Europe has a unique opportunity - Why digital sovereignty is the new industrial backbone
Europe is at a turning point. While the USA is pushing ahead with speed and China with state control, Europe is working more quietly - but more strategically. This is not about the next technology hype, but about something more fundamental: digital sovereignty. The ability to reduce technological dependencies, secure data sovereignty and build its own platforms is becoming the new industrial backbone.
Today, three US hyperscalers - Amazon, Microsoft and Google -control around 70% of the European cloud market (ITPro, 2023). Only 26% of European companies use cloud services extensively (Eurostat, 2023), and many of these rely on non-European providers. This means that the majority of European value creation runs via infrastructures whose control and business logic lie outside Europe.
But this is exactly what is changing. Initiatives such as Gaia-X, Catena-X and Manufacturing-X are creating federated data spaces that define the European path to the digital future - open, secure, verifiable.
From data monopoly to data federation
Gaia-X was founded to create a European standard for cloud and data architectures. Instead of centralized platforms, the project relies on a federated structure: data remains with the provider, but can be shared and used according to clearly defined rules. This approach is radically different from the business model of American platforms - and that is precisely what makes it future-proof.
According to the EU Commission, over 3 billion euros will flow into European data space projects by 2030. Germany is funding Gaia-X and Catena-X with over 187 million euros (BMWK, 2023). This is not just about technology, but about principles: Transparency, reversibility and interoperability. Companies retain control over their data - and at the same time gain access to a shared, scalable ecosystem.
Catena-X, which focuses on the automotive industry, shows how this works in practice: OEMs, suppliers and logistics partners share data along the entire supply chain - from CO₂ balances to production parameters. Every interaction is traceable, every rule verifiable. The effect: more efficiency, more trust, less dependency.
Why Europe's path is more than defense
Europe's digital course is often perceived as defensive - as a reaction to American dominance. In reality, it is a strategic countermovement: instead of monopolizing data, Europe is focusing on shared value creation. Instead of centralizing control, it is distributing it to trustworthy systems.
The advantage: sustainability and competitiveness grow together. Companies that rely on European data rooms report up to 30% lower integration costs and 20% faster coordination processes between partners. The approach also strengthens Europe's innovative power: open interfaces enable start-ups to enter industrial value chains directly - without proprietary barriers.
Digital sovereignty is therefore not a political luxury, but an economic necessity. It ensures that Europe's industry does not become a data service provider for global platforms, but instead writes the rules of the game itself.
Economic perspective - sovereignty as a driver of growth
The economic dimension of this change is considerable. According to the EU Commission, common European data spaces could create an additional gross value added of over 270 billion euros by 2030. Manufacturing-X and Catena-X alone are expected to integrate more than 40,000 companies by the end of the decade - from large corporations to suppliers. For many of them, data sovereignty will become a measurable competitive factor for the first time. Companies that share data in a controlled manner reduce integration costs by up to 30% and significantly shorten coordination processes along the supply chain.
Technological infrastructure - federation instead of centralization
While American providers continue to rely on centralization, Europe is developing the next generation of digital infrastructure: cloud edge federation. Put simply, this means that computing power and data processing take place where they are generated - in the factory, in the vehicle, in the plant - while remaining securely connected to higher-level cloud systems. This allows companies to use data immediately without having to outsource it to remote data centers.
For entrepreneurs, this means less dependency, more control and faster responsiveness. If a machine sends warning signals, it can be analyzed directly on site, while the higher-level cloud provides the findings for all locations.
With initiatives such as the European Alliance for Industrial Data, Edge and Cloud or the so-called IPCEI projects (Important Projects of Common European Interest), Europe is also laying the foundations for digital independence. Put simply, these are programs that ensure that companies have access to secure, networked IT infrastructures - independently of non-European providers. According to the EU strategy, three quarters of all European companies should be connected to modern cloud and AI systems by 2030.
The intention behind this: uniform standards, reliable providers and predictable security guidelines. Data will remain in Europe, contracts will follow European law and data exchange with partners will be simpler and legally secure. Europe's strength lies not in the race for the fastest product, but in the development of stable, transparent systems. Data protection, traceability and sustainable governance thus become real competitive advantages - especially in markets that share these values, such as Latin America or Africa.
Practical examples - federation in everyday industrial life
Volkswagen uses Catena-X to make CO₂ emissions transparent along the entire supply chain. Every supplier and every component provides standardized data on energy consumption, materials and transport. This data flows into a common, verifiable register. For Volkswagen, this means less work for sustainability reports, better traceability and the ability to select low-emission partners.
With Manufacturing-X,Siemens is driving forward a platform that connects operational systems such as ERP, MES and IoT via open interfaces. For production companies, this means that machine and business data finally speak the same language. If a line comes to a standstill, management can immediately see the cause, the energy impact and the costs. This saves time, reduces downtime and improves decision-making throughout the plant.
Schneider Electric uses European cloud providers to keep sensitive operational data within Europe and meet strict ESG and data protection requirements. Customers from the energy, infrastructure or building technology sectors can thus ensure that all analyses are GDPR-compliant - without exporting data to third countries. At the same time, new digital services such as energy optimization or remote maintenance are being created that build directly on this sovereign database.
These examples make it clear that federated data rooms are no longer a vision of the future, but work today - tangible, scalable and with real added value for companies.
Sovereignty for all
Digital sovereignty does not end at the factory gates. Only 18% of European SMEs use data analysis systematically - and this is where the greatest potential lies. Programs such as GAIA-X 4 Future Mobility or Sovereign Cloud Stack aim to close this gap. They help companies to easily connect their existing machines and systems to secure data rooms - without complicated IT projects or dependence on large cloud providers.
For SMEs, this means that data that was previously lying unused in production facilities or ERP systems becomes a real value-added lever. Companies can compare key figures, optimize maintenance cycles or reduce energy consumption - with tools that adapt to their reality.
This is where VION comes in: The platform sees itself as a bridge between these European data initiatives and day-to-day practice in companies. It translates the idea of Gaia-X into applicable reality - through retrofit-capable infrastructure, clear logic and compliance by design. This turns complex digitalization into a tangible advantage: less effort, more overview, real sovereignty.
From industrial policy to a model for the future
Europe has a unique opportunity because it has learned from the mistakes of the first wave of digitalization. Instead of investing in technology without reflection, the continent is now building an architecture that combines trust, fairness and competitiveness.
Digital sovereignty is not a retreat - it is Europe's greatest opportunity to reconnect technology with meaning, values and freedom of design.
The USA is optimizing for scale, China for control - Europe for responsibility. This attitude is more than just regulation: it is cultural identity. It puts people back at the center of digitalization. Michel Serres wrote: "Technology is nothing without ethics." This is precisely what defines the European way: technology should serve, not dominate. Openness, cooperation and traceability are not restrictions - they are Europe's contribution to a digital world that does not forget people.
