European digital sovereignty: „Any dependency is a bad thing“

The European Union's pursuit of digital sovereignty is gaining momentum, though concrete funding for its initiatives remains a critical challenge. Michiel Leenaars, Director of Strategy at the NLnet Foundation, emphasizes that true independence in digital infrastructure hinges not on the origin of technology but on the ability to control and replace it. His organization actively supports open-source alternatives across the digital stack, from hardware to software, aiming to foster a robust European digital ecosystem. NLnet’s approach involves open calls that fund a wide array of open infrastructure projects, including office suites, search engines, and social media platforms like Mastodon. Beyond direct financial support, they offer comprehensive assistance, encompassing team building, legal guidance, performance optimization, security audits, and license compliance. This holistic support is crucial for empowering the developers building these alternatives, with the goal of scaling these solutions effectively and ensuring European digital self-reliance. While NLnet operates with a relatively modest annual budget of approximately 15 million Euro, its impact is significant, having funded over 1,450 projects globally. This success demonstrates that substantial funding is not always necessary; often, targeted grants to individual experts can effectively address complex issues and integrate components into a cohesive digital framework. The foundation's funding is a blend, with a substantial portion coming from the EU's Next Generation Internet program, complemented by contributions from private companies, governments, and individual donors.