Digital Sovereignty Will Shape Europe’s Future
Who controls our data, our technology, and our cybersecurity? This question will define Europe’s competitiveness and security in the coming years. Digital sovereignty is no longer just technology policy—it affects all of us.
The Critical Importance of Digital Sovereignty
The digital environment is currently one of the fastest-changing sectors in our society. Data, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and digital services are no longer issues confined to a single sector—they impact industries from manufacturing lines to healthcare, from energy networks to financial risk management and public procurement.
In this context, digital sovereignty means the ability to ensure that European companies and citizens can operate independently in the digital world, on European terms. Digital sovereignty has become one of the defining themes of our time because it is directly linked to who controls our data, platform structures, critical technologies, and cybersecurity. Understanding and adapting to this change is increasingly important as geopolitical tensions rise and economic and technological competition intensifies.
Digiomnibus Opens a New Era of Digital Regulation
On November 19, the European Commission published the first Digiomnibus—a regulatory package focused on simplifying digital and data regulation, marking the start of a new phase in EU regulatory reform. The aim of the package is to streamline and clarify rules, eliminate overlaps, and create a more predictable and innovation-friendly environment for European actors. Digital regulation has become heavy and complex, and reform is essential for European companies to innovate and invest competitively in the future. Digital sovereignty is not just technology policy or a continuation of von der Leyen’s second-term reforms—it is a core part of broader competitiveness and security policy.
From an influence perspective, the current moment is decisive. Digiomnibus is only the first step in a long process that will define how the digital economy and data ecosystems operate in Europe’s future. Regulation will shape the business environment for years and decades to come, impacting everything from startups to global industrial groups and public sector services.
Finland’s Role in Building Digital Sovereignty
In past decades, Finland was known as a pioneer in digital and technology policy. We are a small economy compared to the rest of Europe and highly dependent on international markets. Finland now has an opportunity to position itself again as a major player in a field where data utilization and responsible technology development meet. This requires active participation in shaping regulation, close dialogue between businesses, societal actors, and EU decision-makers, and the ability to identify early the issues where European—and Finnish—solutions have room to thrive.
Simplifying regulation is only the beginning. It opens the door to long-term influence over what Europe’s digital environment will look like and under what conditions data can be shared and utilized. Actors across sectors will have the chance to assess how their competitiveness and operations connect to legislation. At the same time, we can examine what changes are needed so that European players can innovate and develop solutions without unreasonable administrative or legal barriers—while maintaining security.
Digital sovereignty will not be achieved through declarations, but through consistent work: clear goals, well-founded messages, and genuine partnerships with decision-makers. Now is the right time to build connections, highlight solutions, and influence what digital Europe—and Finland—will look like in the coming decade. Decisions made this year and next will have far-reaching effects, which is why it is crucial to act now.
Veera Savonen
The author is an EU analyst at Blic.