The EU must continue investing in world-class digital infrastructure, data governance and skills
CSC has given input to the preparation of the European Union’s Post 2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). The future MFF must focus on strengthening Europe’s competitiveness and security by investing in technological sovereignty. This requires investments in digital infrastructure, data, and skills.
In the current geopolitical situation, Europe’s safety and prosperity require increased self-reliance. To reduce dependencies on non-European tech giants, Europe must take determined steps to strengthen its capabilities in developing and applying new technologies. In addition to substantial financial returns, strategically chosen technology infrastructures help build European digital sovereignty.
The EU must develop an interoperable ecosystem of computing, data, network connectivity and skills to achieve tech and data sovereignty. To develop the ecosystem, the MFF will have to include long-term funding for world-class computing capacity, infrastructures for managing data to ensure value creation for Europe and for secure transferring of data as well as horizontal skills development. To ensure the efficient use of these enabling factors of research and innovation (R&I), sufficient funding must be allocated to flagship R&I projects related to e.g. digital twins and AI.
Data is the key ingredient of disruptive research and innovation. However, significant volumes of data are leaking out from Europe, benefiting non-European businesses. To counter this, we must prioritize building data capacities and ownership for European researchers and companies. A European web index would enhance the competitiveness and reduce reliance on non-European actors, and the next MFF must secure sustainable funding for developing the European web index building on the current Open Web Search project. While Europe must boost its technological capabilities, it must do it in a way that respects fundamental European values; the use of data and AI must be ethical, and attention must also be paid to the climate and environmental impact of digitalization.
Research and innovation must be put at the heart of Europe’s economy, and this must be reflected in the future MFF by allocating a larger share of EU budget to it. The future MFF must ensure that Europe will keep pooling its resources in the framework of EuroHPC and thus continue joint investments in world-class instruments for data-based research and innovation, such as supercomputers, quantum computers, data platforms and networks.
In addition to infrastructure, research and innovation require skilled and innovative people. The EU must take its new Union of Skills seriously and ensure that the future MFF allocates sufficient funding to continue its implementation well into the 2030s. From the point of view of competitiveness and technological sovereignty, it is particularly important to invest in the EU skills academies and joint study programmes in the areas of AI, quantum and data. The EU must also focus on attracting and retaining talent. To provide excellent scientific working conditions, the funding of state-of-the-art research infrastructures, including world class supercomputers, must be secured.
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Irina Kupiainen
Irina Kupiainen is responsible for CSC’s Public Affairs.