Technological sovereignty
Technological sovereignty is a political outlook where information and communications infrastructure and technology critical for competitiveness and welfare is aligned to the laws, needs and interests of the jurisdiction in which users are located.
Data sovereignty or information sovereignty sometimes overlaps with technological sovereignty, since their distinctions are not clear, and also refer to subjective information about the laws of the country in which the data subject is a citizen, or the information is stored or flows through, whatever its form, including when it has been converted and stored in binary digital form.
Technological sovereignty is considered distinct from autarky and deglobalization, as it only seeks to avoid full dependencies on critical technologies. Governments may use industrial policy to try to improve their technological sovereignty.
History
In the Post–Cold War era, the concept of technological sovereignty has gained popularity due to a number of world events highlighting the vulnerability of technological dependence.In 1964, Pierre Cognard of France's wrote "Certainly it would be absurd to systematically oppose oneself to the introduction into a country of a foreign firm which brings in a superior technology and thus contributes to economic progress.… Nevertheless, we do not see how a Nation could maintain its political independence if such penetration becomes generalized."
Surveillance concerns
Following revelations by Edward Snowden in 2013 about the activities of the United States' National Security Agency and their PRISM surveillance programme, rising concerns about misuse of data led to various proposals to enable citizens and consumers outside of the US to enjoy protection through technological sovereignty.COVID-19 pandemic
Supply chain disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic served as a wake-up call for nations to decrease their dependence on oversea supply chains as factory closures, transportation disruptions and export controls all contributed to unavailability of important imports. Meanwhile, countries that did have adequate supplies limited exports of those supplies.Sanctions and economic concerns
as well as the Made in China 2025 policy have accelerated the desire for technological sovereignty for China and the United States, but also for other economic blocks.In October 2020, the White House [Office of Science and Technology Policy] released the National Strategy for Critical and Emerging Technologies, to advance US "technological competitiveness and national security."
Technological sovereignty is also pursued by Russia. Especially after finding itself sanctioned by many countries following the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia started a strategy of import substitution.