EuroStack: Europe’s path to digital independence?

• Resources: critical materials, energy and skilled labor;
• Chips: processors, memory technologies and quantum communication systems;
• Networks: Digital and physical connections, including cell towers and fiber optic networks;
• Connected devices and IoT: devices that enable real-time information processing and data collection
• Cloud infrastructure: Secure data storage and computing power;
• Software platforms, applications and algorithms: Operating systems, applications and cybersecurity frameworks;
• Data and AI: processing data to gain insights.

EuroStack has already identified the leading European companies and existing alliances and networks for each level. These include companies such as Aleph Alpha, Bosch, Deutsche Telekom, NextCloud, SAP and Siemens.

In order to close the gaps, the first step is to set up a European sovereign technology fund, which will initially provide ten billion euros to develop digital EuroStack demonstrators. These demonstrators, which will be selected as part of an open competition known as the EuroStack Challenge, will serve as minimum viable products (MVPs) to demonstrate Europe’s ability to innovate and scale in the field of digital enabling technologies.

Overall, the initiative envisages a total investment of €300 billion over a period of 10 years, with various sources of funding to be tapped into. These include existing EU programs such as Horizon Europe, Digital Europe and the European Innovation Council (EIC) as well as national contributions, private investment and venture capital.