Is Europe Falling Behind in the Digital Race?
As a cybersecurity enthusiast, it’s hard not to feel the urgency in Miguel De Bruycker’s words. Europe, once a leader in various sectors, seems to be trailing behind the US in digital infrastructure—a critical area in today’s tech-driven world.
The Cloud Conundrum
De Bruycker, director of Belgium’s Centre for Cybersecurity, made a startling claim: Europe has ‘lost the internet’. This is largely because US companies currently dominate the digital infrastructure landscape, making it nearly impossible to keep data fully within European borders.
“We’ve lost the whole cloud. We have lost the internet, let’s be honest,” De Bruycker candidly stated. His words echo a reality where the dream of a 100% EU-based digital ecosystem seems far-fetched at the moment.
Dependency on Private Companies
One of the core issues highlighted is Europe’s dependency on private companies, many of which are American, to maintain its cyber defenses. In cyberspace, where everything is commercially driven and privately owned, this dependency poses significant challenges for Europe’s digital sovereignty.
Building Homegrown Capabilities
De Bruycker stressed the need for Europe to boost its own capabilities, advocating for governmental support for private initiatives in areas like cloud computing and digital identification technologies. He compared this potential collaboration to the Airbus initiative—suggesting that Europe needs a unified effort to reclaim its position in the cyber domain.
While the EU’s AI Act aims to regulate technology, De Bruycker warned that it might be stifling innovation rather than fostering it. This raises the question: How can Europe balance regulation and innovation to strengthen its digital landscape?
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