Technological "Sovereignty”, “Strategic Autonomy”... or Political Control?

Abstract

The article discusses the evolution of the concept of strategic autonomy in the European Union, which originated in the fields of security and defense and later expanded to foreign policy, culminating in the idea of open strategic autonomy after the pandemic. This concept refers to the EU's ability to make its own decisions and protect its strategic interests. To achieve this, technological and digital sovereignty is considered essential, with the goal of securing critical technologies without unilateral dependencies—an objective that has been reinforced by current geopolitical tensions.

However, Europe faces a competitive gap and significant digital dependence on the United States and China in key sectors such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and semiconductors. The European response to safeguarding its technological sovereignty has included strong digital regulation and efforts to boost investment in its own technological capabilities. It has also led to a resurgence of political control over strategic sectors through mechanisms such as foreign investment screening and increased state involvement in business.