Digital Colony or Sovereignty? Europe’s Strategic Crossroads in the Digital Age
Europe is facing a series of profound challenges. One of the most pressing is how to leverage ever-deepening digitalization to our advantage – while minimizing the systemic risks that come with it.
In Episode 147 of the Zukunft Denken – Podcast, Alexander Schatten, senior researcher at SBA Research, address this question under the title: “Digital Colony or Sovereignty?”
Digital sovereignty is widely discussed – particularly in Europe. But is it merely a political slogan? Old wine in new bottles? Or is it a fundamental strategic issue that has been evolving for decades?
Together with Wilfried Jäger, product-manager artificial intelligence/digital gov-strategist/ open-source-software governance at Bundesrechenzentrum and Kevin Mallinger, lead of the CORE Research Group at SBA Research, we take a step back and explore the deeper structural dynamics behind the debate.
Digital infrastructures have become the backbone of our societies. What was once a technical niche topic has turned into a complex interplay of technological, economic, geopolitical, and even military dimensions. Platformization, network effects, global dependencies, and the increasing complexity of interconnected systems are reshaping the conditions under which states, organizations, and individuals operate.
As complexity grows, so do systemic risks. Single points of failure are no longer theoretical. Dependencies are no longer local. Software may be virtual, but its impact is global and long-lasting.
Key themes include:
- The evolution of software and digital infrastructures over decades
- The role of Open Source, open protocols, and standards
- Market mechanisms and the introduction of new technologies
- The limits of centralized control in highly complex systems
- The balance between regulation and innovation in Europe
The episode does not offer simplistic answers. Instead, it invites a deeper reflection on how individuals, companies, and policymakers can strengthen sovereignty – not through isolation, but through strategic participation, network-building, and conscious technological choices.