Along with several industry colleagues, we have published an opinion article about the importance of reducing our dependence on US tech giants and focusing on increasing Sweden’s self-sufficiency in the field. The article was published today in Dagens Industri and is available here in Swedish – https://www.di.se/debatt/ge-sverige-ett-digitalt-beredskapslyft/
Summary of the article
Donald Trump’s re-election, which may signal changes in US policy, underlines the importance of Sweden strengthening its digital preparedness and sovereignty.
Today, we are heavily dependent on US tech giants for cloud services and data management, which makes Europe vulnerable, especially as this data is often managed outside EU control. At the same time, we are seeing increasing threats to digital infrastructure in the form of cyber-attacks and sabotage of critical systems and fiber cables from actors such as Russia and Iran. The situation poses a serious security concern.
While the Swedish government recently committed to some investments in civilian and military defense, including recently announced investments in cybersecurity, this is not enough. Sweden must strengthen its digital sovereignty – a shared goal with the rest of Europe. The EU has long emphasized the importance of a common agenda to increase the region’s tech self-sufficiency. We cannot risk our digital information and infrastructure being compromised in a crisis situation.
An absolutely crucial investment
Therefore, Sweden needs to implement a digital readiness boost.
Such a digital readiness boost would involve Sweden investing in national digital infrastructure, developing domestic cloud services, and using the extensive technical expertise that already exists in the country. An increase in digital readiness would strengthen security, promote innovation, create jobs, and improve the global competitiveness of Swedish companies.
Building a robust digital infrastructure can reduce vulnerability and manage crises more effectively while ensuring long-term security. In addition, this would contribute to economic growth and provide fertile ground for new Swedish tech companies to develop and grow.