Denmark Seeks Digital Independence from US Tech Giants
Denmark and other European nations are actively reducing dependence on US tech giants after the Greenland dispute highlighted digital vulnerability. Copenhagen leads efforts to create alternative IT systems while Germany and Eastern European countries pursue similar strategies. The movement represents a major shift in Europe's digital sovereignty approach.
After the Greenland dispute - can Denmark become digitally independent? Copenhagen municipality wants to achieve this.
European countries are reducing their reliance on American technology. Growing concerns about digital vulnerability have prompted this shift. Denmark leads this movement with concrete actions.
Copenhagen's municipal government wants digital independence. They fear dependence on few IT providers could paralyze society. Henrik Appel Esbensen chairs Copenhagen's internal audit committee. He compares IT dependency to energy supplies. For gas and electricity we have alternative providers, he says. Now we want similar security for IT systems.
Denmark's Ministry of Digitalization runs a pilot project. It tests alternatives to dominant US tech solutions. Open-source software is part of this initiative. Digitalization Minister Caroline Stage Olsen expresses concern. Europe has slept too long in digital dependence, she states. The Greenland dispute made this issue more urgent.
Germany shows similar concerns. Schleswig-Holstein plans to replace Windows with Linux. They seek domestic cloud providers too.
Eastern Europe moves in the same direction. Poland and Baltic countries plan an AI gigafactory. These data centers would provide processing power for artificial intelligence. Estonia's Economy Minister Erkki Keldo wants digital sovereignty. We use American services now but need alternatives, he explains.
Tech investor Johan Brenner notes the change. A year ago digital independence seemed laughable, he says. Now European companies need Plan A and Plan B.
Europe built deep tech dependence during close US relations. The Trump presidency accelerated reevaluation. Countries now develop digital backup plans alongside military preparedness.