European DIGITAL SME Alliance

Wrapping up another week at DIGITAL SME! 📌 The debate on tech sovereignty is increasingly shifting from supply to demand. At the #EDIH Summit 2026, conversations explored how European Digital Innovation Hubs can help SMEs adopt digital technologies and build AI capabilities, while tools such as the Tech Sovereignty Catalogue can make Europe's existing technology offerings more visible and accessible to potential users. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ek3YCY5N 📌 Completing the Digital Single Market requires more than removing barriers to cross-border business. Discussions on the future of the #SingleMarket at CEPS (Centre for European Policy Studies) focused on the need to link market integration with Europe's #techsovereignty objectives. DIGITAL SME highlighted how strategic #publicprocurement, sovereignty criteria for cloud and AI tenders, and incentives to stimulate private demand can become tools to strengthen Europe's competitiveness and digital independence. 📌 A new research shows that nearly half of German SMEs already choose software from fellow mid-sized providers over global tech giants. At the Hauptstadtforum Digitalwirtschaft in Berlin, Bundesverband IT-Mittelstand e.V. (BITMi) and DIGITAL SME President Dr. Oliver Grün highlighted that strengthening digital sovereignty will require continued recognition and support for SME technology vendors, accompanied by concrete policy measures. 📌 Global expansion remains one of the most pressing challenges for tech SMEs, yet the right connections and knowledge can make all the difference. DIGITAL SME launched the Internationalisation Community, bringing together SMEs, trade associations, and organisations from around the world to exchange best practices and matchmaking opportunities to foster cross-border growth. Check out the community 🔗 https://lnkd.in/enRjC-Ja Thanks to IPD - Import Promotion Desk, the Malaysia IoT Association, the European Commission , EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation, ATOMNIA, 皓博科技 Harbor Technology Solutions, and FACTORY 4.0 for their contributions. Keep an eye on our social media for more!

The EU is trying to build #techsovereignty, while its #procurement and #competition rules often rewards technological dependence. While Europe invests billions in technological sovereignty, European organisations still channel around €264 billion every year to the US economy through purchases of cloud and software services. Over 80% of digital services in the public sector are purchased from foreign companies. In a new article co-authored with Florian Schuck we explore what we call the #competitionparadox: public procurement rules are designed to maximise competition within each individual tender, but can inadvertently reduce competition in the market over time by reinforcing incumbent advantages. If Europe wants genuine competition, resilience and technological sovereignty, procurement cannot be treated as a neutral administrative process. It is one of the most powerful industrial policy tools available. The objective should not be to close markets, but to ensure that public spending helps create competitive European alternatives, strengthens innovation ecosystems, and reduces strategic dependencies. Competition policy and tech sovereignty should reinforce each other, not pull in opposite directions. My latest article for Competition Policy International: https://lnkd.in/egNeKNmN #TechSovereignty #PublicProcurement #CompetitionPolicy #SMEs #IndustrialPolicy

🔐 The transition to post-quantum cryptography is set to become one of the most important #cybersecurity challenges of the coming decade. To help #SMEs navigate this transition, DIGITAL SME is launching the #Quantum Community: a dedicated space to build awareness, access practical guidance, and connect with experts, institutions, and solution providers working on quantum-safe security. 📅 15 June 2026 ⏰ 14:00 - 15:00 CEST | Online Register for the launch event 👉 https://lnkd.in/eVQmBnzB

📅 Save the date! Join the Digital4Sustainability webinar on 19 June to explore new learning materials and piloting opportunities to help SMEs develop #digital and #sustainability skills, test innovative solutions, and accelerate their green and digital transition. More info and registration 👉 https://lnkd.in/e6VwTmpy

🌍 Looking to connect with investors, partners, customers, and innovators from across Europe and beyond? Join GITEX AI EUROPE - Europe's Leading Tech & AI Event 2026 in Berlin on 30 June – 1 July, bringing together the global tech, startup, and digital investment ecosystem under one roof. As an ecosystem partner, DIGITAL SME is pleased to offer its network free Visitor Passes and an exclusive 50% discount on All-Access Passes. 🎟️ Fill out the form to receive your codes: https://lnkd.in/eNrbszQx

Wrapping up another week at DIGITAL SME! 📌 The Tech Sovereignty Package is out, marking a first step towards addressing Europe’s structural dependencies in tech. While the European Commission finally recognises semiconductors, cloud and AI as critical infrastructure, the measures supporting investments in supply must be matched by stronger actions to stimulate demand. Here are DIGITAL SME's first takeaways: https://lnkd.in/ecysnxze 📌 Europe's tech sovereignty challenge is increasingly shifting from supply to demand. In discussions with MEP Matthias Ecke and European cloud providers OVHcloud and Exoscale at Connect Europe's Policy Summit, DIGITAL SME Secretary General Sebastiano Toffaletti highlighted that Europe already has competitive solutions across key layers of the tech stack. The next step is creating the conditions for them to scale through strategic procurement, clearer sovereignty criteria, and a more integrated European approach to cloud, AI and connectivity. 📌 DIGITAL SME's Florian Schuck, together with a delegation of Members including Digital Samba, Cordaata, Nocarta.ai, WIBU-SYSTEMS, participated in TECH 2026 in Heilbronn to engage with fellow innovators on Europe’s digital sovereignty, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, and the strategic development of emerging technologies. 📌 European tech ecosystem increasingly depends on electricity. For innovative SMEs, rising and unpredictable energy costs risk becoming a structural barrier to investment and competitiveness, hindering their potential as enablers of Europe’s technological sovereignty. Interested to know more about the topic? Read the blogpost: https://lnkd.in/eeY-6Esn 📌 On 5 June, the Skills for Digital Autonomy event gathered in Cyprus policymakers, cybersecurity experts, academia and industry to shape the future of #DigitalAutonomy and AI skills across Europe. DIGITAL SME´s Davide Iaccarino contributed to the discussion on increasing AI & Cyber Awareness for SMEs and empowering them through the digital transition. 📌 This week, another edition of the Present Your Business event brought together seven companies to showcase their solutions: Builtrix, Cordaata, RegCheck, Digital Samba, Open Digital Consulting, Agricolus S.r.l., and GITEX AI EUROPE - Europe's Leading Tech & AI Event. Interested in participating in the next edition? Find out more! https://lnkd.in/eX3gstYJ Keep an eye on our social media for more!

🌍 Expanding internationally remains a major challenge for many #SMEs. To help address this, DIGITAL SME is launching the Internationalisation Community: a platform connecting #tech SMEs, trade associations, universities, chambers of commerce, and organisations from around the world. Join the inaugural event to discover how the community can support your international growth through matchmaking opportunities, market insights, funding opportunities, and a trusted network of global partners. 📅 9 June 2026 ⏰ 9:30 - 11:00 CEST | Online 🔗 https://lnkd.in/euA6hQvc

Cloud, chips... Europe goes on the offensive against US tech dominance. My quote on L'Echo today about the #TechSovereignty Package announced by the Commission: "Beyond supply-side investments, the real test will be whether Europe creates demand for its own technologies. Measures such as a genuine #BuyEuropean approach in public procurement and #SME #digitalisation #vouchers supporting the adoption of European solutions will be essential." https://lnkd.in/erm6cJ9D

🚨 The #TechSovereigntyPackage marks a paradigm shift in Europe's digital policy, embracing a proactive industrial strategy to reduce structural dependency on non-EU providers and recognising cloud, AI and semiconductors as strategic infrastructure. Key measures include: non-price criteria and sovereignty levels for #cloud procurement, stronger requirements for sensitive sectors, and a federated cloud approach. But more is needed: - Leaving #sovereignty risk assessments to Member States risks uneven implementation. - Demand-side measures must extend beyond the public sector. Digitalisation vouchers could, for instance, stimulate private adoption of European solutions. - The EuroCloud Federation should be open to home-grown cloud and #AI providers. Without effective support for homegrown demand #technology, Europe risks increasing capacity without having the market to sustain it. Tech Sovereignty requires both sides: Europe must build digital technologies, but it must also choose them. Read DIGITAL SME's first takes on the Tech Sovereignty Package 👇 https://lnkd.in/ecysnxze