What’s behind Europe’s efforts to ditch US software in favor of sovereign tech
Governments across Europe are looking to rely less on American tech providers.
TL;DR
- Europe is experiencing a gradual and often reactive separation from U.S. tech companies.
- The U.S. CLOUD Act, enacted in 2018, compels U.S. tech firms to provide data to law enforcement, even if stored abroad, increasing European concerns.
- France is moving its Health Data Hub from Microsoft Azure to a French cloud provider, Scaleway, as part of a push for a "sovereign cloud."
- European Commission tenders are supporting French cloud providers like Scaleway, Clever Cloud, and OVHCloud, along with Germany's STACKIT.
- There's a shift towards open-source operating systems like Linux and alternatives to productivity suites, such as LibreOffice, in several European countries.
- Some European companies are exploring alternatives to U.S. providers, with examples including Lufthansa and Air France using Starlink for Wi-Fi.
- The desire for 'sovereign tech' aims to create digital solutions that comply with EU laws and values, with potential to be sold internationally.
- Companies like Mistral AI are seeing revenue surges as alternatives to U.S. AI companies, and efforts are underway to create transatlantic AI powerhouses.
- The choice of European tech providers is becoming a selling point, differentiating from American, Chinese, and Russian competitors.