Majority of Spanish companies demand European technology's capacity to compete globally

Europe is facing one of its main strategic challenges in today's environment of technological acceleration, the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and the growing importance of data, digital infrastructure and technological platforms.

According to the Telefónica foundation's digital sovereignty in Europe 2026 report, 87% of Spanish companies demand that Europe develop its own technologies to be more globally competitive, while 86% believe that Europe is highly or quite dependent on technology companies from other countries.

This dependence is a cause for concern in the business sector, where 73% believe that Europe is falling behind the US and China in technological development and 49% think that this dependence could pose a threat to European security, with AI and payment systems being the areas of greatest concern.

Although the concept of digital sovereignty remains little known, with only 36% saying they have heard of it, its implications generate a concern widely shared by the population, regardless of age, gender or residence.

These results demonstrate that digital sovereignty is not limited to the development of platforms or applications, but also involves infrastructure, industrial capabilities, data protection, ethics, security, talent and innovation.

"At Fundación Telefónica, through actively listening to society and the business community, we have observed a growing concern for Europe's technological autonomy. Our commitment (...) is to work to reduce this dependence in strategic areas by boosting competitiveness, innovation and European leadership," CEO Isabel Salazar says.

Residents show broad support for greater European technological autonomy: 87% believe that Europe should have its own platforms and technologies to strengthen its competitiveness and reduce strategic dependencies.

The study also reveals a clear predisposition towards adopting European solutions. Although 66% admit they are currently unaware of any technological platforms developed in Europe, 69% state they would prioritise a European alternative if it offered equivalent performance to a non-European platform.

This data highlights an opportunity to promote a European technological ecosystem capable of responding to demands in areas such as security, competitiveness, ethics and data protection.

The report also reflects significant unease about the control and use of personal data by large non-European digital platforms.

Concern reaches particularly high levels when it comes to sensitive information: 90% express concern about access to banking data, 85% about asset and tax information, 79% about location and movements data and 78% about health information.

According to the business sector, the solution lies in strengthening domestic technological capabilities, with 91% believing that European governments should actively promote the development of European technologies.

Furthermore, Spaniards identify telecommunications networks, cybersecurity, data centres and cloud services as key elements for digital sovereignty: 86% consider having their own cybersecurity and telecommunications capabilities a priority, 83% for data centres and 79% for cloud services.

These results demonstrate that digital sovereignty goes beyond technological platforms and includes critical infrastructure, talent, innovation, data protection and industrial capacity.

Business perceptions of technology combine concern and trust. While there are significant concerns related to AI, digital security, disinformation and the management of personal data, most also recognise the positive impact of technology in areas such as the economy, employment, and education.

In this context, 54% believe that European technological sovereignty will increase over the next decade, reflecting the perception that Europe still has the capacity to strengthen its position on the global technological stage.

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