Summit on Digital Sovereignty: Europe Needs the Courage to Share Its Sovereignty

The "Summit on European Digital Sovereignty" is being hosted in Berlin, bringing together approximately 900 experts from politics, business, and civil society to discuss technological independence and digitalization. The focus of the summit is to foster digital sovereignty not only within Europe, but also to explore it as a global concept. This summit highlights the urgency and the necessity of independent digital capabilities to ensure Europe's future. The discussion centers around the potential for Europe to take a leading role in digital sovereignty. The European Union has a solid foundation in software and code, including AI models, office software, and IT security solutions. Therefore, the summit aims to examine the possibility of open standards, global accessibility, and collaborative development. The initiative recognizes that the challenges of digital dependency, security risks, and high costs are not exclusive to Europe. It emphasizes the need for international collaboration. By focusing on open-source solutions, Europe can foster transparency, adaptability, and potentially develop alternatives to existing proprietary systems, such as Microsoft Office. Such initiatives would require significant investment. The summit also questions the reliance on foreign tech. A shift towards European solutions, for instance, a European application for police work or a media platform for global information, could promote greater independence and innovation.