Europe’s Digital Sovereignty Push Gathers Pace as MEPs and CEOs Meet in Brussels

European policymakers, industry leaders and digital experts gathered in Brussels for  Wire’s European Digital Sovereignty Summit, emphasising that Europe should build a digital ecosystem reflecting its own values; democracy, transparency, interoperability, rather than replicating US Big Tech. MEPs Brando Benifei from Italy, Alexandra Geese from Germany and Bruno Gonçalves from Portugal led the debate.

The discussion defined that digital sovereignty was framed not as protectionism, but as ensuring Europe retains control over its infrastructure, data and democratic systems while remaining globally connected and competitive.

Speaking on the shift from hyperscalers, Benjamin Schilz, CEO at Wire said: “Reducing reliance on foreign tech infrastructure is key to protecting democratic stability and data sovereignty, particularly given geopolitical risks. Open source, interoperability and transparent standards are essential to build trust, avoid vendor lock-in and strengthen resilience.”

Conversations focused on strengthening Europe’s competitiveness, with agreement that sovereignty must be backed by smarter, growth-driven policy. Oliver Brown, CCO at Wire, said “regulation should enable firms to scale through competition reform and investment in AI, semiconductors and cybersecurity, arguing that Europe’s strong talent base requires deeper market integration.”

Jean-Phillipe Scherer, Head of EU/NATO Public Affairs for Defence and Space at Airbus, said “Individual priorities, rather than national sovereignty, are the greater barrier to European cooperation” and called for a broader mindset shift through more European leadership and education.  Alexandra Geese MEP noted diplomatic pressure against sovereignty initiatives but pointed to growing local efforts, while others warned against “sovereignty washing” without structural reform.

Participants highlighted risks including concentrated browser ownership, reliance on foreign cloud providers and governance vulnerabilities within major platforms. They stressed that sovereignty must not mean isolation: Europe should remain open and globally engaged but anchored in its own standards and safeguards.

The final session called for practical reforms, stronger alignment across AI, semiconductor and cybersecurity policy, and simplification within a deeper single market. The consensus was clear: political ambition must translate into operational delivery. Wire reaffirmed its commitment to secure, open and interoperable digital infrastructure, underlining that digital sovereignty is about building resilient foundations, not closing borders.

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