On Monday, a letter was sent to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and tech sovereignty chief Henna Virkkunen, signed by over 100 tech companies in Europe and lobby groups, urging the Commission to prioritize indigenous technology in the bloc’s infrastructure strategy.
The letter stated that tech companies in Europe emphasized the need for “more technologically independent across all layers of its critical digital infrastructure.”
The signatories advocate for “Buy European” policies to boost government demand for local technology and propose a “sovereign infrastructure fund” to support investment in capital-intensive fields like microchips and quantum technology.
JD Vance Fractures US-EU Relations
The letter warns that tensions between European tech companies and the US, fueled by Europe’s reliance on US technology in supply chains, threaten European industries, following US Vice President JD Vance’s speech at the Munich Security Conference.
The EU is also locked in a stand-off with Washington over aluminum and steel tariffs, and tensions in the EU tech regulation have been rising for months.
Aside from Airbus and Dassault, the letter has been signed by French state backed investment bank Bpifrance, European cloud services such as Scaleway, OVHCloud, and Nextcloud, as well as big tech companies in Europe such as France Digital, European Digital SME Alliance, and Connect Europe. Signatories also include Proton and Ecosia, smaller tech firms in Europe.
Tech companies in Europe are highly reliant on American technology, with over two-thirds of the European cloud computing market controlled by Amazon, Microsoft, and Google, while the continent holds 10% of the global microchip industry. Recently, US companies like OpenAI dominated AI applications, including chatbots.
The Commission should “mobilize industry” for a “continent-wide strategy” to ensure top tech companies in Europeto develop their own alternatives in these fields, as the letter clarified.
Bigger, Better, European Tech
Same as technology is the backbone of every global power, tech companies in Europe need to become a linchpin in the continent’s quest for independence from US dominion, but Europe’s ability to assert its dependence will determine its place in the 21st century world order.
Tech companies in Europe are pushing for more independence from US technology with investments in microchips, AI, and cloud computing. Companies like Airbus and Dassault are the most crucial champions of the cause, alongside cloud operators Scaleway and OVHCloud.
ASML, Europe’s most valuable tech company and the continent’s crown jewel, is the sole producer of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines and holds the keys to the most advanced semiconductor manufacturing processes in the world – vital for reducing reliance on US suppliers. Considering semiconductors are the lifeblood of modern technology and powers everything from smartphones to military systems, ASML could very well deliver Europe the winning ticket, or strike, to assert its influence in global geopolitical tech policies, as Dutch manufacturer is at the center of the high-stake US-China battle for control over semiconductor supply chain.
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