Podcast 🎧 & blog: EuroStack is Europe’s bid for digital strategic autonomy

Written by Federico Plantera

Can Europe really reclaim control over its digital destiny, or dependency on foreign tech giants looms ahead? Global power structures, trade, and value chains are being reshaped – today. And with reliance on foreign digital infrastructure running deep, Europe is at a crossroads. Paul Timmers, outgoing Chairman of e-Governance Academy and Visiting Professor at KU Leuven, joins us in this Podcast episode to discuss why EuroStack might just be the answer Europe needs.

At its core, EuroStack stands for a simple but powerful idea: Europe should be able to rely on itself when it matters most. But, as Timmers quickly points out, that doesn’t mean shutting others out. “It’s not protectionism. Rather, we need to address the critical dependencies we have, and ensure we keep a say in shaping our digital future.”

Why EuroStack and Why Now 

Stacks can sound technical, but this framework is necessary to bring clarity. In today’s digital economy, everything builds on everything else – chips, networks, clouds, AI, applications. “When people see the graphic representation of EuroStack, they immediately get it,” Timmers said. “You can’t just focus on AI and forget that chips and cloud platforms are the foundations.”

That perspective highlights a tough reality. Europe imports over 80% of its digital technologies. The numbers on AI, moreover, are especially stark. “70% of all AI language models are American, 20% are Chinese, and only 5% are European,” he highlights. So, above and beyond a matter of pride or competitiveness, here we are addressing security, prosperity, and fairness.

The risks of depending on others are easy to imagine. From foreign rules to market control and cybersecurity threats, Europe could find itself with very little say in its own digital affairs. “We’re talking about jobs for our children, about resilience, and about protecting democracy itself. EuroStack revolves around the idea that we need to regain the ability to act and decide for ourselves,” Timmers sums up.

A Positive Vision for Europe’s Digital Future 

The project, however, is far from inward-looking. As Timmers says, EuroStack does not aim to close doors. “We are not trying to unplug from the rest of the world. But we should not be naive either.”

EuroStack thus seeks to strike a balance, creating the right conditions for European technologies to thrive, while remaining open to global collaboration. The ambition is to lead, not just catch up.

How does that translate into action? Strengthening Europe’s infrastructure, growing sovereign AI and data spaces, and investing in future tech like quantum computing and edge cloud are all on the list. When digital strategic autonomy is at stake, what seemingly could be tech buzzwords become battlegrounds for global relevance.

And there’s serious money behind the ambition. EuroStack proposes a €300 billion European sovereign technology fund to be spent over a decade. That might sound huge, but Timmers sheds light into the number. “A multiplier effect from public investment will bring in private funding too, but the public sector must be ready to act.”

Spending ‘for the sake of’ makes way to ensuring European companies can scale, governments can rely on trusted providers, and citizens enjoy digital services shaped by European values. There is a generational opportunity here, “by acting to shape our future, and not just react to the present.”

Rethinking Industrial Policy for a Digital World 

If there’s one area where EuroStack breaks with the past, it’s in its approach to industrial policy. Europe has long been good at setting standards, but less so in recent years at building markets and companies that can compete globally. This needs to change, and fast.

“Digital transformation without industrial policy is no longer enough,” he argues. “We need capabilities, capacities, and control.”

In practice, that hints at much more than just money. Smart procurement, international collaboration, and backing early-stage innovations all need to come together. Europe must create space for its tech sector to grow and succeed.

Timmers connects this idea to broader economic thinking. Thinking along with the works of economist Dani Rodrik, he explains: “Give emerging industries the room to grow, but expose them to competition when they are ready.”

Avoiding protectionism is important, but so is avoiding passivity. Stepping in where it counts, EuroStack is a venture that does not see Europe lagging one step behind others, embedding sovereignty into every decision governments and businesses make. “Making sovereignty mainstream,” simply as Timmers said, should be embedded in our policy practice.

What Success Will Look Like 

No vision is complete without knowing how we can get there. And on this, we must be realistic. “No one expects zero dependency, that’s neither feasible nor desirable,” Timmers admits. “Instead, the aim is to tip the balance so Europe isn’t vulnerable in key areas.”

By 2030, the signs of success should be clear. Reduced reliance on foreign AI models. Stronger positions in edge cloud and quantum computing. And a European tech sector that competes globally on its own terms.

But numbers aren’t the only indicator. EuroStack will be successful when the idea of digital strategic autonomy becomes part of everyday thinking across sectors. “We need to see a mindset shift across governments and industries to always consider sovereignty in decision-making,” he explains.

Another critical ingredient is collaboration, as EuroStack is far from being conceived as a centralised scheme. Its success depends on collective effort from governments, private companies, universities, and civic actors. As the fact that more than 150 companies have already shown interest fittingly confirm.

“And that is because collaboration is one of Europe’s most unique assets. Across the continent, we know how to sit together, align, and build things collectively. That culture of cooperation will be essential,” Timmers believes.

As he points out, being one of the co-authors of the initiative and the report, EuroStack is Europe’s bid to turn vulnerability into strength – transforming the focus on regulation into leadership, and dependency into autonomy. “Ultimately,” Timmers reflects, “we must make sure we can decide and act on our own future. That is what strategic autonomy really means.”

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