Digital Sovereignty conference to take stock of recent progress on the continent, initiate discussions and create momentum to continue building Europe’s digital sovereignty and show how the European Union can take charge of its destiny in the digital age. All to defend its values and economic interests and ensure its autonomy.

If that does not mean you’re thinking about something strategic, please tell me what it can be. But what is Digital Sovereignty, and how will it change our lives?

It is all part of the Digital Strategy, which the Commission has been working on for some time. Europe’s Digital Decade initiative targets 2030 as the year when a human-centric and sustainable vision for the digital society should materialize to empower citizens and businesses.

Another pivotal element of the strategy is the desire to reduce the technological lag between the U.S. and China, as there is a strong realization that we cannot maximize our potential in digital leadership. With thousands of experts, money, and capabilities, we are always trailing other nations that dominate the scene.