Technology sovereignty: From demand to concept

Calls for technology sovereignty in Europe were becoming louder even before the current Corona crisis. Growing geopolitical uncertainties and the threat of global trade conflicts are questioning the optimism of recent decades concerning the interdependence of our economies. In Germany, this is triggering a discussion about how independent a state or a federation of states must and can be with regard to critical technologies. It becomes clear that there is an increasing conflict between the call for technology sovereignty on the one hand, and the dominant economic model on the other, in which global specialization and the division of labor combined with open trade increases the welfare of all. Germany, in particular, as an export nation, and the EU as an economic area must consider the question of technology sovereignty carefully and in a differentiated manner. We present one conception of technology sovereignty in this position paper. Our intention is to enrich the current debate and improve differentiation. We develop the criteria and key analytical steps needed to determine the criticality of technologies and the degree of technology sovereignty. Building on this, we develop modified strategies to safeguard or to produce technology sovereignty.