Brussels, 12 November 2026 – Europe must translate its technological strengths into scalable, competitive solutions by reducing strategic dependencies and making better use of public procurement, speakers stressed at the Digital Sovereignty Conference organised by ASD – the Aerospace, Security and Defence Industries Association of Europe – in Brussels today.

Opening the conference, Sandra Parthie, President of the Employers’ Group at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), and Camille Grand, ASD Secretary General, welcomed participants for discussions on the competitiveness and resilience of Europe’s aerospace, security and defence industries. European Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen delivered the keynote address before joining Micael Johansson, President of ASD, for a conversation moderated by Alice Tidey of Rapporteur.

Virkkunen stressed that Europe could not remain merely a consumer of technologies developed elsewhere and needed to strengthen its own capabilities in strategic sectors. She pointed to opportunities in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum technologies, satellites and cloud services, and highlighted fragmented markets, financing constraints and insufficient demand as obstacles to scaling European innovators.

Johansson emphasised that Europe’s industries must continue to access high-performing technologies while strengthening their ability to develop and deploy European alternatives. He highlighted the importance of EU institutions acting as customers for European technologies, and argued that the next Multiannual Financial Framework and a substantial European Competitiveness Fund should support not only research and development, but also deployment and scale-up.

The first panel, “Towards a European market for sovereign digital technologies”, challenged the view that Europe has already lost the digital technology race. Speakers pointed to European talent, industrial expertise and strengths in areas such as industrial AI. They identified public procurement as a powerful means of helping innovative companies grow, while stressing that control over critical infrastructure is also an operational security consideration for defence customers.

The second panel, “From R&D grants to scale-ups – the procurement strategy”, focused on how public buyers and major manufacturers can generate sustained demand. Nathalie Berger of the European Commission highlighted procurement rules and practices that can open opportunities for innovative suppliers, including smaller contract lots and evaluation criteria that go beyond the lowest price. Participants also discussed the role of financial guarantees, open standards, industrial partnerships and long-term purchasing commitments in helping European providers compete.

Panellists emphasised that digital sovereignty need not mean technological isolation. A resilient European ecosystem requires diversification, interoperability, the ability to change suppliers and cooperation with partners, alongside stronger European capabilities. As NATO’s Marco Criscuolo observed, a stronger Europe also contributes to a stronger NATO.

In the closing session, European Parliament Vice-President Victor Negrescu urged confidence in Europe’s ability to lead through its existing companies and innovators, backed by a coherent approach. Closing remarks were also delivered by Camille Grand and Rosanne Serrano, Chair of ASD’s Digital Transformation Commission.

The discussions reinforced a central message: Europe’s digital sovereignty will depend not only on innovation and investment, but also on creating a market in which European technologies can be adopted, deployed and scaled. More information on ASD’s approach is available on its website in “Digital sovereignty and the competitiveness of Europe’s aerospace, security and defence industry”.

Press contact

Adrian Schmitz, Director, Strategic Communications & Media Relations +32 473 13 33 30, adrian.schmitz@asd-europe.org

Vassilis Nanis, Communications Manager +32 460 97 85 19, vassilis.nanis@asd-europe.org

About ASD

ASD is the voice of the European Aerospace, Security and Defence Industries – the industry that connects and protects. Based in Brussels, the association’s overall representation adds up to more than 4,000 companies, accounting for 99% of industry’s total turnover and 94% of its total employment in Europe. ASD actively supports the competitive development of our industries in Europe and worldwide by advocating common positions and providing technical expertise to public institutions and member companies. For more, visit http://www.asd-europe.org/, follow us on LinkedIn and Bluesky, or subscribe to our monthly newsletter.