EuroStack is a non-profit foundation borne out of a grassroot movement (first public event: 24 September 2024, European Parliament) to power up European tech. The motivation is not “democracy and our values” (leave that to others), nor “just” “resilience and security” (too defensive). What really matters for Europe going forward is to support our productivity growth. As diagnosed by the Draghi report among others, Europe’s economic model is under threat as a result of successful Chinese expansion, and our failure to put in place effective trade responses and follow through with decisive industrial policies. But a key piece in all of this is that information technology explains much of the difference in productivity growth with the US since 2000. Europe has been far slower in the creation of IT, and also in adoption and diffusion of IT created in the US. And this explains much of the gap.
While Europe was attempting to contain Big Tech through regulation, these same companies rolled out massive infrastructure across Europe – datacentres, cloud, software, connectivity. This was a legitimate endeavour as Europe vacated the grounds. But as a result, today we do not own almost any part of the infrastructure on which our digital lives are founded. Unless Europe reverses this somewhat, and captures a greater share of the value we are creating through our digital activities, we will remain a digital colony and a vassal. We need to BUILD aggressively, not just regulate, as the AI transformation also unfolds.
The EuroStack Foundation, of which I am co-founder and Chair, is a volunteer organization seeking to push European companies to explore and adopt European alternative solutions, and capital allocators to fund European scale ups. To increase the share of European builders and makers in Europe’s tech. Because Europe is an economic superpower, and needs to act like one.
Below my writings on this:
Magical Thinking Won’t Make Europe an AI Power by Cristina Caffarra – Project Syndicate
“EuroStack”: How Europe Can Compete in Tech – CEPA
OPINION. « Souveraineté numérique : l’Europe doit proposer une approche incisive et pragmatique »
European Digital Sovereignty is an Industrial Project. Everyone Else Get Out of the Way.
“Build”: Is Europe Finally Getting that Regulation Could Never Get Us a Digital Industry?
Digital sovereignty: Now all that counts is doing! – Tagesspiegel Background
Antitrust (and Regulation) are “Small Ball”: What Matters is Build Infrastructure
A “Shock” Entirely Foretold – by Cristina Caffarra
“Rebuilding Europe’s Sovereignty” – by Cristina Caffarra
Again: EuroStack is an Industrial Project
Sabotaging Europe’s Tech Efforts: Beware Neoliberal Relics Carrying Water for Hyperscalers
Tech Sovereignty needs demand – to get supply right
EuroStack’s Motive is Europe’s Growth – in line with Draghi at Aachen
The Sovereignty Muddle of “AI Maximalism”
The ‘Sovereignty’ Narratives That Don’t Help Europe | TechPolicy.Press