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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen recently issued a warning in Davos that many consider belated but necessary: Europe must achieve its technological independence. She called it a "structural imperative," and rightly so.
The reality of our digital dependence is evident. Today, more than 70% of the cloud services used by European companies depend on three American giants: Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, and Google. Barely 20% are in the hands of European providers. This concentration of power is not just an economic fact; it is a major strategic risk.
Remember when a technical failure paralyzed thousands of companies for hours? That was an accident. But imagine that, instead of a technical error, it was a political decision or a targeted attack. Europe would be completely unprotected, unable to keep essential services operational.
Declaring the need for independence is easy. Achieving it is another story. This type of transformation requires multimillion-dollar investments, several years of development, and perhaps most difficult of all, a radical shift in mindset.
Technological independence is neither free nor does it have to be absolute. It's about achieving a level of intelligent autonomy that protects us without isolating us from the world. The crucial thing is to stop thinking that "cheaper is always better."
Some European regions have already taken positive steps. Several public institutions have adopted open-source systems, reducing their dependence on Microsoft and other multinationals. These are modest but valuable experiences that demonstrate that change is possible.
The key is understanding that digital infrastructure is as vital as roads or the electrical grid. No one would accept our highways being controlled by foreign companies subject to the laws of other countries. Why do we accept this with our data and digital services?
When large European companies contract infrastructure services, the lowest price shouldn't be the deciding factor. Security, sovereignty, and long-term sustainability should carry more weight.
Given the current political volatility and the unreliability of certain international partners, Europe must act urgently. This isn't about building digital walls, but about preventing a few from gaining absolute power over our economy and security.
We citizens also have a role to play. We have European alternatives for email, cloud storage, and numerous applications. Small individual decisions can generate significant collective change.
This isn't about technological xenophobia or rejecting everything from abroad. It's about diversifying, not putting all our eggs in one basket, and especially, not allowing foreign leaders to manipulate or disrupt our essential services with a simple decree.
Europe has talent, resources, and technological capacity. What it needs is political will, strategic investment, and collective awareness. Technological independence isn't an ideological luxury; it's a practical necessity for our security and future prosperity.
The time to act is now. Every day that passes increases our vulnerability. The decision is in our hands.
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