Digital Sovereignty in Evolving Times: Harmonising Privacy and Sustainability for a Resilient and Self-Reliant Europe

The concept of sovereignty, a cornerstone of international relations since the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648, has evolved to encompass a wide range of meanings. Today, it has taken on a new dimension: digital sovereignty. In Europe, this discourse is intertwined with related concepts like technological sovereignty and strategic autonomy, reflecting the EU's efforts to ensure control and governance of its digital ecosystem in alignment with its values.

Digital sovereignty typically refers to the capacity of states or groups of states to govern, regulate, and protect their digital ecosystem, including data. However, in an era defined by geopolitical realignments, rapid technological disruption, and the climate crisis, ensuring effective governance of Europe’s digital ecosystem is more challenging—and more critical—than ever before. European Research and Innovation projects such as GLACIATION, are fundamental in this endeavour.

The European-funded project, GLACIATION leverages the cloud-edge continuum with a novel metadata fabric and AI optimiser to keep data closer to its source whenever possible. This approach reduces environmental impact, enhances privacy, and exemplifies how the EU can align sustainability with digital sovereignty. The project highlights the innovative solutions Europe can pioneer to address these pressing challenges ethically and effectively.

GLACIATION is convening the High-Level Discussion, organised in Zurich, will bring together local and international stakeholders explore how the EU can maintain its sovereignty in this new changing landscape, with a particular focus on innovation, sustainability, and ethical governance.

The discussion will revolve around the following overarching questions:

• In a world of geopolitical shifts, technological disruption, and the climate crisis, how can the EU maintain its sovereignty while upholding ethical principles?
• What mechanisms does the EU, particularly in the area of innovation, have to govern and regulate its digital ecosystem effectively?