Strengthening Europe in the digital domain - Franco-German reflections on digital sovereignty Webinar

With the COVID-19 pandemic, the urgency to develop an ambitious European digital strategy is even more acute. Such a strategy must enable the EU to compete economically with the two digital superpowers of China and the United States, while defending its own security interests. Yet Europeans seem to lack a common definition of digital sovereignty and what it encompasses.

The aim is to examine Franco-German cooperation in the digital field through cloud computing and data infrastructures. For businesses, governments and individuals, access to trusted cloud computing services plays a central role, instrumental in facilitating innovation. It is a key part of the digital sovereignty agenda. The second panel will discuss European data infrastructures such as the Gaia-X project, which can contribute to Europe's goal of digital sovereignty.

Restricted event. By invitation only.

8:30 am - 10:00 am Panel 1: “Defining digital sovereignty: objectives and challenges”

Introduction: Gunther Krichbaum, Member of the Bundestag, Chairman of the Committee on European Affairs

Moderation: Claire Demesmay, Director of the France / Franco-German relations program, DGAP

Speakers:

• Marco-Alexander Breit, Head of Unit for Artificial Intelligence, Federal Ministry of Economy and Energy
• Julia Pohle, Senior Researcher “Politics of Digitalization”, Berlin Social Science Center (WZB)
• Michel Rao, Project Director at the Directorate General of Enterprises, Ministry of the Economy, Finance and Recovery

10 a.m. - 10.15 a.m. Break

10:15 am - 11:30 am Panel 2: “Gaia-X and beyond: towards a European alliance for industrial data, cloud and edge computing”.

Introduction: Alice Pannier, Head of the Geopolitics of Technologies program, IFRI

Moderation: Tyson Barker, Director of the Technology and Global Affairs program, DGAP

Speakers:

• Servane Augier, Deputy CEO, 3DS Outscale
• Pierre Chastanet, Head of Cloud Computing and Software, DG Connect, European Commission
• Jakob Greiner, Director of European Regulation, Deutsche Telekom AG
• Thomas Niessen, Managing Director, Trusted Cloud Competence Network and Certification and Licensing Coordinator, Gaia-X Working Group

Roundtable organized jointly by Ifri (Geopolitics of Technology Program and Cerfa) and the German Institute for Foreign Policy - DGAP

The first panel will be held in French and German with simultaneous translation.

The second panel will be held in English only.