Importance of digital sovereignty

• Developed by TNO in collaboration with SURF and the Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI), GPT-NL is the first Dutch national open language model.
• Purpose: provides a fully transparent, trustworthy Dutch-language foundation model tailored to Dutch societal, cultural, and linguistic contexts.
• Responsible impact: built entirely through legitimate data partnerships and adhering 100% to European copyright and privacy regulations, GPT-NL secures digital sovereignty for public institutions and businesses.

• Led by TNO, Future Network Services (FNS) brings together 70+ partners to strengthen Dutch and European capabilities in 6G, the next generation of mobile networks.
• Purpose: builds on European strengths in connectivity, semiconductors, AI-driven networking and applications to create strong technology positions and new economic opportunities.
• Responsible impact: strengthens digital sovereignty by building strategic positions in critical 6G technologies while improving interoperability and portability, helping reduce dependencies and vendor lock-in.

• In ECOFED TNO develops together with its partners a European framework for federated cloud and edge services, enabling multiple providers to operate as part of an interoperable ecosystem.
• Purpose: enables organisations to combine and switch cloud services across providers, creating greater flexibility and freedom of choice in the European cloud market.
• Responsible impact: turns digital sovereignty into a practical capability by improving interoperability and portability, reducing lock-in and strengthening Europe’s position in cloud infrastructure.

It is the ability to make informed choices about critical digital technologies, data and infrastructure, and to act on those choices. It does not mean eliminating every dependency or building everything ourselves. It means understanding where dependencies are acceptable, where they create strategic risks, and where greater control, stronger capabilities or credible alternatives are needed. This strengthens resilience while creating opportunities for innovation and long-term competitiveness.

No. The origin of technology matters, but it is not the only consideration. Organisations should also assess who controls the technology, by whom the data can be accessed, how easily systems can be adapted or moved, and whether alternatives are available. Open standards, interoperability and portability can preserve freedom of choice while allowing European organisations to participate in global markets and technological ecosystems.

The digital stack provides a way to understand how technologies such as semiconductors, connectivity, cloud, data infrastructure, AI, software and applications depend on each other. Mapping these layers helps identify strategic dependencies, existing strengths and opportunities for innovation. It provides a practical basis for deciding where greater control, alternative solutions or targeted investments can make the greatest difference.

Digital technologies do not develop in isolation. Cloud infrastructure depends on connectivity and chips, AI relies on compute, data and cloud, and applications build on capabilities across multiple layers. The objective is therefore not to control every layer of the stack. It is to build on Dutch and European strengths and connect them strategically across layers, concentrating R&D and investment capacity where it can create the greatest impact.

A useful starting point is to map the technologies and providers on critical processes. TNO uses the concept of control points: strategic positions in digital value chains where actors can influence access, standards, data flows or market development. Identifying these points helps organisations determine where additional safeguards, capabilities, alternatives or investments are most valuable.

Interoperability and portability turn freedom of choice into a practical capability. They make it easier to combine technologies, move data and applications, and switch between providers without becoming unnecessarily dependent on proprietary architectures. This creates more room for competition and innovation and supports the development of open, federated European cloud and data ecosystems.

Data spaces enable organisations to collaborate and create value from data while retaining control over how that data is used. Participants can determine with whom they share data, for what purpose and under what conditions. This combines data sharing with data sovereignty. TNO contributes by bringing together technology, governance, interoperability, business models and responsible data use.

Digital sovereignty can only scale when strategic ambitions and commercial realities reinforce each other. Public policy can create the conditions for greater resilience, choice and strategic autonomy, while companies need competitive solutions, viable markets and opportunities to create value. Connecting these perspectives helps direct innovation and investment towards areas where European capabilities can strengthen both strategic autonomy and long-term competitiveness.

Strengthening digital sovereignty requires collaboration between industry government, knowledge and education institutes. As an independent research and technology organisation, TNO connects these perspectives and helps partners move from understanding dependencies to developing concrete alternatives and capabilities.