New Network For Digital Sovereignty

How can Europe become more sovereign in digital technologies? German Chancellor Merz, French President Macron and other EU politicians will discuss this question at the Summit on European Digital Sovereignty. As part of the summit program, the European Network for Technological Resilience and Sovereignty was founded today with the aim of significantly advancing European innovation and independence in key technologies. One of its inaugural members is the TUM Think Tank.

Europe relies largely on the US, China and other countries for products and services with important digital technologies, ranging from artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure to semiconductors. That is why European governments and the EU have focused on the goal of becoming more independent in key technologies.

But how can the numerous initiatives, different approaches and varying political strategies be turned into a successful path to Europe's digital sovereignty? Representatives from science, politics and industry want to pave this path in the European Network for Technological Resilience and Sovereignty. The network has three core objectives: First, it wants to promote exchange between sectors and states and enable ways of cooperation. Second, it aims to create a profound evidence basis on existing technological dependencies and interactions in order to derive possible measures. Third, the network wants to help shape the necessary political frameworks.

"Europe needs a common strategy to take steps that will really make a difference," says Dr. Markus Siewert , Managing Director of the TUM Think Tank. "To date, a large number of billion-euro projects have been set up with the aim of increasing independence. However, their impact has often been limited because they were uncoordinated or not focused enough. In the European Network for Technological Resilience and Sovereignty, we want to contribute to more evidence-based decision-making so that we can proceed more efficiently and continuously analyze measures in terms of their progress. We urgently need a better understanding of where the actual risks and challenges are, which measures will improve our ability to act in the short, medium and long term and what costs are associated with them."

The TUM Think Tank brings together academia, civil society, politics and business to develop tools for the responsible and democratic use of technology. One of the central questions is how digital European sovereignty can be achieved.

In addition to the TUM Think Tank, around a dozen partners have joined the network so far. It is led by the Bertelsmann Foundation, the Belgian Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), the French AI & Society Institute and the Polish Economic Institute (PEI).

"Europe has heard the wake-up call, but greater coordination, research, and evidence-based policymaking are needed, a true knowledge engine", says Martin Hullin, Director Network for Technological Resilience and Sovereignty at Europe's Future Program, Bertelsmann Stiftung. "At the same time, this is about more than technology or economics. It affects us all and the question of what kind of society we want to live in. With this initiative we want to inspire hope and support fresh ideas that strengthen Europe's capacity to act with confidence in the digital age."