A coalition of over 80 signatories from the European tech industry is urging the EU to prioritize local digital infrastructure to bolster economic resilience and security in light of rising geopolitical tensions.

In an open letter addressed to European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and digital chief Henna Virkkunen, the coalition advocates for a shift towards 'sovereign digital infrastructure' through the development of a 'Euro stack'.

The coalition warns that Europe risks losing digital innovation and productivity if it continues to depend on non-European technologies, predicting that reliance on foreign tech could become nearly total within three years.

Critiquing current EU strategies, the letter argues that funding is overly focused on academia rather than commercially viable projects that could enhance Europe's digital sovereignty.

Recommendations from the coalition include pooling resources among European technologists to create common standards that enhance competitiveness against U.S. tech giants, particularly in cloud computing.

The letter emphasizes the importance of open-source solutions and interoperability in achieving digital sovereignty, calling for the development of certification schemes for sovereign cloud services.

Signatories express a need for the EU to collaborate with industry leaders to create a cohesive digital sovereignty strategy, moving away from traditional top-down policymaking approaches.

To stimulate demand for European tech solutions, the letter proposes a 'Buy European' mandate, suggesting public procurement policies that favor local providers.

This call for action follows concerns raised at the Munich security conference regarding the reliability of U.S. tech infrastructure amid potential political actions that could affect service availability.

Key industries represented in the letter include cloud computing, telecoms, and defense, with notable companies like Airbus and Proton backing the initiative.

The coalition also advocates for the establishment of a 'Sovereign Infrastructure Fund' to support investments in critical areas of the tech value chain, such as chips and quantum computing.