German Minister for Digital Affairs Karsten Wildberger emphasizes that Europe’s call for digital sovereignty should not be confused with protectionism.
According to him, Europe must develop its own digital infrastructure. This is to reduce dependence on American technology companies. That does not mean that cooperation with the United States should be ruled out.
In an interview with Reuters, Wildberger explains that Germany and the European Union can no longer be mere spectators or customers in the digital sector, but must play an active role themselves. He points to the growing global market for technology, software, data, and artificial intelligence. Europe can and must play a greater role in this market.
Lagging behind the US
Wildberger sees European companies such as Mistral AI, DeepL, and Aleph Alpha as examples of successful innovators. They prove that Europe is capable of developing technological leadership. Nevertheless, he acknowledges that the United States still has a considerable lead, particularly in artificial intelligence. He therefore considers cooperation with American companies to be of great importance for the further development of a European digital economy.
The minister emphasizes that digital sovereignty does not mean that Europe is closing itself off from the global market. On the contrary, he sees it as a way to create greater freedom of choice, for example, in data storage and the management of digital infrastructure. Companies in Germany and elsewhere in Europe must be able to decide where their data is stored and who is responsible for the technical basis for this.
Taking a broad approach to digital sovereignty
Wildberger also advocates a broader view of digital sovereignty. According to him, it is not just about software and data centers, but also about the entire supply chain associated with them. This ranges from the extraction of rare earth metals and the design of chips to the production of servers and the laying of cables. Only if Europe better understands this entire chain and takes partial control of it can it truly operate independently in the digital world.
Karsten Wildberger has been Germany’s first Minister for Digitalization and State Modernization in Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s cabinet since May 2025. Before his political appointment, he built a career in business, including management positions at T-Mobile, Vodafone, E.ON, and Australia’s Telstra. From 2021 to 2025, he was CEO of Ceconomy, the parent company of MediaMarkt and Saturn, where he oversaw the company’s digital transformation.