More than 90 European technology firms, including Airbus and Dassault Systèmes, have called on the European Commission to establish a sovereign infrastructure fund to enhance public investment in key technological sectors.
In an open letter addressed to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the companies emphasized the need for Europe to strengthen its strategic autonomy, citing recent developments in the US and EU, as well as US policy measures.
“Europe must take the initiative and build technological independence across all layers of critical digital infrastructure—ranging from applications and AI frameworks to chips, computing, and connectivity,” the letter stated.
The signatories warned that Europe’s current dependencies pose risks to security and economic stability, jeopardizing sovereignty and economic growth. To counter this, they proposed the creation of a sovereign infrastructure fund, particularly to support capital-intensive areas like quantum technologies and semiconductors.
Additionally, the letter called for a “buy European” policy in public procurement to stimulate demand and encourage investment in domestic tech companies. “The goal is not to exclude non-European players but to ensure European suppliers have a fair competitive space to justify investments,” it noted.
Among the signatories are French cloud provider OVH Cloud, the European Software Institute, the European Startup Network, the German AI Association, the Amsterdam Internet Exchange (AMS-IX), and France’s public investment bank BPI France.