Europe Is Overly Dependent on Outside Technology, EU Memo Warns

The European Comission has warned that Europe is placing its core values and strategic influence at risk due to an over reliance on computer hardware and software provided by other countries, according to Bloomberg.

An internal policy document, produced by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology, calls for urgent action and outlines a proposed “initiative for technological sovereignty“ that it says could reverse the trend. Without a change in direction, the “foundations of Europe’s society and its values will come under increasing strain, as relying on third countries means relying on their values,“ according to the document.

“Europe’s position and influence in global markets will be eroded, affecting European leadership and jeopardizing our technological sovereignty in key industrial strategic value chains,“ the document states. The 23-page document, a chapter in a longer briefing book, appears to have been prepared for senior officials working with Ursula von der Leyen, who in November will replace Jean-Claude Juncker as president of the European Commission.

The document highlights the urgency of a debate over how European’s tech community can produce powerhouses to compete with the likes of Apple or Huawei. European companies that produce the fundamental building blocks of technology, including semiconductors and software, have failed to keep up with the increasing cost of investing to stay competitive. Their U.S. counterparts have forged ahead in developing standards and products, while Asian companies such as Samsung have mastered mass manufacturing at scale that European companies can’t compete with.

During her campaign for commission president, Ursula von der Leyen published a manifesto saying she believed it would be possible for Europe to achieve “technological sovereignty“ in some areas, such as through investments in quantum computing, algorithms and data-sharing tools. She has pledged to unveil new legislation to support the ethical development of artificial intelligence within the first 100 days of her taking office. That could include introducing “data passports“ that would force companies to explain how their AI systems work.