At the start of the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2026 in Davos, eco – Association of the Internet Industry is calling for a commitment to greater and more offensive digitalisation in Europe. In light of geopolitical tensions and potential threats to industrial and technological supply chains, this is crucial for Europe’s competitiveness and ability to act. The WEF is taking place from 19 to 23 January under the motto “A Spirit of Dialogue”. The participation of US President Donald Trump on 21 January with a high-ranking delegation gives the event additional political significance and increases the pressure to act on Europe.
“Digital transformation is an economic and security policy necessity,” says Alexander Rabe, eco’s Managing Director. “Europe cannot stand by and watch as it falls further and further behind in terms of digital value creation in international competition. Freedom of choice, innovation and resilience – not isolation – are the key aspects for a growing European economy based on digital technologies and data-driven business models.”
From eco’s perspective, digital sovereignty primarily means freedom of choice based on transparent markets, open standards and verifiable IT security. What matters is not so much the origin of digital products, but their security, legal compliance and interoperability. This requires digital skills, a reliable regulatory framework and an attractive innovation location.
“A central pillar for digital sovereignty and the competitiveness of Europe as a digital location is a high-performance and resilient ecosystem of digital infrastructures, consisting of data centres, cloud infrastructures, Internet exchanges and gigabit networks. The task now is to create the right regulatory framework to strengthen this ecosystem,” Rabe continues.
In addition, eco is calling for a functioning digital single market. Uniform rules, faster approval procedures and investment-friendly location conditions are key levers for retaining and scaling digital innovations in Europe.
