Ahead of the Summit on European Digital Sovereignty in Berlin, International technology associations have called for concrete steps to improve the continent’s competitiveness and autonomy in the digital sector.
In a joint statement on Monday, the German Startups Association and partner organisations from France, Italy, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Romania urged the adoption of uniform rules across the European Union and better conditions to drive growth.
Verena Pausder, chairwoman of the German organisation, said “Europe must learn to make its best ideas big together, across borders.’’
She added that “this requires greater investment in European technologies, fair competition for start-ups, and a stronger European single market that accelerates innovation.”
The summit is expected to focus on issues such as technological independence, digitalisation, and Europe’s competitiveness against rivals in the United States and China, which are investing heavily in artificial intelligence (AI).
Participants, including politicians from several EU member states as well as representatives from business and research, are scheduled to discuss how Europe can prevent sensitive company data from being stored in clouds owned by non-European companies.
To create global tech leaders, Europe needs new rules that enable cross-border mergers and investments, the tech associations argued.
The EU’s digital autonomy also relies on a legal framework that encourages innovation, the groups argued. At present, differing regulatory systems across all 27 member states create significant barriers to entry, particularly for small businesses.
NAN