In the context of escalating trade tensions and mounting hybrid threats, the EU will soon release its International Digital Strategy for Europe. \u201cTech competitiveness is an economic and security imperative for all aspiring to durable wealth and stability,\u201d says a draft version dated April 9.<\/p>\n
Yet when it comes to dominant players such as the U.S., \u201cdecoupling is unrealistic and cooperation will remain significant across the technological value chain,\u201d the draft says. It cites China as well as Japan, South Korea and India as countries with which collaboration will also be essential.<\/p>\n
The pitch for strategic tech alliances with like-minded countries \u2014 to team up on research and generate greater business opportunities for the bloc\u2019s companies \u2014 comes in stark contrast to growing calls for a move toward protectionism.<\/p>\n For Europe, \u201cbusiness as usual is no option,\u201d wrote Marietje Schaake<\/a> earlier this year. Schaake, a former Dutch liberal member of the European Parliament who is a leading voice on tech, called on the bloc to \u201cend its debilitating dependence on American tech groups and take concrete steps to shield itself from the growing dangers of this new, tech-fueled geopolitical landscape.\u201d<\/p>\n In Brussels, the idea of a \u201cEurostack\u201d \u2014 an ambitious industrial plan to break free from U.S. tech dominance \u2014 is gaining steam<\/a>, with key lawmakers throwing their weight behind the proposal. <\/p>\n The draft strategy backs international engagement on critical technologies such as quantum and chips \u2014 as \u201cthe growing complexity of semiconductor supply chains and geopolitical uncertainty necessitate a tailored, country-specific approach.\u201d The EU has been scrambling to fix, among other things, a risky reliance on China<\/a> for low-tech chips.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.politico.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/29\/12830142-1024x683.jpg\")