Airbus, Dassault Systemes, and many smaller European technology companies and advocacy groups are calling on European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to establish a sovereign infrastructure fund to boost public investments in advanced technologies. They emphasize the importance of Europe maintaining its strategic autonomy in crucial sectors amidst recent U.S. and EU developments and actions. The stakeholders stress the need for Europe to enhance its technological independence in various aspects of digital infrastructure to mitigate security risks, uphold sovereignty, and foster economic growth. The proposal includes creating a sovereign infrastructure fund to support capital-intensive areas like quantum technologies and chips. Additionally, they suggest implementing a "buy European" policy in procurement processes to stimulate demand and promote investments while still allowing European suppliers to compete fairly. Notable signatories of the open letter include OVH Cloud, the European Software Institute, European Startup Network, and various industry associations from EU countries. The letter is also directed to EU tech leader Henna Virkkunen.
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