# nupath.eu
> European Digital Sovereignty news and analysis
Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. This file includes a bounded export of public pages first, then recent public posts.
Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`).
## Pages
### About nupath.eu
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/about/
Last updated: 2026-08-31T13:57:35.000Z
nupath.eu is an independent publication launched in June 2026 by Christian Triantafillou Schade of the New Media Crew.
It covers the policy and tech space of European Digital Sovereignty, watching news and providing insightful analysis on the policy and tech questions for both private individuals, professionals, and decision-makers alike.
### Access all areas
If you subscribe today, you'll get email newsletters about new content when it's available. Stay up to date with new content sent straight to your inbox.
### Members can access all areas
If you sign up as a paying member, you have full access to the website, including deep dives and special reports as well as the full archive of everything that's been published before and everything that's still to come.
****Your membership makes this site possible**, and allows nupath.eu to continue to exist. Thank you!
### How are we using AI?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is used as an editorial tool on nupath.eu in these cases:
- **Analysis and commentary:** Human-written, AI used only as a research/drafting aid, every piece reviewed and edited by the named author before it is published.
- **News:** AI drafts the summaries from source reporting, and every item is human-reviewed and approved before going live, carrying the **"AI Modified"** disclosure. The original source is named and selected by a human.
- **Diagrams:** Some diagrams or conceptual visualizations are fully AI-generated from staff-supplied prompts and data, carrying the **"AI Generated"** disclosure where used.
[EU Icons for labelling AI-generated contentDeployers of generative AI systems can use the EU set of icons to label certain AI-generated content, in accordance with the AI Act transparency rules.Shaping Europe’s digital future](https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/eu-icons-labelling-ai-generated-content?ref=nupath.eu)
## Sign up for nupath.eu
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We also run the [Corporate Revolutionary Academy](https://corprevac.com/?ref=nupath.eu).
### placeholder
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/placeholder/
Last updated: 2026-07-06T10:29:35.000Z
### #internal page testing
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/internal-page-testing/
Last updated: 2026-07-07T08:29:32.000Z
Dont show this page
### Country Card: France
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/country-france/
Last updated: 2026-07-12T07:25:11.000Z
Key facts and events related to digital sovereignty in France
_This page is for paying subscribers only._
### France timeline
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/country-france-timeline/
Last updated: 2026-07-12T07:00:51.000Z
_This page is for paying subscribers only._
### Digital sovereignty timelines
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/digital-sovereignty-timelines/
Last updated: 2026-07-16T09:57:14.000Z
nupath.eu maintains two living timelines to help readers place European digital sovereignty in context: one looks back at how we arrived at the current situation, the other looks forward at what is coming.
[**How did we get here**](https://www.nupath.eu/how-did-we-get-here/)
A chronological record of the key decisions, laws, court rulings, and technical milestones that shaped the European digital sovereignty landscape from 1983 to the present. Each entry is source-verified and dated to the event itself, not the date we wrote it up. The timeline runs from the GNU Manifesto and the birth of the internet to GDPR, the AI Act, and beyond.
**Editorial calendar (paying users)**
A chronological record of the key decisions, laws, court rulings, and technical milestones that shaped the European digital sovereignty landscape from 1983 to the present. Each entry is source-verified and dated to the event itself, not the date we wrote it up. The timeline runs from the GNU Manifesto and the birth of the internet to GDPR, the AI Act, and beyond.
The calendar is a live page: bookmark it rather than saving a snapshot. [Open the editorial calendar](https://www.nupath.eu/editorial-calendar/) page or copy the ICS link to subscribe to the events in your own calendar app.
### Terms of Service
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/terms/
Last updated: 2026-07-12T17:06:24.000Z
## Terms of service
Last updated: 12 July 2026
### 1\. Who we are
nupath.eu is operated by New Media Crew ApS, Sortemosevej 215, 2730 Herlev, Denmark, company registration DK35386262\. You can reach us at [nupatheu@proton.me](mailto:nupatheu@proton.me). These terms apply to everything you do on nupath.eu.
### 2\. Three ways to use the site
You can read our public content without an account. You can create a free account, which adds our newsletter and access to member content marked as free. Or you can take out a paid subscription, monthly or annual, which gives you access to everything on the site while your subscription runs.
### 3\. Free accounts and the newsletter
A free account needs a working email address and nothing else. We use it to sign you in and to send you the newsletter. Some links in the newsletter lead to content for paying subscribers only; it is always marked as such, and you will never be billed for anything you have not signed up for. You can unsubscribe from the newsletter or close your account at any time from your account page; see the [privacy policy](https://www.nupath.eu/privacy/) for what happens to your data.
### 4\. Paid subscriptions
Paid subscriptions run monthly or annually and renew automatically until you cancel. The price shown at checkout is the final price and includes VAT, which we calculate based on your country of residence. Payment is handled by Stripe; we never see or store your card details. Your subscription starts as soon as the first payment is confirmed, and the payment confirmation is our acceptance of your order.
You can cancel at any time from your account page. Cancelling stops the next renewal; you keep access until the end of the period you have already paid for. If we change subscription prices, we will tell you by email in advance, and the new price applies only from your next renewal, so you can cancel first if you disagree.
Subscriptions are personal. You must not share your login or resell access. If you want access for an organisation, contact us at [nupatheu@proton.me](mailto:nupatheu@proton.me) first and we will sort out a suitable arrangement.
### 5\. Refunds
If you are a consumer, you can cancel a new subscription within 14 days of your first purchase, no reason needed, and get your money back. Email [nupatheu@proton.me](mailto:nupatheu@proton.me) from the address you signed up with and a line like "I withdraw from my purchase" is enough. We refund to the original payment method without undue delay; banks sometimes take a few business days to show it. Depending on the payment method you chose, the payment provider may not return its transaction fees to us; where the law permits, the refund may be reduced by those non-recoverable costs. This guarantee sits on top of your statutory rights under EU consumer law and the corresponding rules in EFTA countries and the UK, which are never reduced by these terms.
### 6\. If the site ever closes
We intend to run nupath.eu for the long term. If we ever decide to close it permanently, we will give subscribers at least 30 days' notice by email, stop all renewals, and refund the unused part of any period you have already paid for.
### 7\. Using our content
All content on nupath.eu belongs to New Media Crew ApS or our sources. You are welcome to quote our work with attribution and a link, and to share links anywhere. You must not republish whole articles, share subscriber content outside your subscription, or systematically copy or scrape the site. You must not use our content to train, fine-tune, or evaluate any machine learning or AI system, or to build datasets for that purpose; where EU law allows text and data mining exceptions, we expressly reserve our rights.
### 8\. Our content is journalism
nupath.eu publishes news and analysis about European digital sovereignty. We work carefully with sources, but our content is journalism and general information. It is not legal, financial, procurement, or compliance advice, and decisions you make based on it are your own; get professional advice for your specific situation.
### 9\. Fair use of the service
Do not attempt to break into accounts or systems, disrupt the service, or use the site unlawfully. We can suspend or close accounts that breach these terms; where practical we act proportionately and tell you why. If we close your subscription because of your serious breach, no refund is owed beyond what mandatory law requires.
### 10\. Liability
Nothing in these terms limits liability where the law says it cannot be limited. Beyond that, we are not liable for indirect losses such as lost profit or business interruption, and our total liability to you is capped at the amount you paid us in the 12 months before the event giving rise to the claim. We aim to keep the site available but do not promise uninterrupted operation; hosting, email, and payment are provided through third parties whose outages are outside our control.
### 11\. Changes
We may update the site, its features, and these terms over time. If a change materially affects what subscribers receive, or materially changes these terms, we will notify subscribers by email before it takes effect, in good time to cancel before the next renewal. The date at the top shows the current version.
### 12\. Law and disputes
These terms are governed by Danish law. If you are a consumer, you also keep the mandatory protections of the country you live in, and you can bring a dispute before the courts there. Talk to us first at [nupatheu@proton.me](mailto:nupatheu@proton.me); almost everything is faster to fix directly. Consumers in Denmark can also complain to the Danish consumer complaints system (see [forbrug.dk](https://www.forbrug.dk/?ref=nupath.eu)); consumers elsewhere can use their national consumer bodies.
### Privacy and cookies
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/privacy/
Last updated: 2026-07-12T17:08:34.000Z
## Privacy and cookies
Last updated: 12 July 2026
The short version: we collect as little as we can, we sell nothing to anyone, we show no ads, and we set no tracking cookies. Here is the full picture.
### 1\. Who is responsible
New Media Crew ApS, Sortemosevej 215, 2730 Herlev, Denmark (company registration DK35386262) is the data controller for nupath.eu. Questions and requests: nupatheu@proton.me.
### 2\. What we collect, and why
**If you just read the site**, we collect no personal data from you directly. Our hosting platform keeps standard server logs (IP address, requests) for security and operations, and our visitor statistics are cookie-free and aggregate: we see that pages were visited, not who you are.
**If you create a free account**, we store your email address, an optional name, and your newsletter settings. We use these to sign you in and send you the newsletter you signed up for. Legal basis: performing our agreement with you. Our newsletter records whether emails are opened and which links are clicked, so we can see what is worth writing; you can object to this at nupatheu@proton.me.
**If you become a paying member**, Stripe processes your payment and shares with us your email, the amount, and your country (used for VAT). We never see your card number. Legal basis: performing the contract, plus legal obligations such as Danish bookkeeping law, which requires us to keep transaction records for 5 years.
**If you email us**, we keep the correspondence as long as it is relevant to the matter. Legal basis: our legitimate interest in answering you.
### 3\. Who processes data for us
We use a small number of service providers, each bound by data processing agreements: the Ghost Foundation runs our hosting and newsletter delivery (Ghost(Pro); visitor statistics are stored in EU regions), and Stripe handles payments. Some of these providers process data outside the EU/EEA; where they do, transfers rely on the European Commission's approved safeguards, such as standard contractual clauses or an adequacy framework. We never sell or share your data for advertising, and nothing about your reading habits leaves the platform.
### 4\. How long we keep things
Account data lives as long as your account does. Close your account and it is removed from the active system, with backup copies expiring on the platform's normal cycle. Payment records are kept for 5 years after the transaction year, because Danish law says so. Server logs and correspondence are kept only as long as they are useful for security or the matter at hand.
### 5\. Your rights
You can ask us at any time to see the data we hold about you, correct it, delete it, hand it over in a portable format, or restrict or object to how we use it. Write to nupatheu@proton.me and we will answer within a month. You can also complain to a supervisory authority: in Denmark that is Datatilsynet ([datatilsynet.dk](https://www.datatilsynet.dk/?ref=nupath.eu)), and you can always use the authority in the country where you live, including the ICO if you are in the UK.
### 6\. Cookies
nupath.eu sets no advertising, analytics, or tracking cookies, which is why you see no cookie banner. The only cookies in use are strictly necessary ones: a session cookie that keeps you signed in when you have an account (set only when you sign in), and cookies set by Stripe during checkout to process payment securely and prevent fraud. Strictly necessary cookies do not require consent under EU rules. If we ever add cookies beyond these, we will add a consent banner first and update this page.
### 7\. Changes
If we change how we handle personal data, we update this page and, for material changes affecting account holders, notify you by email. The date at the top shows the current version.
### The road ahead: editorial calendar
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/editorial-calendar/
Last updated: 2026-07-27T05:32:04.000Z
_This page is for paying subscribers only._
### Social chatter
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/social/
Last updated: 2026-08-06T13:28:12.000Z
Occasionally we find treasures of analysis or opinion on social media in the digital sovereignty space that are worthy of attention - find them here:
[A conversation with Lila TretikovIn an increasingly interconnected world, digital sovereignty has emerged as a defining strategic challenge for organizations and governments alike.Capgeminirajeshrangdal](https://www.capgemini.com/insights/research-library/a-conversation-with-lila-tretikov/?ref=nupath.eu)
[@SCZoomers@mstdn.ca](https://mstdn.ca/@SCZoomers/117021555430184532?ref=nupath.eu) shared:
[When the Cloud Turns Out to Have a Zip CodePodcast Episode · Heliox: Where Evidence Meets Empathy 🇨🇦 · August 1 · 49mApple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/heliox-where-evidence-meets-empathy/id1769969487?i=1000779421014&ref=nupath.eu)
via [@wood5y@mastodonapp.uk](https://mastodonapp.uk/@wood5y/116998761789982431?ref=nupath.eu):
[Digital sovereignty is real in Europe. The UK? Not so muchTrump’s unpredictability is pushing governments and businesses toward open source while Britain remains glued to US techtheregisterSteven J. Vaughan-Nichols](https://www.theregister.com/columnists/2026/07/27/digital-sovereignty-is-real-in-europe-the-uk-not-so-much/5276852?ref=nupath.eu)
[Europe 2031 is a bet, not a forecastWidely cited, barely examined: the scenario asks Europe to trade its sovereignty, climate goals and labour laws for frontier model access, on a chain of assumptions that are anything but certain.Frederike’s SubstackFrederike Kaltheuner](https://frederike.substack.com/p/europe-2031-is-a-bet-not-a-forecast)
[Europe’s digital sovereignty needs challenges – #OMN (Open Media Network)hamish campbell](https://hamishcampbell.com/europes-digital-sovereignty-needs-challenges/?ref=nupath.eu)
[Thomas Fricke (he/his) (@thomasfricke@23.social)“This is U.S.-government approved.” “There’s this report called the CCSRGSSP.” “China’s potential in to DOD systems … appears to be Microsoft employees based in China, operating under oversight of undertrained U.S.-based supervisors.” “I think Microsoft and the Chinese government are in collaboration on this. I think that, uh, something nefarious is, is afoot.” https://www.propublica.org/podcast/microsoft-digital-escorts-china-defense-department #china #microslop #microsoft #security #digitalsovereignty #digitalescort #cloud23Thomas Fricke (he/his)](https://23.social/@thomasfricke/116945714203611243?ref=nupath.eu)
[@vsx@infosec.exchange](https://infosec.exchange/@vsx/116945172511646543?ref=nupath.eu) shared:
[European AI, the second time around: sovereignty layers and how to identify a wrapper with a flagAnalysis of small European AI players, sovereignty layers, and how to distinguish genuine European offerings from wrappers.vsx.global](https://vsx.global/european-ai-the-second-time-around-sovereignty-layers-and-how-to-identify-a-wrapper-with-a-flag/?ref=nupath.eu)
[Microsoft's own mistakes are pushing users toward Linux faster than anyone expectedToo many blunders.makeuseof.com](https://www.makeuseof.com/microsofts-mistakes-pushing-users-toward-linux-faster-than-expected/?link%5Fsource=ta%5Ffirst%5Fcomment&taid=6a5cae45a34a4b00018f227b&utm%5Fcampaign=trueanthem&utm%5Fmedium=social&utm%5Fsource=facebook&fbclid=IwZnRzaATKrI9wZG9mBWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR60CnH8ig8S1QCsXqf2NqSY3bISDOhoOttuPBFecog6qeQ-owGJuLLmydxW4w%5Faem%5F2YyVksu8ePtr8LQFsy-I-w)
[@leogaggl@social.coop](https://social.coop/@leogaggl/116944277247419631?ref=nupath.eu) shared:
[Europe Chose DifferentlyFrance's EuroCommons isn't idealism. It's a strategic response to €264 billion leaving Europe annually to pay foreign digital landlords.gaggl.com](https://gaggl.com/blogs/2026-07-16-europe-chose-differently/?ref=nupath.eu)
[@rl\_dane@polymaths.social](https://polymaths.social/@rl%5Fdane/statuses/01KXY2BTVDJB7RCEA67098898F?ref=nupath.eu) shared:
[Re: Praying to St Jude: counselling the re-Googlersrldane.space](https://rldane.space/re-praying-to-st-jude-counselling-the-re-googlers.html?ref=nupath.eu)
[@kdkorte@fosstodon.org](https://fosstodon.org/@kdkorte/116950230388945119?ref=nupath.eu) shared:
[Fix AI Mode or get Google out of classrooms, advocates sayEducation advocates urge schools to cut ties with Google over AI Search.mashable.com](https://mashable.com/tech/is-google-search-ai-mode-safe-for-students?ref=nupath.eu)
[Technological Sovereignty Through Open Innovation Fortifies Europe’s Security - OpenForum EuropeThe European Commission’s European Tech Sovereignty package, published in early June, sets a far-reaching approach to steering the EU’s technologicalopenforumeurope.org](https://openforumeurope.org/technological-sovereignty-through-open-innovation-fortifies-europes-security/?ref=nupath.eu)
[Responding to the EU-US Negotiations on Reciprocal Data Exchanges for Border ProceduresCDT Europe's response to the EU-US negotiations on reciprocal data exchanges for border procedures.cdt.org](https://cdt.org/insights/responding-to-the-eu-us-negotiations-on-reciprocal-data-exchanges-for-border-procedures/?ref=nupath.eu)
[The Invisible Foundation of Digital Sovereignty | Sovereign Tech…sovereign.tech](https://www.sovereign.tech/news/the-invisible-foundation-of-digital-sovereignty?ref=nupath.eu)
[Building a sovereign AI stack: What it actually takes - NextcloudWhat is sovereign AI and can it be part of your digital sovereignty strategy? Here's a closer look with Nextcloud Assistant as an example.nextcloud.com](https://nextcloud.com/blog/building-a-sovereign-ai-stack-what-it-actually-takes/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Editorial calendar feed (machine-readable)
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/editorial-calendar-feed/
Last updated: 2026-07-29T11:01:43.000Z
Placeholder
## Posts
### Bi-weekly: It's time to pick up the smartphone
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/bi-weekly-its-time-to-pick-up-the-smartphone/
Last updated: 2026-09-07T05:45:30.000Z
### The last two weeks in European digital sovereignty
### [It's time to pick up the smartphone](https://www.nupath.eu/pick-up-the-smartphone/)
**(Paying users)** Your phone is Europe's biggest digital sovereignty problem: fewer than a million of the EU's 350 to 400 million smartphones are European-made. A five-part deep
---
### News
▸ [Standards bodies advance free digital identity wallet infrastructure](https://www.nupath.eu/standards-bodies-advance-free-digital-identity-wallet-infrastructure/)
▸ [EU proposes permanent Northern Partnership with Iceland, Norway and Greenland](https://www.nupath.eu/eu-proposes-permanent-northern-partnership-with-iceland-norway-and-greenland/)
▸ [Palantir CEO criticises France’s digital sovereignty policy](https://www.nupath.eu/palantir-ceo-criticises-frances-digital-sovereignty-policy/)
▸ [Nine CEE governments sign Prague AI declaration](https://www.nupath.eu/nine-cee-governments-sign-prague-ai-declaration/)
▸ [UK startup AI Score raises $5.4M for AI governance platform](https://www.nupath.eu/uk-startup-ai-score-raises-5-4m-for-ai-governance-platform/)
▸ [Hungary clears path to rejoin Horizon Europe](https://www.nupath.eu/hungary-clears-path-to-rejoin-horizon-europe/)
▸ [Nvidia acquires Hugging Face for $12.93bn](https://www.nupath.eu/nvidia-acquires-hugging-face-for-12-93bn/)
▸ [Cyprus Computer Society proposes 33 recommendations for AI strategy](https://www.nupath.eu/cyprus-computer-society-proposes-33-recommendations-for-ai-strategy/)
▸ [EU overhauls customs rules to target non-EU platforms](https://www.nupath.eu/eu-overhauls-customs-rules-to-target-non-eu-platforms/)
▸ [EU revises Chips Act to focus on realistic semiconductor goals](https://www.nupath.eu/eu-revises-chips-act-to-focus-on-realistic-semiconductor-goals/)
▸ [US sanctions Italian digital collective Autistici/Inventati](https://www.nupath.eu/us-sanctions-italian-digital-collective-autistici-inventati/)
▸ [Russia advances legal framework for 'sovereign AI' exports](https://www.nupath.eu/russia-advances-legal-framework-for-sovereign-ai-exports/)
▸ [Swiss startup xorlab raises €5M for sovereign email security](https://www.nupath.eu/swiss-startup-xorlab-raises-eu5m-for-sovereign-email-security/)
▸ [Flower Labs unveils Endeavor 1.0 as sovereign AI alternative](https://www.nupath.eu/flower-labs-unveils-endeavor-1-0-as-sovereign-ai-alternative/)
▸ [U.S. states centralise digital identity platforms amid AI fraud risks](https://www.nupath.eu/u-s-states-centralise-digital-identity-platforms-amid-ai-fraud-risks/)
▸ [Nvidia licenses NVLink and NVHBM IP to rivals including MediaTek and Amazon](https://www.nupath.eu/nvidia-licenses-nvlink-and-nvhbm-ip-to-rivals-including-mediatek-and-amazon/)
▸ [EU designates ChatGPT, Reddit, Roblox as Very Large Online Platforms](https://www.nupath.eu/eu-designates-chatgpt-reddit-roblox-as-very-large-online-platforms/)
▸ [EuroHPC JU awards LUMI-AI supercomputer contract to Bull](https://www.nupath.eu/eurohpc-ju-awards-lumi-ai-supercomputer-contract-to-bull/)
▸ [Germany funds Flatpak development with €508,640](https://www.nupath.eu/germany-funds-flatpak-development-with-eu508-640/)
▸ [Consortium completes 42-month Horizon Europe OpenWebSearch.EU project](https://www.nupath.eu/consortium-completes-42-month-horizon-europe-openwebsearch-eu-project/)
▸ [ECB says digital euro will offer maximum privacy for offline transactions](https://www.nupath.eu/ecb-says-digital-euro-will-offer-maximum-privacy-for-offline-transactions/)
▸ [Europe's biggest digital sovereignty problem is in your pocket](https://www.nupath.eu/europes-biggest-digital-sovereignty-problem-is-in-your-pocket/)
▸ [Vendors integrate post-quantum cryptography into digital identity tools](https://www.nupath.eu/vendors-integrate-post-quantum-cryptography-into-digital-identity-tools/)
▸ [Legal Data Space joins Gaia-X to strengthen data infrastructure](https://www.nupath.eu/legal-data-space-joins-gaia-x-to-strengthen-data-infrastructure/)
▸ [Please stop using Amazon and Google to run your smart home](https://www.nupath.eu/please-stop-using-amazon-and-google-to-run-your-smart-home/)
▸ [Ten open source maintainers join Sovereign Tech Standards network](https://www.nupath.eu/ten-open-source-maintainers-join-sovereign-tech-standards-network/)
▸ [NIST and European telcos advance identity framework for agentic AI](https://www.nupath.eu/nist-and-european-telcos-advance-identity-framework-for-agentic-ai/)
▸ [EU accelerates Digital Services Act enforcement on Meta over child safety](https://www.nupath.eu/eu-accelerates-digital-services-act-enforcement-on-meta-over-child-safety/)
▸ [Slovakia proposes age checks for social platforms using biometric tools](https://www.nupath.eu/slovakia-proposes-age-checks-for-social-platforms-using-biometric-tools/)
▸ [Poland formally requests EU fine for Meta over scam Facebook ads](https://www.nupath.eu/poland-formally-requests-eu-fine-for-meta-over-scam-facebook-ads/)
▸ [Nvidia agrees to buy Hugging Face for $12.9bn](https://www.nupath.eu/nvidia-agrees-to-buy-hugging-face-for-12-9bn/)
▸ [PLD Space secures €158.9 million ESA award for reusable launcher](https://www.nupath.eu/pld-space-secures-eu158-9-million-esa-award-for-reusable-launcher/)
▸ [Poland reports widespread GPS disruptions across sectors](https://www.nupath.eu/poland-reports-widespread-gps-disruptions-across-sectors/)
▸ [ECB advances Pontes and Appia projects for tokenised asset market](https://www.nupath.eu/ecb-advances-pontes-and-appia-projects-for-tokenised-asset-market/)
▸ [EU backs gaming sector with digital support measures](https://www.nupath.eu/eu-backs-gaming-sector-with-digital-support-measures/)
▸ [Ireland proposes €1 billion fund-of-funds for startups](https://www.nupath.eu/ireland-proposes-eu1-billion-fund-of-funds-for-startups/)
▸ [French SpaceTech startup ArcSpace raises over €2 million for satellite repair tech](https://www.nupath.eu/french-spacetech-startup-arcspace-raises-over-eu2-million-for-satellite-repair-tech/)
▸ [Draghi and Collison launch Rhine Group to boost Europe’s competitiveness](https://www.nupath.eu/draghi-and-collison-launch-rhine-group-to-boost-europes-competitiveness/)
▸ [Ireland’s medieval law blocks Big Tech class actions in Europe](https://www.nupath.eu/irelands-medieval-law-blocks-big-tech-class-actions-in-europe/)
▸ [EuroHPC launches six new quantum technology calls](https://www.nupath.eu/eurohpc-launches-six-new-quantum-technology-calls/)
▸ [NEURA Robotics acquires Adlatus Robotics to boost cleaning robot AI](https://www.nupath.eu/neura-robotics-acquires-adlatus-robotics-to-boost-cleaning-robot-ai/)
▸ [Greater Manchester rejects Palantir health data platform](https://www.nupath.eu/greater-manchester-rejects-palantir-health-data-platform/)
Read everything at [nupath.eu](https://www.nupath.eu/)
### Switzerland pilots move away from Microsoft on 3,000 government computers
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/switzerland-pilots-move-away-from-microsoft-on-3-000-government-computers/
Last updated: 2026-09-07T05:06:07.000Z
Switzerland's federal administration begins a pilot phase replacing Microsoft 365 on 3,000 workstations. The move affects a small fraction of the 54,000 computers in the federal system, signalling a potential shift toward digital sovereignty. The pilot is part of broader efforts to reduce reliance on non-European software providers. **(ITSFOSS)**
[Switzerland's Federal Government is Replacing Microsoft on 3,000 ComputersThis is the pilot phase, with 3,000 workstations moving away from Microsoft 365\. The federal administration has over 54,000 computers.itsfoss.com](https://itsfoss.com/news/switzerland-replace-microssoft-pilot/?fbclid=IwdGRleAULFUhwZG9mBWZkaWQWUN4MgrbbnFhaEtWszirBNiYt2NoMbWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR7QTcp6iIeEW61DBU4xC6KcNzI%5FXDKNk%5FXykZHlzxkFRp0OPJfL0kg-viczQw%5Faem%5FD1nHdIRE5EVRXjIqkC7SGg&ref=nupath.eu)
### German startup achieves first commercial orbital launch from continental Europe
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/german-startup-achieves-first-commercial-orbital-launch-from-continental-europe/
Last updated: 2026-09-07T05:05:52.000Z
A German startup successfully launched a 28-meter rocket into orbit from Norway, carrying five small satellites. The mission marks the first commercial orbital launch from continental European soil, advancing Europe's push for strategic autonomy in space launch capabilities. Germany's research ministry hailed the milestone as a demonstration of the country's technical expertise. **(POLITICO)**
[German startup makes European space history with first successful orbital launch](https://www.politico.eu/article/german-startup-makes-european-space-history-with-first-successful-orbital-launch/?utm%5Fsource=RSS%5FFeed&utm%5Fmedium=RSS&utm%5Fcampaign=RSS%5FSyndication) (Politico)
### Iceland’s Mjóifjörður loses mobile and internet after fibre breaks
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/icelands-mjoifjordur-loses-mobile-and-internet-after-fibre-breaks/
Last updated: 2026-09-07T04:58:47.000Z
Residents in Mjóifjörður remain without mobile and internet services after two fibre-optic cables were severed in a remote location, complicating repairs. The outage underscores vulnerabilities in Europe’s digital infrastructure in isolated regions. **(ICELAND REVIEW)**
[Mjóifjörður Cut Off From Mobile and Internet Service After Fibre BreaksResidents of Mjóifjörður in East Iceland remain without normal mobile and internet connections after two fibre-optic cables were severed. RÚV reports that the breaks are in a difficult-to-access location, complicating repair work. What’s the Story? Two fibre-optic cables serving Mjóifjörður are broken. The outage is affecting mobile-phone and internet service. Repairs are difficult because the damaged section is in a remote location. A connectivity problem in one of Iceland’s remotest fjords Mjóifjörður is one of East Iceland’s smallest and most geographically isolated communities, making telecommunications particularly important for residents and services. The outage had continued into Saturday while technicians worked on a repair plan. Iceland Review has covered the growing importance of digital infrastructure outside the capital and the vulnerability of remote communities to infrastructure failures. Source: RÚV. Read more stories covering Icelandic society, politics, business, and culture at Iceland Review News. The post Mjóifjörður Cut Off From Mobile and Internet Service After Fibre Breaks appeared first on Iceland Review.Iceland Review](https://www.icelandreview.com/news/mjoifjordur-mobile-internet-outage-fibre-breaks/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Standards bodies advance free digital identity wallet infrastructure
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/standards-bodies-advance-free-digital-identity-wallet-infrastructure/
Last updated: 2026-09-07T05:36:48.000Z
ISO, IEC, DIN and the OpenWallet Foundation will make international standards for mobile driver’s licenses and digital ID wallets available at no cost. The move aims to strengthen interoperability and trust in Europe’s digital identity ecosystem, Biometric Update reports. **(BIOMETRICUPDATE)**
[Digital and trust infrastructure investments unlock value of identityAs the role of digital identity in society evolves and biometrics increasingly form the foundation of trust in remote interactions, a whole new category of “infrastructure” is emerging. But what counts in this category as “infrastructure?” The answer has important implications for all investors, enterprises, governments and people who use it. New technologies, abstract concepts and aspirations sometimes come together to form a dense barrier to clear language, which in turn makes it harder to be clear about real-world plans. NIST refers to “the basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation of a society or enterprise” as a common definition for infrastructure. This week’s headlines on Biometric Update are filled with attempts to build identity infrastructure, physical and organizational, to enable a wide range of digital operations. But identity is not a structure, in this sense; it is something closer to a characteristic, or rather a type of thing with a certain characteristic. In a business or economic sense, identity is a “resource.” Oil generates energy. Trusted identity generates trust. The language of resource extraction and utilization is mature, and fully integrated with our existing terminology for infrastructure, both physical and institutional. Energy travels in pipelines, tankers, batteries or wires. Digital identity travels through networks, from LANs to the internet. Trust infrastructure Organizational infrastructure was a major theme at the Global Digital Collaboration Conference in Geneva this week, The Times of Israel reports. The infrastructure around digital identity wallets is advancing, the report notes, in a way that could support trust even between parties governed by jurisdictions that don’t trust each other. A collaboration between ISO, IEC, DIN and the OpenWallet Foundation announced at GDCC is making international standards for mobile driver’s licenses and digital ID wallets available for free. Sponsors including FaceTec, Fime, iDAKTO, Idemia and Scytales want to help encourage adoption of ISO/IEC 18013 that defines mDLs and 23220 that extends the mdoc format to other credentials. MOSIP is spinning out its open-source digital wallet Inji as an independent initiative, in part to provide credential issuance, storage and verification infrastructure to support a broader range of identity interactions, such as those by businesses. Inji’s components Ramesh Narayanan takes the CEO role. G+D is integrating a prototype PQC technology into its Java Card OS for ID cards as part of an EU research project. As they become a requisite security measure for identity to generate trust, post-quantum protections could also be considered identity infrastructure. National digital identity infrastructure Login.gov will provide the SSO structure for all public services from the U.S. federal government as of the beginning of September, 2028\. The White House plan sets out a timeline for the transition, and leaves space for private sector biometrics providers like ID.me and Clear. Australia is closing in on nationwide mDL availability with a launch planned in the Northern Territory by the end of the year. The country has also advanced a privacy framework for digital ID – part of the legal infrastructure necessary to protect digital identity as an increasingly portable resource. The market structure the UK is setting up for digital ID may not actually be legal, if DVS providers are not allowed to have digital credentials as valuable as the government-funded GOV.UK Wallet. Schools are infrastructure that can be used to get identity working too. Cameroon hopes a birth certificate issuance campaign through schools will help close its foundational identity gaps. Infrastructure investment and exports Countries that can help others with identity infrastructure, from trust frameworks to domestic network capacity, gain soft power in the same way as those that can help with other kinds of infrastructure. Cuba is getting help from China and the UNDP for its digital government platform, Soberanía, in contrast with CARICOM drawing digital infrastructure inspiration from Estonia’s open architecture. India is backing Sri Lanka’s ambitious digital infrastructure upgrade, including its planned national digital ID. AFC and Saudi Arabia are investing $300 million in WIOCC Group to expand digital connectivity in Africa and Cybastion has committed $75 million to fund the construction of digital infrastructure in Cameroon. One of the prizes, if the investments are effective, is dramatic economic growth. Please let us know if you see any podcasts, thought leadership or other content you would like us to share with the biometrics and digital identity community in the comments below or through social media.Biometric Update](https://www.biometricupdate.com/202609/digital-and-trust-infrastructure-investments-unlock-value-of-identity?ref=nupath.eu)
### EU proposes permanent Northern Partnership with Iceland, Norway and Greenland
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-proposes-permanent-northern-partnership-with-iceland-norway-and-greenland/
Last updated: 2026-09-06T05:26:02.000Z
A European Parliament-commissioned report recommends a permanent partnership between the EU, Iceland, Norway and Greenland to enhance Arctic digital and energy security. The proposal covers maritime security, energy, transport and critical raw materials, with no requirement for EU membership. The 60-page study was completed before Iceland’s referendum on EU accession. **(ICELAND REVIEW)**
[EU Report Proposes New Northern Partnership With Iceland After ReferendumA new European Parliament-commissioned report proposes a permanent Northern Partnership linking the European Union with Iceland, Norway, and Greenland without requiring EU membership. The proposal covers maritime security, energy, emergency preparedness, transport and critical raw materials, with Canada and the United Kingdom also identified as possible participants. What’s the Story? The study proposes permanent EU cooperation with Iceland, Norway and Greenland. Its suggested fields include maritime security, energy, preparedness, transport and critical raw materials. The report was written before Iceland’s referendum and should not be presented as a response commissioned after the No vote. Another route after the referendum The 60-page study, prepared for the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, argues that the EU’s 2021 Arctic policy no longer reflects the security and economic environment in the north after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. One of eight recommendations is a permanent partnership with Iceland, Norway and Greenland. The authors also recommend a permanent Arctic hub inside the European Commission and closer coordination on threats to cables, digital networks and other critical infrastructure. The report was completed before Iceland voted against reopening EU accession talks. Andreas Raspotnik of Nord University’s High North Center nevertheless said when presenting it in Brussels that the result should encourage the EU to clarify what it can offer Iceland, particularly on fisheries. The proposal offers a distinct post-referendum angle from formal EU accession: closer structured cooperation without requiring Iceland to join the Union. Source: European Parliament study. Read more stories covering Icelandic society, politics, business, and culture at Iceland Review News. The post EU Report Proposes New Northern Partnership With Iceland After Referendum appeared first on Iceland Review.Iceland Review](https://www.icelandreview.com/news/eu-northern-partnership-iceland-arctic-2026/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Palantir CEO criticises France’s digital sovereignty policy
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/palantir-ceo-criticises-frances-digital-sovereignty-policy/
Last updated: 2026-09-07T05:39:36.000Z
Palantir Technologies chief executive Alex Karp stated that French regulatory restrictions, including limits on government use of US-made software, were counterproductive. The remarks highlight tensions between European digital sovereignty goals and foreign tech firms operating in France. **(MACAUBUSINESS)**
[Palantir chief says France's digital sovereignty push 'backfiring' | Macau BusinessInternational, MNA | Palantir chief executive Alex Karp said Wednesday that French regulatory restrictions, including limiting government use of US-made software, were proving counterproductive.macaubusiness.com](https://macaubusiness.com/palantir-chief-says-frances-digital-sovereignty-push-backfiring/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Nine CEE governments sign Prague AI declaration
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/nine-cee-governments-sign-prague-ai-declaration/
Last updated: 2026-09-05T05:32:35.000Z
Nine Central and Eastern European governments adopted the Prague Declaration on Artificial Intelligence at the CEE AI Summit in Prague on 3 September 2026\. The agreement commits Czechia, Slovakia, Poland, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovenia and Romania to coordinate AI policy positions, connect computing infrastructure and exchange expertise. The declaration aims to strengthen the region’s role in shaping EU AI rules and fostering homegrown innovation. **(THERECURSIVE)**
[9 CEE Governments Sign a Declaration on AIYesterday, September 3, the first edition of the CEE AI Summit, organized by Poland's AI Chamber and the Czech National AI Platform, in cooperation with the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade, took place at Prague’s Martinický Palace. The event brought together more than 250 policymakers, business leaders, researchers, and technology experts from across Central and Eastern Europe.The summit focused on a central question: how CEE can turn its strong technical talent and growing AI ecosystem into a more competitive position within Europe and the global AI race. Discussions ranged from infrastructure and access to computing power to data, talent, regulation, investment, and the commercialization of research.Declaration on AI signed by 9 countriesOne of the main outcomes was the adoption of the Prague Declaration on Artificial Intelligence by nine countries: Czechia, Slovakia, Poland, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovenia, and Romania. The agreement commits participating countries to coordinate their positions on European AI policy, connect key computing infrastructure, and systematically exchange expertise and best practices.The declaration is intended as a practical framework for strengthening CEE’s position within the EU and giving the region a stronger role in shaping emerging European AI rules. A particular focus is on connecting national technology capacities, including specialized AI Factories and planned Gigafactories. The declaration was accompanied by memoranda on AI cooperation designed to translate those commitments into joint projects.“The results of today’s summit show that our region can act confidently and unitedly. The adopted declaration and signed memoranda give us a strong tool for building infrastructure and developing talents. We are immediately transforming the agreed framework into specific pilot projects in key sectors of our economy."— added Lukáš Kačena, the government’s AI Commissioner.Building CEE’s AI competitivenessEuropean Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva opened the expert program and joined a discussion on moving CEE innovation from the lab to the market, alongside Czech Technical University rector Michal Pěchouček and Oxylabs CEO Vytautas Savickas.Infrastructure was another major theme, with policymakers and industry representatives discussing what CEE needs to build. The conversation brought together representatives from Poland and Czechia alongside companies including Skeleton Technologies and Datum.The afternoon broadened the discussion to European technological sovereignty and competitiveness. EU AI Office Director Lucilla Sioli, MEP Diego Solier, Hungarian Minister of Science and Technology Zoltán Tanács, Multiverse Computing's Iraia Ibarzabal, and Google DeepMind's Jennifer Beroshi examined Europe's ability to develop and retain strategic AI capabilities.A panel titled “From Brain Drain to Brain Gain: Building Europe’s Next AI Engineering Hub” brought together experts from Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Poland, and Romania to discuss how CEE can retain technical talent and position itself as an AI engineering center rather than primarily a source of talent for other markets.CEE’s emerging tech strengthsAntoni Rytel of ElevenLabs presented the company's perspective on CEE's role in the global AI race. “We will never compete just by market scale, but what we can do, and what we have been doing, is compete on the quality of the people who work here,” said Rytel for The Recursive. Beyond ElevenLabs itself, he argued that the emergence of globally successful companies can have a broader effect on the regional ecosystem. “The moment that someone does it for the first time, it becomes much, much easier for others to follow.” Other success stories covered precision oncology, biometrics, cybersecurity, and AI-powered autonomous systems. A later panel explored how data could contribute to European economic growth, with representatives from Rohlik, Allegro, the European Parliament, and Estonia's AI program.Defense and dual-use technology also featured in the program, including discussions around AI-powered autonomous systems and a closed-door session focused on dual-use technologies and the region's proximity to the war in Ukraine. Other closed sessions examined AI's impact on healthcare, automotive industries, and IT infrastructure.Beyond individual technologies and companies, the summit also assessed progress since the CEE AI Action Plan launched in June 2025, which set out ambitions to develop the region into one of Europe's AI hubs.The Recursive](https://www.therecursive.com/cee-countries-unite-around-a-common-ai-agenda/?ref=nupath.eu)
### UK startup AI Score raises $5.4M for AI governance platform
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/uk-startup-ai-score-raises-5-4m-for-ai-governance-platform/
Last updated: 2026-09-05T05:32:13.000Z
London-based AI governance company AI Score secured $5.4 million in seed funding to expand its platform for managing generative and agentic AI across organisations. The round was led by Fuel Ventures, with participation from GALLOS Technologies and other investors. The company, founded in 2025, focuses on real-time oversight and controls for AI deployment. **(TECH.EU)**
[UK startup AI Score raises $5.4M to scale its enterprise AI governance platformLondon-based AI governance company AI Score has raised $5.4 million in seed funding to further develop its platform for managing the use of generative and agentic AI across organisations. The round was led by Fuel Ventures, with participation from founding investor GALLOS Technologies. The round also included investment from technology, finance and national security figures, including Alan Morgan, co-founder of MMC Ventures and an early investor in Funding Circle and Tide, and Mo El Husseiny, Managing Partner of Ventura Capital. It follows AI Score's $1 million pre-seed round in November 2025\. Founded by Alex Harland (CEO) and Benita Tibb (COO), AI Score develops a real-time AI governance platform designed to give organisations visibility and control over how generative and agentic AI systems are used across their operations. As AI systems become increasingly autonomous and capable of interacting with external systems and people, organisations face new challenges around oversight, security and accountability. AI Score's platform tracks AI use across a business and provides governance controls intended to help organisations manage these risks as they deploy AI systems. For agentic AI, the platform oversees agents as they are introduced across an organisation, providing guidance, guardrails and safety controls while giving management and boards visibility into their activities. The company describes its approach as intelligence-led governance, designed to integrate oversight directly into the deployment and operation of AI systems. AI operates at a scale and level of automation that traditional governance simply wasn't built for. Organisations need to be able to move quickly and capture the opportunity AI presents, without losing visibility or control. This investment allows us to accelerate our ambition to reinvent governance for the AI age, building intelligence directly into the process and giving organisations the confidence to win with AI, said Alex Harland, co-founder and CEO of AI Score. The seed funding will be used to accelerate development of AI Score's platform and expand its go-to-market capabilities, with a particular focus on scaling its tools for managing agentic AI across enterprises.Tech.eu](https://tech.eu/2026/09/04/uk-startup-ai-score-raises-54m-to-scale-its-enterprise-ai-governance-platform/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Hungary clears path to rejoin Horizon Europe
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/hungary-clears-path-to-rejoin-horizon-europe/
Last updated: 2026-09-04T06:24:23.000Z
Hungary’s Science and Technology Minister Zoltán Tanács said Budapest has met EU technical criteria to rejoin the €95 billion Horizon Europe research programme. The Commission has yet to receive formal notification, but Tanács expects funds to be unlocked by year-end. The move follows governance reforms to address conflict-of-interest concerns linked to former public-interest trusts. **(POLITICO)**
[Hungary poised to rejoin flagship EU research program](https://www.politico.eu/article/hungary-poised-to-rejoin-flagship-eu-research-program/?utm%5Fsource=RSS%5FFeed&utm%5Fmedium=RSS&utm%5Fcampaign=RSS%5FSyndication) (Politico)
### Nvidia acquires Hugging Face for $12.93bn
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/nvidia-acquires-hugging-face-for-12-93bn/
Last updated: 2026-09-04T06:07:36.000Z
Nvidia confirms its $12.93bn acquisition of open-source AI hub Hugging Face, a repository hosting three million models and used by 18 million developers. The deal, expected to close in early 2027, risks concentrating critical open-source AI infrastructure under a single non-European entity, raising concerns for Europe's digital sovereignty. Nvidia, which backed Hugging Face in a 2023 funding round, plans to scale the platform while maintaining its open-source and multi-cloud approach. **(TECH.EU)**
[Nvidia confirms $12.93BN purchase of Hugging FaceNvidia has today confirmed its acquisition of open-source AI model repository Hugging Face for $12.93bn, as it makes a big bet on open-source AI models and continues to plough billions into the broader AI ecosystem. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said Nvidia would look to scale Hugging Face’s platform, strengthen its infrastructure, and offer greater access to AI for developers and institutions. In a blog post, Huang said: “Hugging Face will continue to support open source and open weight models from across the ecosystem, from every model builder. It will continue to support multi-cloud and multi-accelerator development and deployment, so builders can use the hardware and infrastructure that best fit their work.” The deal is expected to be completed in the first half of 2027\. Huang, who has been a vocal supporter of open source AI models, highlighted that Nvidia had released more than 500 AI models on Hugging Face, which hosts three million models and is used by around 18 million developers. Based in New York, Hugging Face, which was founded in France in 2016, provides a repository where developers can download AI models, tools for running models, datasets for training AI models, as well as a community where developers and researchers can publish and collaborate on AI models. Nvidia backed Hugging Face in a $235m Series D funding round in 2023, valuing it at $4.5bn, which is Hugging Face's last known valuation. The deal underscores Nvidia’s heavy investment across the AI ecosystem, investing billions in AI labs and investing in startups that buy its chips. Hugging Face co-founder Thomas Wolf, said: “No company in the world has been a more natural fit with our mission than Nvidia. From open-source, open-weights and open science to robotics and AI for science, they have been close partners across everything we care about. So when Jensen offered Clement Delangue the opportunity to double down on building the Hub as an open, independent and compute agnostic platform, we decided the time was right to start the next 10 years of our journey together.”Tech.eu](https://tech.eu/2026/09/03/nvidia-confirms-12-93bn-purchase-of-hugging-face/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Cyprus Computer Society proposes 33 recommendations for AI strategy
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/cyprus-computer-society-proposes-33-recommendations-for-ai-strategy/
Last updated: 2026-09-04T06:07:11.000Z
The Cyprus Computer Society submitted 33 recommendations to strengthen Cyprus’ National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2032, urging clearer accountability and measurable outcomes. The proposals focus on sustainable funding, project implementation and governance structures, including a single national AI implementation plan. The organisation also calls for dedicated frameworks for generative AI and AI agents, alongside skills and economic impact metrics. **(CYPRUSMAIL)**
[Cyprus AI strategy faces call for clearer accountabilityThe Cyprus Computer Society (CCS) has submitted 33 recommendations to strengthen Cyprus’ National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2032, calling for a greater focus on turning its ambitions into measurable and practical results. The professional and independent non-profit organisation said its proposals had been submitted as part of the public consultation on the national strategy, while welcoming the publication of the framework as an important step towards a coordinated national approach to artificial intelligence. The CCS also expressed its appreciation for Chief Scientist Demetris Skourides and the members of the National AI Taskforce for their work in developing the strategy. The organisation said it had submitted its recommendations in a constructive spirit, recognising the extensive work already carried out in preparing the strategy. It also said it was ready to contribute to its implementation through participation by its representatives in the authorities, bodies and committees expected to be established under the strategy, a role it said it was formally seeking. The central objective of the proposals is to strengthen implementation and ensure Cyprus moves from an AI strategy to practical delivery. The CCS said the existing strategy already provided a broad framework covering governance, data, infrastructure, skills, responsible AI and economic development. Its recommendations therefore focused primarily on implementation and on ensuring that the strategy produces tangible results for citizens, businesses, public administration and the wider economy. The 33 recommendations cover sustainable multi-year funding, project implementation and accountability, AI infrastructure, data governance, public procurement, workforce development, economic impact, regulatory readiness, accessibility, equality and the governance of emerging technologies such as generative AI and AI agents. Among its key proposals, the CCS called for a single, costed national AI implementation plan setting out the investments required, sources of funding, implementation timetables and expenditure for the strategy’s main programmes. It also called for clearer accountability within the proposed AI governance structure, raising questions over who would ultimately be responsible for implementation, who would control the implementation budget, who would intervene when projects failed to deliver expected results and who would be accountable if national AI targets were not achieved. The CCS further proposed using public procurement as a tool for driving AI innovation, arguing that the government could act as an early customer for Cypriot startups and small and medium-sized enterprises. Such an approach, it said, could help companies secure customers, validate their solutions and develop products capable of subsequently being expanded into international markets. The organisation also called for a broader approach to measuring the economic impact of the strategy. Rather than relying heavily on headline indicators such as the creation of unicorn companies, it recommended measuring AI-related exports, revenue, intellectual property developed in Cyprus, private investment, high-productivity employment and the commercialisation of research. On skills, the CCS proposed breaking down the strategy’s target of around 3,000 AI professionals into different categories of expertise. It said Cyprus needed to understand not only how many people were being trained but whether the economy was developing the researchers, AI engineers, data professionals, applied AI specialists and sector-specific talent it required. The organisation also highlighted the rapid development of generative AI and AI agents, calling for a dedicated national governance framework. Such a framework should address the use of large language models within government, confidential information, AI agents capable of taking actions, model reliability, copyright, synthetic content, deepfakes and human oversight. Particular attention was also given to human-centred AI, with recommendations including algorithmic bias assessments, initiatives to improve AI literacy and skills, accessibility requirements for citizen-facing AI services and greater participation by women and under-represented groups in AI training programmes. The CCS also called for stronger representation of equality mechanisms and people with disabilities within national AI governance. The organisation said the ultimate success of the national AI strategy should not be judged by the number of initiatives, pilot projects or programmes launched. Instead, it said success should be measured through higher productivity, better public services, a stronger AI workforce, successful technology companies, increased exports, commercialised research, trustworthy AI deployment and measurable economic and social value. It should be noted that the Cyprus Computer Society is the professional, scientific and independent non-profit organisation representing the information technology sector in Cyprus. It promotes issues including professional standards, digital literacy, digital skills, education and research, and represents the views of its more than 1,500 members to national authorities on strategic information technology issues. The organisation also participates in European and other projects, developing multilateral cooperation with academic institutions, government bodies, public and private organisations and non-governmental organisations. Working with relevant stakeholders and volunteers, it organises activities, events and competitions for IT professionals, educators, students, pupils and others interested in information technology.Cyprus Mail](https://cyprus-mail.com/2026/09/04/cyprus-ai-strategy-faces-call-for-clearer-accountability?ref=nupath.eu)
### EU overhauls customs rules to target non-EU platforms
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-overhauls-customs-rules-to-target-non-eu-platforms/
Last updated: 2026-09-04T05:44:59.000Z
The European Commission proposes stricter customs reforms and penalties to reduce reliance on non-EU digital platforms. The measures aim to strengthen Europe's digital sovereignty by enforcing stricter regulatory oversight on foreign technology providers. The proposal follows concerns over strategic vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure. **(BRUSSELS TIMES)**
[EU targets non-EU platforms with strict customs reforms and penalties overhaul - The Brussels TimesEU targets non-EU platforms with strict customs reforms and penalties overhaul The Brussels TimesBrussels Times](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitwFBVV95cUxQS2lKMzliUUR1aFh4LXJ5Z3FoWW4xN21mMUlGV1doZUc4Y0pKb3pXclgzQU9YbC1RSnJCZ2tSWUttUGdwcnZaOUJKU1Y1SC1zWjV5Uy1GaGFtQ05kVnRlc1l2UE9oRkRCd2tkYUhzMUdEaFI4SXExb3QwN2hLZjhHVzJST3dDUnA1Y0lyYUljMlRhUkp4a3p6NFFMTXpfYkR6MzhzSnk4Q0VmdEtJQ282dmRHQjJFLTg?oc=5&ref=nupath.eu)
### EU revises Chips Act to focus on realistic semiconductor goals
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-revises-chips-act-to-focus-on-realistic-semiconductor-goals/
Last updated: 2026-09-03T05:08:32.000Z
The European Commission’s Chips Act 2.0 proposal, tabled in June 2026, abandons unrealistic market-share targets and instead targets EU strengths in semiconductor equipment, power electronics, automotive chips and advanced packaging. The European Court of Auditors estimated the EU’s likely global semiconductor share at 11.7% by 2030, far below the original 20% goal, requiring €251 billion in investment. Key projects include a TSMC-led fab in Dresden for 28/22nm processes and a €5 billion Infineon power semiconductor facility. **(EENEWS EUROPE)**
[Chips Act 2.0, Part 3: Can Europe compete?Europe can compete in semiconductors, but not at every layer of the value chain and not by treating market-share targets as an industrial strategy. The more credible goal for Chips Act 2.0 is to make Europe harder to bypass in areas where it already has leverage: semiconductor equipment, power electronics, automotive and industrial chips, research infrastructure, photonics and selected advanced-packaging technologies. Catching Taiwan, South Korea and the US across leading-edge logic, memory, design and high-volume AI compute is a much less realistic proposition. This is the third part of our series on the proposed legislation. As eeNews Europe reported in Part 1, the European Commission tabled the new regulation on 3 June 2026\. It remains a proposal under the ordinary legislative procedure, with work continuing in the Council and Parliament. Chips Act 2.0 meets Europe’s hard limits The starting point is uncomfortable. The European Court of Auditors concluded in 2025 that the EU was very unlikely to reach its original target of 20% of global semiconductor production by 2030\. Its assessment put the likely share at about 11.7% and cited estimates that reaching 20% would require roughly €251 billion of expenditure. That is a useful reality check because the first Chips Act was never backed by an EU-level budget remotely comparable with the capital spending of the largest global chipmakers. The underlying industrial picture is uneven rather than uniformly weak. A Joint Research Centre analysis found that the EU is a strong net exporter of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, led by specialised wafer-fabrication machinery and lithography. It also put Europe at 10.6% of worldwide semiconductor shipments in 2023, with automotive demand accounting for a large share of the regional market. The same analysis points to import dependence in final chips, especially logic and memory. That distinction matters. Europe does not need to reproduce the entire global semiconductor supply chain inside its borders; no major economy does. But it does need enough capability at selected control points to avoid being merely a customer when supply chains tighten or geopolitical restrictions bite. Where Europe can still win Recent projects illustrate the difference between useful industrial capacity and headline-grabbing sovereignty claims. The European Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (ESMC) fab in Dresden is a genuine manufacturing gain. The TSMC-led joint venture with Bosch, Infineon and NXP is designed for 40,000 300 mm wafers per month using 28/22 nm planar CMOS and 16/12 nm FinFET processes. Production is targeted for late 2027 and full capacity for 2029\. Those are valuable nodes for automotive and industrial applications, but they are not the frontier processes used for the most advanced AI accelerators. Infineon’s position is more revealing still. Its €5 billion Smart Power Fab in Dresden opened on 2 July 2026 and focuses on power semiconductors and analogue/mixed-signal technologies for automotive, industrial, energy and data-centre applications. That is precisely the kind of project Europe is structurally better placed to support: it expands an existing industrial strength, serves nearby customers and does not depend on pretending that every strategically important chip must be a leading-edge CPU or GPU. Advanced packaging is another plausible control point. The Commission approved €1.3 billion in Italian State aid for Silicon Box to establish an advanced packaging facility in Novara. Packaging cannot compensate for a shortage of front-end wafer capacity, but chiplets and heterogeneous integration make it increasingly important to system performance and supply-chain resilience. Research remains a European advantage, although it should not be confused with production. Imec’s NanoIC pilot line in Leuven gives industry access to beyond-2 nm process development, advanced interconnects and next-generation design kits. It is a formidable R&D asset, but a pilot line is not a high-volume foundry. Europe still has to convert research leadership into commercial manufacturing at scale. The cancelled Intel Magdeburg project shows the opposite risk. Intel abandoned the planned German megafab in 2025 after initially positioning it as a cornerstone of Europe’s leading-edge manufacturing push. As eeNews Europe reported when Intel cancelled the project, corporate strategy and demand can overturn years of subsidy planning. Semiconductor policy built around a few heroic mega-announcements is therefore fragile by design. Demand is the harder problem The Commission has recognised that subsidies alone are not enough. Its revised framework proposes permitting decisions within a maximum of 12 months for qualifying projects, new strategic-project designations and “Demand Accelerators” intended to connect chipmakers with European user industries. That is arguably the most important shift in the proposal. A fab is economically useful only if customers keep its tools busy. Europe has strong automotive, industrial, energy and communications customers, but it does not have the same concentration of hyperscalers, leading-edge fabless chip designers and AI accelerator demand that helps support frontier-node investment in the US and East Asia. Public money can narrow a cost gap; it cannot indefinitely manufacture a customer base. Three competitiveness scenarios Optimistic: Chips Act 2.0 passes broadly intact, the next EU budget provides a meaningful semiconductor funding line, permitting becomes materially faster and strategic projects are chosen around coherent regional clusters rather than national trophy projects. Europe becomes more indispensable in equipment, power electronics, photonics, advanced packaging and energy-efficient computing, while narrowing — but not eliminating — its leading-edge fabrication gap. Base case: Europe improves resilience in mature and specialty nodes, strengthens existing clusters and expands packaging and pilot-line capability, but its overall global share rises only modestly. The result is a stronger semiconductor economy without anything resembling full technological sovereignty. Pessimistic: state aid remains fragmented, operating costs stay uncompetitive, demand-side coordination produces little real purchasing power and multinational manufacturers continue to move projects according to global cycles. Europe ends up with excellent research infrastructure and several protected fabs, but little change in its bargaining power across the wider supply chain. Compete selectively, not everywhere The realistic case for Chips Act 2.0 is therefore narrower than the political rhetoric surrounding the first Chips Act. Europe can compete where it already has deep engineering capability, industrial customers, specialised infrastructure and defensible intellectual property. It can also use packaging, chiplets and photonics to gain leverage as system integration becomes more important. What it cannot do cheaply is recreate Taiwan’s foundry ecosystem, South Korea’s memory scale and the US design-and-hyperscaler complex at the same time. The ECA’s numbers make that plain. Success should be measured less by an arbitrary percentage of global production and more by whether Europe controls enough strategically important technologies and manufacturing capacity to remain a necessary participant in the semiconductor economy. The post Chips Act 2.0, Part 3: Can Europe compete? appeared first on eeNews Europe.eeNews Europe](https://www.eenewseurope.com/en/chips-act-2-0-part-3-can-europe-compete/?ref=nupath.eu)
### US sanctions Italian digital collective Autistici/Inventati
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/us-sanctions-italian-digital-collective-autistici-inventati/
Last updated: 2026-09-03T05:04:47.000Z
The US Treasury’s OFAC designated the Italian digital infrastructure provider Autistici/Inventati as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist on 26 August 2026\. The collective, which hosts email, XMPP and blog services for activists, reports its autistici.org domain became unreachable on 28 August, citing DNS-level interference. A/I denies the allegations and states its services support digital self-defence. **(INVENTATI)**
[autistici.org - Press Release – August 28, 2026Autistici/Inventati provides internet support to activists and collectives coming from the world of grassroot and social movementswww.inventati.org](https://www.inventati.org/campaign/press?ref=nupath.eu)
### Russia advances legal framework for 'sovereign AI' exports
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/russia-advances-legal-framework-for-sovereign-ai-exports/
Last updated: 2026-09-02T04:25:04.000Z
Russia’s new AI law, effective 1 September 2026, defines ‘sovereign’ and ‘national’ AI models that must store data in Russia and comply with state-defined values. The law aims to export this model abroad despite Russia’s reliance on foreign components and lagging AI capabilities, Atlantic Council reports. **(ATLANTICCOUNCIL)**
[Russia wants to sell ‘sovereign AI’ abroad. Here’s what it’s really selling.Bottom lines up front Russia’s new AI law makes compliance with state-defined values a condition for “sovereign” status. The law is the latest step in Moscow’s pursuit of technological sovereignty despite Russia’s lag in frontier AI and its dependence on foreign components. Russia wants to export its “sovereignty” model abroad. But buying Russian AI likely just trades one dependence for another. WARSAW—Russia is trying to turn its technological disadvantage into political leverage abroad. On September 1, Russia’s first federal artificial intelligence (AI) law will take effect, putting a legal framework around what Moscow calls “sovereign AI.” The law establishes technological independence, state support for Russian AI developers, and overseas promotion as national goals. Additional regulations will follow, while stricter rules defining which large AI models qualify as “sovereign” or “national” will take effect in March 2027\. While Russia’s AI ecosystem lags behind those of the United States and China, Moscow can pitch its systems as giving governments more latitude to shape outputs around local information and government-defined political preferences—and less reliance on Western tech companies. The key issue is what kind of sovereignty Russia’s customers will actually get. A related question is whether authoritarian buyers might use these systems to further political repression. Bringing the model into the censorship system The new AI law, which Russian President Vladimir Putin signed on July 26, applies to models with at least one billion parameters—the values a model learns during training, which guide how it generates answers. While this law does not cover the country’s entire AI ecosystem, it does include many large models that are politically and economically strategic. The law creates two exclusive categories: “sovereign” and “national” models. Both must generate responses and store data in Russia-owned data centers located in Russia. A sovereign model must stay under the control of a Russian developer throughout its life cycle and be fully reproducible. A national model has more leeway: It can use foreign open-license components as long as they remain under the Russian developer’s control. Both categories must also pass a government process that checks whether they comply with Russian law and “traditional Russian spiritual and moral values.” For years, the Kremlin has used this language to describe its conflict with the West, to justify repression and censorship in Russia, and to support its version of the war against Ukraine. In 2022, a presidential decree named the United States and other “unfriendly countries” as threats to these traditional values. The law does not itself provide developers with a blacklist of forbidden prompts or dictate exactly how models should answer questions on topics sensitive to the Kremlin. Instead, its main influence comes earlier in the process. Developers who want their models to be recognized as sovereign or national must show the state that their models follow Russia’s existing speech restrictions and ideological standards. This may incentivize developers to comply in advance and even go beyond what is strictly required. Russian law already restricts speech about the war in Ukraine, “extremism,” “foreign agents,” and other sensitive topics. Developers may lean toward more conservative guardrails to ensure compliance: for instance, refusing certain requests, omitting disputed information, or defaulting to official terminology and narratives. There is already evidence of restrictive behavior in Russian models. A 2025 study found that Russian models, such as GigaChat and YandexGPT, show high levels of “hard censorship”—refusals to answer queries, rather than biased or incomplete responses. Russian officials have been direct about such regulation. In April, Deputy Minister of Digital Development Alexander Shoitov, whose ministry proposed and drafted the law, said that AI should have censorship mechanisms at both the input and output stages that block certain user questions. Sovereignty on Moscow’s terms Russia’s legal definition of sovereign AI is intended to achieve something its technology sector cannot yet deliver: its own independent AI supply chain. This gap is visible across research, computing power, talent, and access to AI chips. In Stanford’s 2024 Global AI Vibrancy Ranking, Russia was ranked twenty-eighth out of thirty-six countries when it came to research, talent, investment, infrastructure, and policy, far behind the United States and China. Russian-language AI models still trail leading models. Russia spent about 0.94 percent of its GDP on research and development in 2023, while China spent 2.6 percent. The World Intellectual Property Organization ranks Russia twenty-eighth in human capital and research but sixty-second in knowledge and technology outputs. Scientific emigration and cuts to civilian research since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine have further weakened its research base, making it harder to compete at the technological frontier. Access to the hardware needed to train the models has also narrowed. Late last year, the Wall Street Journal reported that Russia’s imports of graphics processors and other AI-related chips dropped by 84 percent in 2024 compared to the levels before the 2022 war. Even though this figure does not include some shipments made through third countries, it does indicate the effect that sanctions and export controls are having on Russia’s technology sector. That has pushed Russia toward a new foreign dependency. In May 2026, Sberbank, the state-controlled bank leading Russia’s AI development effort, said it was looking for Chinese chips to power GigaChat. The new AI law recognizes the gap between Russia’s ambitions and its capabilities by letting national models use foreign components released under open licenses. Russia’s strategy therefore combines foreign technological inputs with Russian political and commercial control. But the strategy contains a paradox: Moscow plans to export the promise of technological independence using systems that rely on foreign components and a supply chain it cannot control. Turning domestic control into an export offer The export ambition is written directly into the new law. Article 2 lists overseas promotion as one of its aims. Article 7 makes it clear that supported developers can export and do joint research. Article 12 makes promoting Russian AI models abroad part of the country’s international AI policy. Sberbank started promoting this idea even before the law was passed. In June, First Deputy CEO Alexander Vedyakhin told Reuters that Sberbank was focusing on countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Oceania that want their own AI but cannot afford to build it themselves. Vedyakhin admitted to a trade-off: The first systems might be slower and less advanced than top foreign models, but they are more affordable, can be adapted locally, and meet state needs. The BRICS group’s AI Alliance Network and Russia’s bilateral ties could help Moscow connect with these buyers. However, the law leaves a basic question unanswered: What would a foreign government actually own or control? Does a government buying Russian AI get copies of the model that it can operate, modify independently, and run on local infrastructure? Or can it only access a Russia-based service? Who manages the updates, content filters, audit access, customer data, and decisions about suspending service? Relying on Russian models could give Moscow influence even if there is no hidden malicious capability in their models. Russian providers work under laws that give the state extensive powers of surveillance and access to data. If a model is hosted or managed from Russia, this legal environment could affect foreign users through control retained by the provider. Dependence can also grow through security updates, technical support, and other services. The law does not guarantee that foreign operations or customer data will be protected from Russian jurisdiction. The result could be that “sovereign AI” shifts technological dependence rather than eliminating it. Nor would authoritarian practices necessarily come just from Moscow. The government buying the system could also demand political filtering, surveillance, or monitoring. For example, an authoritarian buyer could require the system to suppress opposition content, label protests as security threats, or use its official terminology to answer political or historical questions. If used in government systems, it could also track sensitive questions or flag users for extra scrutiny. Closing an information gate, opening an export market Russia’s sovereign AI efforts did not emerge in 2026\. Moscow introduced its first national AI strategy in 2019 and then updated it in February 2024, after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and increased Western sanctions deepened its technological isolation. The new law comes as several pressures converge. Generative AI is becoming a front door to information and services. Russia’s technology gap with the United States and China is deepening. Sanctions are restricting Russia’s access to Western technology and it is relying on Chinese hardware to meet demand. Moscow is acting now to prevent foreign AI models from taking hold at home and to get ahead of competitors in emerging markets. Russia is counting on early control of contracts and government systems to compensate for its lack of leading-edge AI models. Its future influence in AI may depend more on getting into state institutions early than on leading in technology. The post Russia wants to sell ‘sovereign AI’ abroad. Here’s what it’s really selling. appeared first on Atlantic Council.Atlantic Council](https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/dispatches/russia-wants-to-sell-sovereign-ai-abroad-heres-what-its-really-selling/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Swiss startup xorlab raises €5M for sovereign email security
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/swiss-startup-xorlab-raises-eu5m-for-sovereign-email-security/
Last updated: 2026-09-02T04:24:26.000Z
Swiss firm xorlab secures €5 million in Series A+ funding to expand its AI-driven email security platform across Europe, targeting DACH, Benelux and Nordic markets. The round was led by Spicehaus Partners, with existing investors also participating. xorlab’s platform processes data in European data centres to support DORA, NIS2 and GDPR compliance. **(EU-STARTUPS)**
[Zurich-based xorlab secures €5 million to scale sovereign email security across Europexorlab, a Zurich-based startup offering email security solutions for on-premises or cloud environments, has raised €5 million in a Series A+ financing round to accelerate its expansion across Europe, starting with DACH, Benelux, and the Nordics. The round was led by existing investor Spicehaus Partners, with continued participation from Grapha Holding, EquityPitcher Ventures, and ZKB Start-up Finance. Daniel Andres, Founding Partner at Spicehaus Partners, said, “xorlab has built something rare: differentiated technology solving a mission-critical problem, validated by some of Europe’s most demanding enterprise customers. “We have very high conviction that the combination of AI-driven threats, increasing regulatory pressure, and Europe’s push for digital sovereignty is creating a generational opportunity in cybersecurity. xorlab has the technology, customer trust, and market position to build a European category leader, and we are doubling down on that ambition.” Founded in 2015 by ETH Zurich computer science graduates Antonio Barresi and Matthias Ganz, xorlab is an email security platform that defends organisations against sophisticated phishing attacks by adding its AI-powered email security to your on-premises, hybrid, or cloud environment. The company highlighted the dual challenge faced by European organisations. The first one is the increasing sophistication of cyberattacks as adversaries use AI to craft convincing phishing campaigns at scale. The second is a growing concern about relying too heavily on US-controlled infrastructure and security providers. “Regulations such as DORA and NIS2 add further pressure, holding financial institutions and critical-infrastructure operators directly accountable for the resilience of their digital supply chains,” the company mentioned. xorlab claims that it offers European organisations protection against the most advanced email attacks without sacrificing control over their data, infrastructure or digital sovereignty. It helps security teams stop the new generation of email attacks: AI-crafted phishing and business email compromise (BEC) campaigns that carry no malware, match no known signature, read like legitimate messages, and often slip past Microsoft 365 and traditional filters into employee inboxes. Because these attacks look normal in isolation, xorlab states that it evaluates every message in context: its behavioural AI understands what legitimate communication looks like for each organisation and catches what doesn’t fit, such as an unusual sender, an out-of-pattern request, a first-time payment request, before anyone can click. Barresi, CEO and co-founder of xorlab, said, “Europe needs its own cybersecurity champions. Not European copies of US incumbents, but companies capable of defining the next generation of enterprise security. Email remains one of the most critical attack surfaces, and AI is fundamentally changing the threat landscape. European organisations need security that combines world-class protection with control over their data and infrastructure. There is no better place to build the European leader in email security than in the heart of Central Europe.” Since every organisation’s risk and regulatory posture is different, xorlab enables its customers to choose how it runs: fully on-premises, with local processing and storage; in a hybrid configuration; or in the cloud. The company highlights that the processing takes place in European data centres and operations are managed by Europe-based staff. The platform supports customers’ DORA, NIS2, and GDPR compliance requirements and serves financial institutions, healthcare organisations, critical-infrastructure operators, telecommunications providers, and public-sector entities. Notable customers include Julius Bär, Swisscom, Vontobel, G+D, and CERN. The post Zurich-based xorlab secures €5 million to scale sovereign email security across Europe appeared first on EU-Startups.EU-Startups](https://www.eu-startups.com/2026/09/zurich-based-xorlab-secures-e5-million-to-scale-sovereign-email-security-across-europe/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Flower Labs unveils Endeavor 1.0 as sovereign AI alternative
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/flower-labs-unveils-endeavor-1-0-as-sovereign-ai-alternative/
Last updated: 2026-09-02T04:18:32.000Z
Flower Labs, a Cambridge University spinout, launches Endeavor 1.0, a locally deployable AI model it claims matches OpenAI and Anthropic's leading models. The startup positions the open-source-based model as a sovereign alternative for European organisations seeking to reduce reliance on US providers. Flower Labs, founded in 2023, has raised over £23m and counts the NHS and JP Morgan among its clients. **(TECH.EU)**
[Cambridge University spinout launches AI model "competitive" with OpenAI and AnthropicA Cambridge University spinout has today launched a “frontier-class” generalist AI model which it says is competitive with OpenAI and Anthropic's leading models and can be deployed locally. Flower Labs is a London and Hamburg-based startup which lets companies train AI models using data that stays where it is, rather than being transferred to one central server. For example, a hospital could maintain patient data within its systems. The startup, founded in 2023, has raised over £23m, and its founders are Y Combinator alumni. Flower Labs bills itself as a full-stack AI startup, building open-source models, agents and infrastructure. It has today announced the launch of Endeavor 1.0, an AI model built on open-source models as well as leveraging the reasoning power of its proprietary model and in-house software. The startup is pitching the model as a credible sovereign alternative to US closed-source models accessed via an API or less capable open-source models. Flower Labs says it offers “frontier performance while giving organisations a credible route to make that intelligence a durable part of their own technology”. It comes amid a push by the UK government to support domestic alternatives to Silicon Valley AI giants and a push from European governments to deploy AI locally and have greater data and security control. Endeavor can be deployed on a business’s IT systems, offering businesses increased control and security, the startup says, using Flower Lab's tech “for most workloads while deploying select applications privately”. Professor Nicholas Lane, co-founder, chief scientist at Flower Labs and a professor of machine learning at Cambridge University, told the Times: “Europe should not have to rent its intelligence indefinitely from a handful of US companies.” Flower Labs says Endeavor matches OpenAI’s GPT-5.6 Sol and Anthropic’s Claude Fable 5 on some tasks while outperforming Moonshot’s Kimi K3 on some benchmarks. Flower Labs, whose clients include the NHS and JP Morgan, is launching the model to a select group of organisations, ahead of a broader rollout as it looks to ramp up its compute. On the ambitions of Endeavor, it says: “Our goal with Endeavor is not simply to provide another model endpoint. We want organisations to be able to start with frontier capability and build a lasting AI foundation around it, extending the model with their own agents, evaluations, data pipelines, and improvement loops over time.” Endeavor will be available under licence, with clients able to train the model on data which does not have to be transferred to a centralised server.Tech.eu](https://tech.eu/2026/09/01/cambridge-university-spinout-launches-ai-model-competitive-with-openai-and-anthropic/?ref=nupath.eu)
### U.S. states centralise digital identity platforms amid AI fraud risks
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/u-s-states-centralise-digital-identity-platforms-amid-ai-fraud-risks/
Last updated: 2026-09-01T05:23:57.000Z
U.S. states are consolidating fragmented digital identity systems into enterprise platforms to combat AI-driven fraud, including synthetic identities and deepfakes. A NASCIO survey of 47 states and territories finds 51% using centralized approaches, with 70% citing funding shortages as a key obstacle. States increasingly treat identity as foundational infrastructure, integrating biometrics and continuous verification to manage rising impersonation threats. **(BIOMETRICUPDATE)**
[State digital identity shifts toward centralized platforms as AI fraud drives stronger proofingU.S. states are moving away from separate agency-by-agency login systems toward enterprise digital identity platforms. Meanwhile, growing concerns about synthetic identities, deepfakes and AI-enabled impersonation are pushing governments toward stronger identity proofing that can include biometrics and liveness detection. Those are among the findings of a new National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) report based on a limited survey and interviews with chief information officers (CIO), chief information security officers and chief technology officers representing 47 states and territories. The report says states increasingly view digital identity as foundational infrastructure for modern digital government rather than solely as an access management or cybersecurity function. The shift could eventually give residents a single account or unified resident profile that can be used across numerous government services instead of requiring separate credentials and identity verification for motor vehicle agencies, benefits programs, tax systems and other services. NASCIO’s 2024 State CIO Survey graphic shows 51 percent of respondents using a centralized approach to citizen digital identity management, 38 percent using a federated or hybrid approach and 21 percent using a decentralized approach. Thirty-six percent cited the difficulty of resolving data conflicts when different agencies maintain different authoritative records for the same person. Another 36 percent cited the difficulty of balancing data privacy with the cross-agency data sharing needed to provide a unified government services experience. Some states said their enterprise identity platforms already support millions of resident accounts and dozens of agencies, while others are still migrating applications that use older agency-managed identity systems. The survey found that just 13 percent of respondents then considered their citizen digital identity initiatives fully implemented, although another 48 percent said they were partially implemented. The goal emerging from the new survey is what states repeatedly described as a common digital “front door” through which a resident could authenticate once and move between government services without repeatedly establishing new accounts or proving the same identity. But the move is not simply about making government websites easier to use. States increasingly are treating the identity behind the account as a risk management problem, with the level of assurance required varying according to what a person is attempting to do. More mature programs have tiered approaches that can combine identity proofing, multifactor authentication (MFA), adaptive security controls and biometric validation, with stronger measures applied to services carrying greater fraud or security risks. That approach is taking on greater significance as generative AI changes the types of fraud that state systems must detect. Respondents identified synthetic identities, AI-generated spoofing, deepfake impersonation and automated account attacks among emerging threats against citizen-facing systems. Many states said they are strengthening identity proofing at both account enrollment and authentication rather than treating AI fraud as a separate cybersecurity problem. Several respondents specifically identified biometric verification and liveness detection as defenses against attempts to present manipulated images, synthetic personas or otherwise spoof identity verification systems. States are also exploring behavioral analytics, anomaly detection and continuous monitoring to identify unusual account activity after a user has been authenticated. The findings suggest a broader change from authentication as a single event at login toward continuing assessments of whether a user or transaction should still be trusted. NASCIO says states are looking at risk-based authentication, passkeys, FIDO2 and WebAuthn technologies, behavioral and contextual signals and continuous trust evaluation. Some respondents described future architectures in which the authentication required would change according to transactional, environmental and behavioral risks rather than remaining the same for every interaction. NASCIO found widely varying levels of preparedness. Some states already combine identity telemetry, fraud analytics and threat intelligence with security operations, while others remain at the pilot or discussion stage. Several respondents said formal governance models or playbooks specifically addressing AI-enabled identity attacks have not yet been established. Seventy percent of respondents identified insufficient funding for an enterprise identity solution as one of their five biggest obstacles. NASCIO notes that requirements such as MFA can assume residents possess suitable personal devices, reliable connectivity and sufficient digital literacy to complete enrollment and authentication. More stringent controls can increase account lockouts or cause people to abandon the process altogether. Some states consequently said future systems need alternatives for people who cannot or do not want to complete digital identity verification online, bringing accessibility and inclusion alongside privacy and security as design requirements. NASCIO also found states are beginning to look beyond the conventional model in which a citizen establishes an account with each government system. Multiple respondents reported plans involving mobile driver’s licenses, verifiable credentials, reusable identity information and interoperable digital wallets. Some are exploring models that would give residents greater ownership and portability of their digital identity information, allowing verified information to be reused securely across services and potentially across jurisdictions. Some states are also examining decentralized identity concepts, provider-neutral architectures and open standards-based interoperability. More forward-looking respondents are even beginning to consider what NASCIO calls “agentic identity,” along with continuous authentication, privacy-preserving proofing and digital identity systems that are capable of supporting interactions initiated by autonomous software agents acting on behalf of individuals. NASCIO concludes that citizen identity management should ultimately be treated as a centralized statewide capability, even where individual agencies retain control over program-specific authorization. The survey suggests states increasingly know where they want to go. The harder problem is moving decades of fragmented government systems, identity records and agency authorities there with them.Biometric Update](https://www.biometricupdate.com/202608/state-digital-identity-shifts-toward-centralized-platforms-as-ai-fraud-drives-stronger-proofing?ref=nupath.eu)
### Nvidia licenses NVLink and NVHBM IP to rivals including MediaTek and Amazon
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/nvidia-licenses-nvlink-and-nvhbm-ip-to-rivals-including-mediatek-and-amazon/
Last updated: 2026-09-01T05:23:14.000Z
Nvidia expands its IP licensing strategy by offering NVLink Fusion and NVHBM technologies to competitors like MediaTek, Amazon, and AMD, embedding dependence on U.S. semiconductor IP. MediaTek integrates NVLink Fusion into its datacenter XPU designs in exchange for a $3.5 billion convertible bond investment, while Amazon adopts NVHBM for its Trainium AI accelerators. The move deepens reliance on U.S.-controlled IP in AI and high-performance computing infrastructure. **(THEREGISTER)**
[Nvidia is building an IP licensing empire on the back of NVLinkThe proliferation of custom AI ASICs, or XPUs, from OpenAI, Meta, Microsoft, and others has led many to question Nvidia's grip on the market. After all, if everybody's building their own, who needs the GPUs the AI arms dealer has made its fortune on? But Nvidia isn't concerned in the least and has instead invited its competition to raid – or, rather, license – the GPU giant's IP holdings, particularly those related to networking. On Monday, MediaTek became the latest to embrace Nvidia's NVLink Fusion high-speed interconnect technology for its fledgling datacenter XPU offering. In exchange, Nvidia has invested $3.5 billion in convertible bonds issued by MediaTek. The GPU giant will also continue to license the Taiwanese SoC provider's own designs for use in future DGX and RTX Spark systems. If you're curious, we explored MediaTek's datacenter ambitions last month. But the designer, best known for its Arm-based smartphone and tablet processors, is only one of several high-profile chip designers that plan to integrate the tech. Amazon, Fujitsu, Qualcomm, Arm, and Marvell are all on the same list. NVLink Fusion started as a commercialized version of Nvidia's high-speed inter-GPU interconnect, introduced early last year. Initially, it was offered in two varieties: a chip-to-chip (C2C) variant for connecting CPUs to GPUs (or XPUs) in a memory coherent fabric, and a switched fabric used to stitch together multiple accelerators into one big logical rack-scale chip. It's since expanded to become the blanket offering by which Nvidia licenses its semiconductor IP. Given how long it's taken Broadcom and others to develop competitive alternatives to NVLink, it's not surprising companies like MediaTek would license the tech, rather than reinventing the wheel, or piping alternative interconnects, like UALink, over regular old Ethernet. By licensing Nvidia's NVLink Fusion tech, companies can focus on building competitive accelerators without worrying about how they're going to scale in production. And because Nvidia's MGX rack designs are part of the Open Compute Project, MediaTek and its partners not only benefit from Nvidia's scale-up networking tech, but also can essentially take existing NVL72 racks and slot in their compute blades. This should dramatically reduce the system design and mechanical engineering experience required to go from silicon to AI racks. And this isn't theoretical. Amazon is doing just that with its Trainium series of AI accelerators. As we wrote at the time, Amazon used Nvidia's MGX NVL72 reference design for its Trainium3-based rack systems launched last year. Meanwhile Trainium4, expected late this year, will ditch Amazon's in-house NeuronLink interconnect tech for NVLink Fusion. Nvidia's cut So, what does Nvidia get from letting rival chip designers piggyback off its hard-won networking tech? A lot more than licensing fees: It's also a way to keep companies hooked on its other products. When NVLink Fusion was first announced, customers had two options. They could pair their XPUs with Nvidia's CPUs or their CPUs with Nvidia's GPUs. Customers also were on the hook for NVSwitches if they wanted to take advantage of the tech's scale up networking capabilities. So, on top of licensing the tech, Nvidia had the potential to sell roughly two GPUs per partner CPU, a Grace or Vera CPU for every two partner XPUs, and up to nine NVSwitches for every 72 or so accelerators, and that's just the rack. If you're already buying NVLink, why not use InfiniBand or Nvidia's Spectrum-X Ethernet kit to switch those racks together to train and serve even larger models at scale? Nvidia has since softened its stance and now seems content with the combination of NVSwitch sales and NVLink Fusion licensing. If it hadn’t, Amazon couldn’t have paired Graviton with Trainium. "The beauty about this platform is it provides the flexibility and the fungibility in order to meet the customers where they are. And so, leveraging the NVLink Fusion platform, they can adopt anywhere from the CPU to the GPU to the scale-up fabric to the scale-out networking across our Spectrum-X and InfiniBand, as well as our DPU within the scale-in fabric to do the north-south storage management as well as security isolation," Dion Harris, Nvidia's senior director of HPC and AI Hyperscale Infrastructure, told press on Monday. "So, the five different networking technologies and topologies that we offer in our technology stack are all available to customers via NVLink Fusion." Nvidia isn't quite ready to talk about the licensing structure just yet, but Harris says they won’t be giving it away. "…It is safe to assume that there will be some licensing elements in place in that Nvidia NVLink Fusion is an Nvidia technology," Harris said. It's not just about networking Nvidia is already the largest datacenter Ethernet networking provider in the world, thanks in no small part to the AI boom. Its quarterly networking revenue now exceeds $15 billion, and NVLink Fusion licenses and associated NVSwitch sales will only bolster that. However, Nvidia's licensing ambitions don't stop there. Last week, Nvidia detailed its latest IP offering in the form of NVHBM, essentially a custom base with an integrated memory controller. According to Nvidia, the approach frees up 25 percent of the die for compute while cutting HBM power draw by 15 percent and boosting effective bandwidth by 30 percent. Amazon's Annapurna Labs will be among the first to field the tech with its Trainium family of AI ASICs. But while Amazon's adoption of NVHBM is a clear win for Nvidia, it should be noted that the idea isn't unique to Nvidia. As we understand it, both Broadcom and Marvell are developing similar base-die tech as well. But the tech is another example of how Nvidia is leveraging its engineering might to extract revenues from everything associated with AI, including custom ASICs from others. A deal with the devil or mutually beneficial coexistence While Nvidia's fledgling IP offerings are rather narrow for the moment, it's not hard to imagine Nvidia competing with rivals like Broadcom or partners like Marvell and MediaTek on XPU design before long. Depending on how things play out, Nvidia, Broadcom, Marvell, and MediaTek could end up looking more like frenemies. XPUs are quickly becoming big business for both Broadcom and Marvell, but the networking required to scale that compute and system design required to bring it to market remains a competitive advantage for Nvidia. Sure, both have competent Ethernet switching appliances capable of going toe-to-toe with NVSwitch, but even then you still have to integrate that into a rack. The advantage of being able to slot a custom compute blade into a generic NVL72 system and for it to work out of the box is hard to ignore. If NVLink Fusion helps the XPU designers sell more chips, it could end up being a net benefit even if it means losing out on switch sales. Nvidia is clearly aware that while the barrier to entry for custom silicon has fallen through the floor, scaling that compute remains the hard part. ®The Register](https://www.theregister.com/systems/2026/08/31/nvidia-is-building-an-ip-licensing-empire-on-the-back-of-nvlink/5293530?ref=nupath.eu)
### EU designates ChatGPT, Reddit, Roblox as Very Large Online Platforms
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-designates-chatgpt-reddit-roblox-as-very-large-online-platforms/
Last updated: 2026-09-01T05:21:27.000Z
The European Commission has designated ChatGPT as a Very Large Online Search Engine and Reddit and Roblox as Very Large Online Platforms under the Digital Services Act. The move subjects the U.S.-based services to direct EU supervision, requiring them to assess and mitigate systemic risks, including effects on minors and election integrity. Non-compliance risks fines of up to six percent of annual global revenue within four months. **(POLITICO)**
[EU places ChatGPT, Reddit, Roblox under its strictest platform rules](https://www.politico.eu/article/chatgpt-reddit-roblox-face-eus-strictest-platforms-regime/?utm%5Fsource=RSS%5FFeed&utm%5Fmedium=RSS&utm%5Fcampaign=RSS%5FSyndication) (Politico)
### EuroHPC JU awards LUMI-AI supercomputer contract to Bull
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eurohpc-ju-awards-lumi-ai-supercomputer-contract-to-bull/
Last updated: 2026-09-01T05:20:32.000Z
The EuroHPC Joint Undertaking awards a contract to Bull for deploying an AI-optimised supercomputer in Kajaani, Finland. The system will power the LUMI AI Factory, advancing Europe’s digital sovereignty in high-performance computing. **(EUROHPC JU)**
[EuroHPC JU Signs Contract to Deploy the LUMI-AI SupercomputerThe EuroHPC Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) has signed a procurement contract with Bull, the selected vendor, for the deployment of a new AI-optimised supercomputer in Kajaani, Finland. The system will power the LUMI AI Factory (LUMI AIF).EuroHPC JU](https://www.eurohpc-ju.europa.eu/eurohpc-ju-signs-contract-deploy-lumi-ai-supercomputer-2026-08-31%5Fen?ref=nupath.eu)
### It's time to pick up the smartphone
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/pick-up-the-smartphone/
Last updated: 2026-09-07T05:39:22.000Z
The report runs in five parts, each readable on its own, with a free source appendix for anyone who wants to check the work.
DEEP DIVE (five parts, for paying members) PDF edition: included with paid membership
Part 1 of 5
### What is the situation?
350 to 400 million smartphones in the EU, fewer than a million European-made. The installed base, the market forces, and the European phones that do exist.
[Read now](https://www.nupath.eu/pick-up-the-smartphone-situation/)
Part 2 of 5
### Why is it a problem?
Seven layers of dependency, from the phone in your hand to the question underneath everything else: Who decides how Europeans live?
[Read now](https://www.nupath.eu/pick-up-the-smartphone-problem/)
Part 3 of 5
### What does independence look like?
Where the phone touches money or identity, Europe already wins. Payment, digital identity, and whether that independence can be extended to the platform itself.
[Read now](https://www.nupath.eu/pick-up-the-smartphone-independence/)
Part 4 of 5
### Replacing the phones, and five futures
The replacement arithmetic, why the dependencies survive even with new phones in every pocket, and five scenarios for how this plays out.
[Read now](https://www.nupath.eu/pick-up-the-smartphone-futures/)
Part 5 of 5
### What, and how long, will it take?
Who would have to act and how, the milestones on the road to viability, and why the mundane decisions are the ones that count.
[Read now](https://www.nupath.eu/pick-up-the-smartphone-what-it-takes/)
AppendixFree
### Sources
The full source list behind the report, grouped by theme. Free to read, for anyone who wants to check the work.
[Read now](https://www.nupath.eu/pick-up-the-smartphone-sources/)
_This post is for paying subscribers only._
### Germany funds Flatpak development with €508,640
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/germany-funds-flatpak-development-with-eu508-640/
Last updated: 2026-08-31T04:42:00.000Z
Germany’s Sovereign Tech Agency has allocated €508,640 to Flatpak for two years of development focused on security, sandboxing and networking. The investment aims to strengthen Europe’s digital sovereignty through open-source software infrastructure. **(XDA-DEVELOPERS)**
[Germany's investment in Flatpak to advance European digital sovereignty through open-source softwareGermany's Sovereign Tech Agency has invested €508,640 in Flatpak to fund two years of development focused on security, sandboxing, and networking, advancing Europe's digital sovereignty goals.www.xda-developers.com](https://www.xda-developers.com/germany-invests-500000-in-flatpak-as-europe-takes-another-step-toward-digital-sovereignty/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Consortium completes 42-month Horizon Europe OpenWebSearch.EU project
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/consortium-completes-42-month-horizon-europe-openwebsearch-eu-project/
Last updated: 2026-09-07T05:36:05.000Z
A 14-organisation consortium completed the Horizon Europe-funded OpenWebSearch.EU project after 42 months, delivering a federated European Open Web Index pilot with 39 billion URLs crawled across 185 languages. The pilot demonstrates technical, economic and sovereignty benefits for Europe’s digital autonomy and trustworthy AI, according to the project’s media release. **(OPENWEBSEARCH.EU)**
[Leap forward in European Web sovereignty: Horizon Europe funded project “OpenWebSearch.EU” ends after 42 months and puts forth a federated Open Web Index pilot I Media Release - OpenWebSearch.eu – Promoting Europe‘s Independence in Web SearchA consortium of 14 research organisations and computing centres have developed and implemented the Open Web Index pilot “OWI” as a fundamental resource for traditional and AI web search applications; overall project results point to strong economic and sovereignty benefits Passau / Munich — August 2openwebsearch.eu](https://openwebsearch.eu/leap-forward-in-european-web-sovereignty-horizon-europe-funded-project-openwebsearch-eu-ends-after-42-months-and-puts-forth-a-federated-open-web-index-pilot-i-media-release/?ref=nupath.eu)
### ECB says digital euro will offer maximum privacy for offline transactions
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/ecb-says-digital-euro-will-offer-maximum-privacy-for-offline-transactions/
Last updated: 2026-08-31T04:25:57.000Z
The European Central Bank states the digital euro will provide the maximum level of privacy for offline transactions, addressing surveillance concerns raised by regulators. The claim follows ongoing debates over privacy in central bank digital currencies. **(COINDESK)**
[ECB claims CBDC will offer 'maximum level of privacy' amid surveillance fearsPayment details for offline transactions will stay strictly between the payer and payee as European regulators push back against surveillance concerns.coindesk.com](https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2026/08/26/the-digital-euro-will-offer-more-privacy-than-regular-bank-transfers-ecb-says?ref=nupath.eu)
### Europe's biggest digital sovereignty problem is in your pocket
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/europes-biggest-digital-sovereignty-problem-is-in-your-pocket/
Last updated: 2026-08-30T15:05:01.000Z
Digital sovereignty is going mainstream; the tech and policy circles of Europe are debating cloud sovereignty, chip factories and AI rules. But meanwhile the most personal computer of all sits in 350 to 400 million EU pockets, and fewer than a million of those phones are European-made.
Every layer of that device is in practice influenced or controlled from somewhere outside the Union. The companies that design the chips, run the operating systems, host the cloud and publish the major apps all answer to a government outside the EU, and pressure on these elements does not need to be public, announced, or even legal to work.
We have wired our societies into the same hardware. The national digital identity solutions live on a device that Europe neither builds nor controls.
It was not always like this. Europe once made the world's phones. And for a brief while, there was even a fully European phone. We had one, and we let it go.
Read about the installed base and the alternative phones that do exist, the seven layers of the dependency, the cases where Europe already wins, the device replacement problem (spoiler: it's not easy) and five futures; and who would have to act.
The full deep dive, [It's time to pick up the smartphone](https://www.nupath.eu/pick-up-the-smartphone/), is out now for nupath.eu members (PDF edition included). [Sign up](https://www.nupath.eu/signup/#/portal/signup) to read all of it.
### Sources
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/pick-up-the-smartphone-sources/
Last updated: 2026-08-30T13:49:33.000Z
Appendix: Free to read
The source list behind [It's time to pick up the smartphone](https://www.nupath.eu/pick-up-the-smartphone/). New here? [Start at the beginning](https://www.nupath.eu/pick-up-the-smartphone/).
### Market data and usage
- [Mobile OS market share Europe](https://gs.statcounter.com/os-market-share/mobile/europe/?ref=nupath.eu) (StatCounter).
- [Mobile search engine market share Europe](https://gs.statcounter.com/search-engine-market-share/mobile/europe?ref=nupath.eu) (StatCounter).
- [Mobile browser market share Europe](https://gs.statcounter.com/browser-market-share/mobile/europe?ref=nupath.eu) (StatCounter).
- [Europe smartphone shipments drop 6% YoY in Q1 2026](https://counterpointresearch.com/en/insights/europe-smartphone-market-q1-2026?ref=nupath.eu) (Counterpoint Research, 20 May 2026). Secondary: [Apple, Samsung end Q1 2026 with equal 30% share](https://www.techtimes.com/articles/317165/20260525/apple-samsung-end-q1-2026-europe-equal-30-smartphone-market-share.htm?ref=nupath.eu) (TechTimes, 25 May 2026).
- [Smartphone replacement cycle forecast 2016-2029](https://counterpointresearch.com/en/reports/smartphone-replacement-cycle-forecast-2016-2029?ref=nupath.eu) (Counterpoint Research, 18 Nov 2025). Secondary: [Should you still buy your next smartphone, or subscribe to it instead?](https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/01/should-you-still-buy-your-next-smartphone-or-subscribe-to-it-instead/?ref=nupath.eu) (TechCrunch, 1 Aug 2026).
- [Worldwide smartphone market to decline 13.9% in 2026](https://www.idc.com/resource-center/blog/worldwide-smartphone-market-to-decline-13-9-in-2026-as-memory-crisis-and-us-iran-war-constrain-growth/?ref=nupath.eu) (IDC blog, 2026).
- [Digital economy and society statistics, households and individuals](https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Digital%5Feconomy%5Fand%5Fsociety%5Fstatistics%5F-%5Fhouseholds%5Fand%5Findividuals&ref=nupath.eu) (Eurostat Statistics Explained).
- [2026 State of Mobile](https://sensortower.com/blog/state-of-mobile-2026?ref=nupath.eu) (Sensor Tower, Jan 2026).
- [Digital 2026 global overview report](https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2026-global-overview-report?ref=nupath.eu) (DataReportal).
- [Daily time spent online in Europe by country](https://www.statista.com/statistics/1391355/daily-time-spent-online-europe-by-country/?ref=nupath.eu) (Statista).
### Messaging and social media
- [Nearly 95% of Spanish smartphone owners using WhatsApp](https://www.telecompaper.com/news/nearly-95-of-spanish-smartphone-owners-using-whatsapp-study--1572044?ref=nupath.eu) (Telecompaper, May 2026).
- [WhatsApp use in Europe and adoption across countries](https://www.linkmobility.com/blog/whatsapp-use-in-europe-and-adoption-across-countries?ref=nupath.eu) (LINK Mobility, 6 Feb 2026).
- [Most popular messaging apps by country](https://www.infobip.com/blog/most-popular-messaging-apps-by-country?ref=nupath.eu) (Infobip).
- [89% of 16-29-year-olds used social media in 2025](https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/w/ddn-20260409-1?ref=nupath.eu) (Eurostat, 9 Apr 2026).
- [How Europeans use the internet in 2025](https://digital-skills-jobs.europa.eu/en/latest/news/how-europeans-use-internet-2025-insights-eurostat?ref=nupath.eu) (EU Digital Skills and Jobs Platform, 2025).
- Digital 2026 country reports (DataReportal): [Germany](https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2026-germany?ref=nupath.eu) · [France](https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2026-france?ref=nupath.eu) · [Denmark](https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2026-denmark?ref=nupath.eu).
- [From apps to AI search: how the UK goes online in 2025](https://www.ofcom.org.uk/media-use-and-attitudes/online-habits/from-apps-to-ai-search-how-the-uk-goes-online-in-2025?ref=nupath.eu) (Ofcom Online Nation, 10 Dec 2025).
### European payment services
- [Bizum now has nearly 31 million users](https://aebanca.es/en/multimedia/bizum-now-has-nearly-31-million-users/?ref=nupath.eu) (Spanish Banking Association, 26 Feb 2026). In-store expansion: [Spain's Bizum heads to the high street](https://www.euronews.com/business/2026/05/09/spains-bizum-heads-to-the-high-street-to-take-on-visa-and-mastercard?ref=nupath.eu) (Euronews, 9 May 2026).
- [Over 750 million transactions in Q1 2026](https://www.blik.com/en/over-750-million-transactions-and-nearly-pln-120-billion-in-turnover-blik-maintains-double-digit-growth-in-q1-2026?ref=nupath.eu) (BLIK, 6 May 2026).
- [IRIS used by over 4.6 million citizens](https://athens-times.com/pierakakis-iris-is-transforming-greeces-economy-used-by-over-4-6-million-citizens/?ref=nupath.eu) (Athens Times, 30 Jun 2026).
- [How Wero scaled to 43 million users in 12 months](https://europeanbusinessmagazine.com/business/43-million-users-in-12-months-how-wero-is-building-europes-answer-to-visa-and-mastercard/?ref=nupath.eu) (European Business Magazine, 18 Feb 2026).
- [EuroPA and EPI launch collaboration](https://epicompany.eu/media-insights/europa-and-epi-launch-collaboration-to-expand-sovereign-pan-european-payments/?ref=nupath.eu) (EPI, 2026) and [MoU to accelerate sovereign pan-European payments](https://www.abnamro.com/en/news/parties-sign-mou-to-accelerate-the-rollout-of-sovereign-pan-european-payment?ref=nupath.eu) (ABN AMRO). Background: [European Payments Alliance](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European%5FPayments%5FAlliance?ref=nupath.eu) (Wikipedia).
- [Commission accepts commitments by Apple opening access to tap-and-go technology](https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/api/files/document/print/fin/ip%5F24%5F3706/IP%5F24%5F3706%5FEN.pdf?ref=nupath.eu) (European Commission press release, 11 Jul 2024). Full commitments text: [AT.40452 commitments decision](https://ec.europa.eu/competition/antitrust/cases1/202428/AT%5F40452%5F10155330%5F9978%5F4.pdf?ref=nupath.eu) (EC competition register PDF). Apple's implementation: [HCE transactions in apps](https://developer.apple.com/support/hce-transactions-in-apps/?ref=nupath.eu) (Apple Developer).
- [CDR (EU) 2018/389 Article 9](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2018/389/article/9?ref=nupath.eu) (SCA regulatory technical standards). Scheme side: [EPI Security Requirements v1.2 released](https://www.usd.de/en/epi-security-requirements-v1-2-released/?ref=nupath.eu) (usd AG, Jul 2026).
- Digital euro (ECB): [Third progress report](https://www.ecb.europa.eu/euro/digital%5Feuro/progress/shared/pdf/ecb.deprp202507.en.pdf?ref=nupath.eu) (Jul 2025) · [Offline digital euro presentation](https://www.ecb.europa.eu/euro/digital%5Feuro/timeline/profuse/shared/pdf/ecb.dep260409%5FItem%5F1%5FECB%5FPresentation%5FOffline%5FDigital%5FEuro.en.pdf?ref=nupath.eu) (Apr 2026) · [Preparation phase closing report](https://www.ecb.europa.eu/euro/digital%5Feuro/progress/html/ecb.deprp202510.en.html?ref=nupath.eu) (Oct 2025).
### European identity services
- [MitID statistics](https://www.mitid.dk/en-gb/about-mitid/mitid-statistics/?ref=nupath.eu) (MitID, updated Jul 2026). Non-phone paths: [How to use MitID](https://www.mitid.dk/en-gb/get-started-with-mitid/how-to-use-mitid/?ref=nupath.eu) and [MitID kodeviser](https://www.mitid.dk/hjaelp/hjaelpeunivers/mitid-kodeviser/?ref=nupath.eu) (MitID). Exemption share: [Digital Post statistics](https://digst.dk/it-loesninger/digital-post/om-loesningen/tal-og-statistik/?ref=nupath.eu) (Digitaliseringsstyrelsen).
- [itsme grows to eight million users](https://press.itsme-id.com/itsmer-groeit-naar-acht-miljoen-gebruikers-en-sterkt-zich-als-europese-speler?ref=nupath.eu) (itsme press room, 17 Mar 2026).
- [Italy pushes citizens to adopt CIE as SPID is phased out](https://www.biometricupdate.com/202604/italy-pushes-citizens-to-adopt-cie-as-spid-digital-id-is-phased-out?ref=nupath.eu) (Biometric Update, 28 Apr 2026).
- [BankID statistics](https://www.bankid.com/nyheter-press/press/statistik?ref=nupath.eu) (BankID, Swedish). English stats page: [bankid.com/en/om-oss/statistik](https://www.bankid.com/en/om-oss/statistik?ref=nupath.eu).
- [10 years of FranceConnect](https://www.numerique.gouv.fr/sinformer/espace-presse/10-ans-franceconnect/?ref=nupath.eu) (DINUM press release, 20 May 2026).
- Sweden's non-phone fallback: [Thousands to lose BankID access on old phones](https://swedenherald.com/article/thousands-to-lose-bankid-access-on-old-phones-next-year?ref=nupath.eu) (TT via Sweden Herald, 19 Sep 2025) · [Sverige-id approved by Digg](https://www.digg.se/om-oss/nyheter/digital-identitet/nyheter/2026-04-21-den-statliga-e-legitimationen-sverige-id-godkand-av-digg?ref=nupath.eu) (Digg, 21 Apr 2026) · [Statlig e-legitimation Sverige-id](https://polisen.se/tjanster-tillstand/pass-och-nationellt-id-kort/statlig-e-legitimation-sverige-id/?ref=nupath.eu) (Polisen) · [Sweden developing state-issued alternative to BankID](https://www.thelocal.se/20260309/sweden-developing-state-issued-alternative-to-bankid?ref=nupath.eu) (The Local, 9 Mar 2026) · [Sweden's BankID breached by hacker group](https://www.biometricupdate.com/202603/swedens-bankid-breached-by-hacker-group-as-govt-prepares-e-id-launch?ref=nupath.eu) (Biometric Update, 17 Mar 2026).
- Card-reader eID paths: [Estonian ID-card](https://www.id.ee/en/rubriik/id-card-en/?ref=nupath.eu) (id.ee) · [Compatible card readers](https://www.ausweisapp.bund.de/en/compatible-card-readers?ref=nupath.eu) and [How to use the eID function](https://www.ausweisapp.bund.de/en/how-to-use-the-eid-function?ref=nupath.eu) (AusweisApp, Germany).
### The EUDI wallet and eIDAS 2.0
- [Regulation (EU) 2024/1183](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1183/oj?ref=nupath.eu) (EUR-Lex).
- [Implementing regulations for European Digital Identity Wallets](https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/implementing-regulation-european-digital-identity-wallets?ref=nupath.eu) (European Commission, 4 Dec 2024).
- [Architecture and Reference Framework](https://eudi.dev/1.4.0/arf/?ref=nupath.eu) (EUDI Wallet ARF).
- [German EUDI wallet FAQ](https://eudi-wallet.gov.de/en/faq?ref=nupath.eu) (Federal Government).
- [EU Commission doubtful all member states will launch EUDI wallets this year](https://www.biometricupdate.com/202604/eu-commission-doubtful-all-member-states-will-be-able-launch-eudi-wallets-this-year?ref=nupath.eu) (Biometric Update, Apr 2026).
- [European digital ID wallets are a gift to Google and Apple](https://waag.org/en/article/european-digital-id-wallets-are-gift-google-and-apple/?ref=nupath.eu) (Waag Futurelab, 22 Jun 2026).
- [swiyu wallet: security and freedom of choice for Android users](https://www.eid.admin.ch/en/swiyu-wallet-security-and-freedom-of-choice-for-android-users?ref=nupath.eu) (Swiss Confederation, 2026).
- Remote key storage: [Four architectures, one regulation: choosing the right WSCD](https://utimaco.com/news/blog-posts/four-architectures-one-regulation-choosing-right-wscd-your-eudi-wallet?ref=nupath.eu) (Utimaco) · [Springer chapter on wallet secure cryptographic devices](https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-032-00639-4%5F6?ref=nupath.eu).
- [German National EUDI Wallet architecture documentation](https://bmi.usercontent.opencode.de/eudi-wallet/wallet-development-documentation-public/latest/?ref=nupath.eu) (BMI). Launch date: [Germany's EUDI wallet push highlights Europe's implementation gap](https://www.biometricupdate.com/202608/germanys-eudi-wallet-push-highlights-europes-implementation-gap?ref=nupath.eu) (Biometric Update, Aug 2026).
- Assurance level and signing: [CIR (EU) 2015/1502](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg%5Fimpl/2015/1502/oj?ref=nupath.eu) (EUR-Lex) · [CSC white paper on remote signing with QES](https://cloudsignatureconsortium.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/CSC-White-Paper-The-EU-digital-identity-wallet-a-new-tool-for-remote-signing-with-qualified-electronic-signatures.pdf?ref=nupath.eu) (Cloud Signature Consortium, Oct 2024).
- [Public GitHub discussion topics for the ARF](https://github.com/eu-digital-identity-wallet/eudi-doc-architecture-and-reference-framework/blob/main/docs/discussion-topics/README.md?ref=nupath.eu) (EU Digital Identity Wallet).
### Platform gates, attestation and DMA enforcement
- Platform documentation: [Integrity verdicts](https://developer.android.com/google/play/integrity/verdicts?ref=nupath.eu) (Google Play Integrity API docs; MEETS\_DEVICE\_INTEGRITY requires "a certified device manufacturer image" with hardware-backed proof of a locked bootloader) · [Key and ID attestation](https://source.android.com/docs/security/features/keystore/attestation?ref=nupath.eu) (Android Open Source Project; hardware attestation reports the device's verified-boot state) · [Boot process for iPad and iPhone devices](https://support.apple.com/guide/security/boot-process-for-ipad-and-iphone-devices-secb3000f149/web?ref=nupath.eu) (Apple Platform Security Guide; each boot stage "checks that the next is signed by Apple").
- [GrapheneOS attestation compatibility guide](https://grapheneos.org/articles/attestation-compatibility-guide?ref=nupath.eu) (GrapheneOS). Wero dependency: [Wero wallet discussion](https://discuss.grapheneos.org/d/20119-wero-wallet?ref=nupath.eu) (GrapheneOS forum). Play Integrity tightening: [Stronger threat detection, simpler](https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2025/10/stronger-threat-detection-simpler.html?ref=nupath.eu) (Android Developers Blog, Nov 2025).
- [Apple keeps challenging its interoperability obligations under the DMA](https://fsfe.org/news/2026/news-20260420-01.html?ref=nupath.eu) (FSFE, 20 Apr 2026). Underlying data: [Apple's DMA compliance report, non-confidential summary](https://www.apple.com/legal/dma/NCS-March-2026.pdf?ref=nupath.eu) (Apple, 7 Mar 2026).
- [European Commission is right to prevent Google's anti-steering and self-preferencing](https://www.beuc.eu/press-releases/european-commission-right-prevent-googles-anti-steering-and-self-preferencing?ref=nupath.eu) (BEUC, Jul 2026) and [18 groups warn EU Commission: act on Google's search non-compliance](https://ppc.land/18-groups-warn-eu-commission-act-on-googles-search-non-compliance-now/?ref=nupath.eu) (PPC Land, 24 Mar 2026).
- [TikTok, AliExpress, SHEIN and Co surrender Europeans' data to authoritarian China](https://noyb.eu/en/tiktok-aliexpress-shein-co-surrender-europeans-data-authoritarian-china?ref=nupath.eu) (noyb, 16 Jan 2025). Meta AI complaints: [noyb urges 11 DPAs to stop Meta's abuse of personal data for AI](https://noyb.eu/en/noyb-urges-11-dpas-immediately-stop-metas-abuse-personal-data-ai?ref=nupath.eu) (noyb, Jun 2024).
- Web attestation history: [Web Environment Integrity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web%5FEnvironment%5FIntegrity?ref=nupath.eu) (Wikipedia) · [Google abandons Web Environment Integrity](https://www.theregister.com/2023/11/02/google%5Fabandons%5Fweb%5Fenvironment%5Fintegrity/?ref=nupath.eu) (The Register, 2 Nov 2023) · [Introducing Google Cloud Fraud Defense](https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/identity-security/introducing-google-cloud-fraud-defense-the-next-evolution-of-recaptcha?ref=nupath.eu) (Google Cloud blog, May 2026) · [Google Cloud Fraud Defence is just WEI repackaged](https://privatecaptcha.com/blog/google-cloud-fraud-defence-wei/?ref=nupath.eu) (Private Captcha, Jun 2026).
- iPhone boot chain: [checkm8 bootrom exploit](https://www.macrumors.com/2019/09/27/checkm8-bootrom-exploit-iphones-ipads/?ref=nupath.eu) (MacRumors, 2019) · [Project Sandcastle: Android on iPhone](https://appleinsider.com/articles/20/03/04/corellium-exploits-ios-jailbreak-to-install-android-on-iphone?ref=nupath.eu) (AppleInsider, 2020) · [A12/A13 chips facing exploit](https://www.macrumors.com/2026/06/18/a12-and-a13-chips-facing-exploit/?ref=nupath.eu) (MacRumors, 18 Jun 2026).
### Device control and MDM
- [How APNs works in MDM](https://fleetdm.com/articles/apple-push-notification-service-apns-mdm?ref=nupath.eu) (Fleet).
- [Android Management API: enterprises](https://developers.google.com/android/management/reference/rest/v1/enterprises?ref=nupath.eu) (Google).
- [Install and enforce software updates for Apple devices](https://support.apple.com/guide/deployment/install-and-enforce-software-updates-depd30715cbb/1/web/1.0?ref=nupath.eu) (Apple Platform Deployment Guide).
- [Manage system updates](https://developer.android.com/work/dpc/system-updates?ref=nupath.eu) (Android Developers).
- [Managing Apple devices without MDM](https://www.computerworld.com/article/3633178/so-you-want-to-manage-apple-devices-without-using-mdm-heres-how.html?ref=nupath.eu) (Computerworld, Jan 2025).
- Apple's EU feature delays: [Apple says EU law will mean more features are delayed](https://9to5mac.com/2025/09/24/apple-says-eu-law-will-mean-more-features-are-delayed-maybe-even-new-hardware/?ref=nupath.eu) (9to5Mac, 24 Sep 2025) · [Apple blasts EU for lack of features](https://www.macworld.com/article/2920951/why-there-is-no-live-translation-and-iphone-mirroring-in-the-eu.html?ref=nupath.eu) (Macworld, Sep 2025).
### Meta AI and OS-level AI
- [Europe, meet your newest assistant: Meta AI](https://about.fb.com/news/2025/03/europe-meet-your-newest-assistant-meta-ai/?ref=nupath.eu) (Meta Newsroom, 19 Mar 2025).
- [WhatsApp's new blue circle and why you can't turn it off](https://www.forbes.com/sites/kateoflahertyuk/2025/04/01/whatsapps-new-blue-circle-what-it-is-and-why-you-cant-turn-it-off/?ref=nupath.eu) (Forbes, 1 Apr 2025).
- [Meta AI in WhatsApp organizes chats and reopens privacy issues](https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2026/03/02/whatsapp-chats-meta-ai-user-privacy/?ref=nupath.eu) (Help Net Security, 2 Mar 2026).
- [Meta is now using your AI chats to target ads, you can't opt out](https://stateofsurveillance.org/news/meta-ai-chat-advertising-privacy-policy-2026/?ref=nupath.eu) (State of Surveillance, 2026). EU carve-out: [Meta AI chat ad targeting 2026: disclosure and EU carve-out](https://www.auditsocials.com/blog/meta-ai-chat-data-ad-targeting-2026-disclosure-opt-out-eu-carve-out-advertiser-implications?ref=nupath.eu) (AuditSocials, 2026).
- Apple Intelligence default-on: [Apple Intelligence is enabled by default in iOS 18.3](https://www.macworld.com/article/2584444/apple-intelligence-is-enabled-by-default-in-ios-18-3-and-macos-15-3.html?ref=nupath.eu) (Macworld, Jan 2025) · [The Register on default-on](https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/22/apple%5Fintelligence%5Fenabled/?ref=nupath.eu) (22 Jan 2025).
- Gemini replacing Assistant: [Gemini will replace Google Assistant on Android in 2026](https://9to5google.com/2025/12/19/google-assistant-gemini-2026/?ref=nupath.eu) (9to5Google, 19 Dec 2025) · [Android Auto goes Gemini-only in March 2026](https://phandroid.com/2025/11/25/say-goodbye-to-assistant-android-auto-goes-gemini-only-in-march-2026/?ref=nupath.eu) (Phandroid, 25 Nov 2025).
### Hardware and supply chain
- Huawei 2019: [The Huawei ban explained](https://www.androidauthority.com/huawei-google-android-ban-988382/?ref=nupath.eu) (Android Authority, updated Dec 2025) · [A timeline of the Huawei ban](https://m.gsmarena.com/a%5Ftimeline%5Fof%5Fthe%5Fhuawei%5Fban%5Fwhat%5Fhappened%5Fso%5Ffar%5Fand%5Fwhat%5Fto%5Fexpect-news-37197.php?ref=nupath.eu) (GSMArena, 2019).
- Transistor counts and NPUs: [Apple A18 Pro](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple%5FA18%5FPro?ref=nupath.eu) and [Apple A19](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple%5FA19?ref=nupath.eu) (Wikipedia) · [Qualcomm Hexagon NPU](https://www.qualcomm.com/processors/hexagon?ref=nupath.eu) (Qualcomm).
- Baseband: [Who tests the chip in your phone?](https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/2026/who-tests-the-chip-in-your-phone?ref=nupath.eu) (University of Birmingham, 6 Jul 2026) · [Baseband processor attacks](https://stateofsurveillance.org/articles/technical/baseband-processor-attacks/?ref=nupath.eu) (State of Surveillance).
- Parts pairing and repair: [Apple to expand repair options with support for used genuine parts](https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2024/04/apple-to-expand-repair-options-with-support-for-used-genuine-parts/?ref=nupath.eu) (Apple Newsroom, 11 Apr 2024) · [The end of parts pairing, almost](https://www.ifixit.com/News/100266/the-end-of-parts-pairing-almost?ref=nupath.eu) (iFixit, Sep 2024) · [Directive (EU) 2024/1799 on the repair of goods](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/1799/oj?ref=nupath.eu) (EUR-Lex).
- Supply-chain chokepoints: [2021 Suez Canal obstruction](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021%5FSuez%5FCanal%5Fobstruction?ref=nupath.eu) (Wikipedia) · [Suez supply-chain impact could last months](https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/29/suez-canal-is-moving-but-the-supply-chain-impact-could-last-months.html?ref=nupath.eu) (CNBC, Mar 2021) · [Taiwan's semiconductor dominance](https://www.csis.org/blogs/perspectives-innovation/taiwans-semiconductor-dominance-implications-cross-strait-relations?ref=nupath.eu) (CSIS, 2022) · [China's grip on critical mineral refining](https://www.visualcapitalist.com/charted-chinas-grip-on-critical-mineral-refining/?ref=nupath.eu) (Visual Capitalist).
- The vault chips: [iPhone 16 Pro chip ID](https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iPhone+16+Pro+Chip+ID/177358?ref=nupath.eu) (iFixit, Sep 2024) · [TechInsights teardown: iPhone 16 Pro](https://electronics360.globalspec.com/article/22029/techinsights-teardowns-apple-iphone-16-pro?ref=nupath.eu) (Electronics360, Mar 2025) · [ST and Thales power secure contactless in Google Pixel 7](https://newsroom.st.com/media-center/press-item.html/t4492.html?ref=nupath.eu) (STMicroelectronics, Nov 2022) · [Pixel 7 augmented by ST54 NFC secure element](https://www.electronicsmedia.info/2022/11/21/google-pixel-7-augmented-by-st54-nfc-secure-element/?ref=nupath.eu) (Electronics Media, Nov 2022).
### The economy layer
- [Meta Platforms Form 10-K FY2025](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1326801/000162828026003942/meta-20251231.htm?ref=nupath.eu) (SEC).
- [Alphabet Q4 and fiscal year 2025 results](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1652044/000165204426000012/googexhibit991q42025.htm?ref=nupath.eu) (SEC exhibit).
- RAN market: [RAN market stabilized in 2025](https://www.delloro.com/news/ran-market-stabilized-in-2025/?ref=nupath.eu) (Dell'Oro) · [Dell'Oro: Huawei and Ericsson hold nearly two-thirds of RAN market](https://www.fierce-network.com/wireless/delloro-says-huawei-and-ericsson-have-nearly-two-thirds-ran-market-share?ref=nupath.eu) (Fierce Network).
### The state layer and the law
- [Regulation (EU) 2024/1689 (AI Act)](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1689/oj/eng?ref=nupath.eu) (EUR-Lex).
- TETRA and successors: [ETSI TC TCCE](https://www.etsi.org/technical-groups/tcce/?ref=nupath.eu) (ETSI) · [ASTRID technology](https://www.astrid.be/en/about-astrid/technology?ref=nupath.eu) (ASTRID) · [BDBOS: Breitband im Digitalfunk BOS](https://www.bdbos.bund.de/DE/Aufgaben/DigitalfunkBOS/Breitband/breitband%5Fnode.html?ref=nupath.eu) (BDBOS) · [Réseau radio du futur](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%A9seau%5Fradio%5Fdu%5Ffutur?ref=nupath.eu) (Wikipedia FR) · [Sectra Tiger/S](https://communications.sectra.com/product/mobile-communication-up-to-secret/?ref=nupath.eu) (Sectra).
- Minor-age laws: [Denmark imposes age checks for under-15s](https://www.biometricupdate.com/202604/denmark-imposes-age-checks-to-restrict-social-media-to-kids-under-15?ref=nupath.eu) (Biometric Update, 10 Apr 2026).
- Telecom-framing: [EU Electronic Communications Code](https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/eu-electronic-communications-code?ref=nupath.eu) (European Commission) · [DMA designated gatekeepers](https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/gatekeepers-portal%5Fen?ref=nupath.eu) (European Commission) · [The Digital Networks Act](https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/digital-networks-act?ref=nupath.eu) (European Commission).
- US legal reach: [Section 702 FISA 2026 resource page](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/section-702-foreign-intelligence-surveillance-act-fisa-2026-resource-page?ref=nupath.eu) (Brennan Center) · [Senate confirms Jay Clayton, Section 702 deadlock holds](https://www.techtimes.com/articles/321911/20260728/senate-confirms-jay-clayton-intelligence-chief-section-702-deadlock-holds.htm?ref=nupath.eu) (TechTimes, 28 Jul 2026) · [CLOUD Act text (DOJ)](https://www.justice.gov/d9/pages/attachments/2019/04/09/cloud%5Fact.pdf?ref=nupath.eu) · [Microsoft admits it cannot guarantee data sovereignty](https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/25/microsoft%5Fadmits%5Fit%5Fcannot%5Fguarantee/?ref=nupath.eu) (The Register, 25 Jul 2025) · [General Court dismisses Latombe challenge](https://iapp.org/news/a/european-general-court-dismisses-latombe-challenge-upholds-eu-us-data-privacy-framework?ref=nupath.eu) (IAPP, Sep 2025).
- Romania land registry: [Romania races to restore land registry after cyberattack](https://therecord.media/romania-cyberattack-land-registry?ref=nupath.eu) (The Record, 20 Jul 2026) · [Romania's real estate market still reeling from cyberattack](https://www.romania-insider.com/romania-real-estate-cyberattack-land-registration-2026?ref=nupath.eu) (Romania Insider, 20 Jul 2026) · [Romania confirms ransomware attack on cadastre agency](https://www.romania-insider.com/romania-ransomware-attack-cadastre-agency-july-2026?ref=nupath.eu) (Romania Insider, 28 Jul 2026) · [Land registry cyberattack exposes holes in Romania's digital defences](https://balkaninsight.com/2026/07/21/land-registry-cyberattack-exposes-holes-in-romanias-digital-defences/bi/?ref=nupath.eu) (Balkan Insight, 21 Jul 2026).
- [Franco-German Joint Paper on Digital Sovereignty](https://www.entreprises.gouv.fr/files/files/presse/2026/20260617-franco-german-joint-paper-digital-on-sovereignty.pdf?ref=nupath.eu) (PDF, 17 Jun 2026). Reactions: [Gaia-X position](https://gaia-x.eu/gaia-x-position-on-the-franco-german-joint-paper-on-digital-sovereignty/?ref=nupath.eu) · [Andreas Timm commentary](https://andreastimm.com/germany-france-digital-sovereignty-operational-terms/?ref=nupath.eu).
### Industry policy and funding
- Chips Act: [Chips Act 2.0 policy page](https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/chips-act-2?ref=nupath.eu) (European Commission) · [ECA special report on the Chips Act](https://www.eca.europa.eu/ECAHTMLNews/NEWS-SR-2025-12/en/body.html?ref=nupath.eu) (European Court of Auditors, Apr 2025) · [The Register on the ECA report](https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/28/eu%5Fchips%5Fact%5Freport/?ref=nupath.eu) · [Member states ask Commission to lower chip targets](https://www.euronews.com/next/2025/05/12/eu-member-states-ask-commission-to-lower-targets-for-microchip-strategy?ref=nupath.eu) (Euronews, May 2025) · [DIGITALEUROPE priorities for the Chips Act revision](https://cdn.digitaleurope.org/uploads/2025/11/2025-11-17%5FDIGITALEUROPE-Priorities-for-the-Revision-of-the-European-Chips-Act%5Fv0.97.pdf?ref=nupath.eu) (Nov 2025).
- Chips Act 2.0 proposal: [Proposal for the Chips Act 2.0](https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/proposal-chips-act-20?ref=nupath.eu) (European Commission) · [COM(2026) 504 text](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX%3A52026PC0504&ref=nupath.eu) (EUR-Lex) · [Legislative train: Chips Act II](https://www.europarl.europa.eu/legislative-train/theme-a-new-plan-for-europe-s-sustainable-prosperity-and-competitiveness/file-chips-act-ii?ref=nupath.eu) (European Parliament).
- IPCEI ME/CT: [Commission approves up to €8.1 billion for microelectronics IPCEI](https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip%5F23%5F3087?ref=nupath.eu) (European Commission press release, 8 Jun 2023) · [AENEAS on IPCEI ME/CT approval](https://aeneas-office.org/2023/06/08/ipcei-in-microelectronics-and-communication-technologies-has-been-approved-by-the-commission/?ref=nupath.eu).
- [Europe launches €80 billion investment alliance to scale up tech leaders (ETCI 2.0)](https://www.eib.org/en/press/all/2026-244-europe-launches-eur80-billion-investment-alliance-to-scale-up-tech-leaders?ref=nupath.eu) (EIB press release, 10 Jul 2026).
- [Scaleup Europe Fund to start making investments](https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip%5F26%5F1718?ref=nupath.eu) (European Commission press release, 2026).
- [EU Inc: a new harmonised corporate legal regime](https://commission.europa.eu/topics/business-and-industry/doing-business-eu/company-law-and-corporate-governance/eu-inc-new-harmonised-corporate-legal-regime%5Fen?ref=nupath.eu) (European Commission) · [EPRS briefing on the 28th regime](https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS%5FBRI%282026%29785710?ref=nupath.eu) (European Parliament, 2026).
- [European Commission launches its EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy](https://futurium.ec.europa.eu/mt/node/16698?ref=nupath.eu) (European Commission, 28 May 2025).
- [Legislative train: Public Procurement Act](https://www.europarl.europa.eu/legislative-train/theme-a-new-plan-for-europe-s-sustainable-prosperity-and-competitiveness/file-public-procurement-act?ref=nupath.eu) (European Parliament).
### European phone projects and the second-hand market
- [Jolla Phone MWC26 press release](https://jolla.com/content/uploads/2026/03/Jolla%5FPhone%5FPressRelease%5FMWC2026.pdf?ref=nupath.eu) (Jolla, 2 Mar 2026). Current pricing: [Jolla Phone pre-order page](https://commerce.jolla.com/products/jolla-phone-preorder?ref=nupath.eu) (Jolla shop).
- [Banking apps on Sailfish OS](https://forum.sailfishos.org/t/banking-apps-on-sailfish-os/18438?ref=nupath.eu) (community wiki).
- [Android App Support](https://docs.sailfishos.org/Support/Help%5FArticles/Android%5FApp%5FSupport/?ref=nupath.eu) (Jolla) · [microG installation](https://sailfishos.wiki/books/android-appsupport/page/microg-installation-google-play-simulation?ref=nupath.eu) (community wiki).
- Nothing's scale: [Nothing secures $200M at a $1.3B valuation](https://thetechportal.com/2025/09/16/nothing-secures-200mn-at-a-1-3bn-valuation-to-introduce-ai-optimized-gadgets-in-2026/?ref=nupath.eu) (The Tech Portal, 16 Sep 2025).
- Refurbished volume (Europe): [From saturation to surge: the global pre-owned smartphone landscape](https://counterpointresearch.com/en/insights/global-pre-owned-smartphone-landscape-in-transition?ref=nupath.eu) (Counterpoint Research, 13 Oct 2025) · [Refurbished smartphone market going mainstream in Europe](https://www.techtimes.com/articles/321236/20260722/refurbished-smartphone-market-going-mainstream-europe-helping-lead-shift.htm?ref=nupath.eu) (TechTimes, 22 Jul 2026).
- [Nearly one in five European consumers now uses a second-hand smartphone](https://www.recommerce-group.com/en/articles-en/nearly-one-in-five-european-consumers-now-uses-a-second-hand-smartphone?ref=nupath.eu) (Recommerce Group / Kantar barometer, 9 Mar 2026).
### European champions (attention-side context)
- [Spotify Q1 2026 earnings](https://newsroom.spotify.com/2026-04-28/spotify-q1-2026-earnings/?ref=nupath.eu) (Spotify Newsroom, 28 Apr 2026).
- [Vinted FY2025 results](https://company.vinted.com/newsroom/financial-results-2025?ref=nupath.eu) (Vinted, 9 Apr 2026) · [Bolt reaches €2B in turnover](https://investinestonia.com/estonian-scale-up-bolt-reaches-e2b-in-turnover/?ref=nupath.eu) (Invest in Estonia, Jul 2025) · [Zalando Q1 2026 results](https://corporate.zalando.com/en/financials/zalando-q1-2026-results?ref=nupath.eu) (Zalando, 6 May 2026).
Previous
[What, and how long, will it take?](https://www.nupath.eu/pick-up-the-smartphone-what-it-takes/)
Back to
[The report hub](https://www.nupath.eu/pick-up-the-smartphone/)
Back to [the report hub](https://www.nupath.eu/pick-up-the-smartphone/), where the PDF lives.
- [1 The situation](https://www.nupath.eu/pick-up-the-smartphone-situation/)
- [2 The problem](https://www.nupath.eu/pick-up-the-smartphone-problem/)
- [3 Independence](https://www.nupath.eu/pick-up-the-smartphone-independence/)
- [4 Five futures](https://www.nupath.eu/pick-up-the-smartphone-futures/)
- [5 What it takes](https://www.nupath.eu/pick-up-the-smartphone-what-it-takes/)
- Sources
### What, and how long, will it take?
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/pick-up-the-smartphone-what-it-takes/
Last updated: 2026-08-30T13:49:32.000Z
Part 5 of 5 of the deep dive "It's time to pick up the smartphone". Who would have to act and how, the milestones on the road to viability, and why the mundane decisions are the ones that count.
_This post is for paying subscribers only._
### Replacing the phones, and five futures
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/pick-up-the-smartphone-futures/
Last updated: 2026-08-30T13:49:32.000Z
Part 4 of 5 of the deep dive "It's time to pick up the smartphone". The replacement arithmetic, why the dependencies survive even with new phones in every pocket, and five scenarios for how this plays out.
_This post is for paying subscribers only._
### What does independence look like?
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/pick-up-the-smartphone-independence/
Last updated: 2026-08-30T13:49:32.000Z
Part 3 of 5 of the deep dive "It's time to pick up the smartphone". Where the phone touches money or identity, Europe already wins. Payment, digital identity, and whether that independence extends to the platform itself.
_This post is for paying subscribers only._
### Why is it a problem?
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/pick-up-the-smartphone-problem/
Last updated: 2026-08-30T13:49:31.000Z
Part 2 of 5 of the deep dive "It's time to pick up the smartphone". Seven layers of dependency, from the phone in your hand to the question underneath everything else: Who decides how Europeans live?
_This post is for paying subscribers only._
### What is the situation?
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/pick-up-the-smartphone-situation/
Last updated: 2026-08-30T14:04:15.000Z
Part 1 of 5
Part one of [It's time to pick up the smartphone](https://www.nupath.eu/pick-up-the-smartphone/). The [report hub](https://www.nupath.eu/pick-up-the-smartphone/) has all five parts, the sources and the PDF.
There are roughly 350–400 million active smartphones in use across the EU, derived from a population of 449 million and Eurostat's household and adult ownership rates, and consistent with annual shipments of 134 million against a 36-month replacement cycle (That's an estimate: no official EU installed-base figure exists). Fewer than a million of them are European-made. And a new platform can only grow as fast as people's pockets open up: Europeans now replace their phones roughly every three years. A wildly successful European brand selling one in every twenty new phones would, after three years, be in one pocket in twenty, and stay there for as long as its sales hold. One pocket in ten would mean one sale in ten, every year.
- 100% of European smartphones use core chipsets designed, manufactured, and assembled by companies outside the EU, some in the US, most in Asia.
- Almost every single European smartphone runs on an operating system (OS) controlled outside the EU (Android, iOS) with minimal niche exceptions only.
- Usage share for OS (StatCounter): Android (Google) around 60%, iOS (Apple) around 39%. No other platform reaches 1%.
- Critical new EU digital infrastructure for citizens, such as the EUDI wallet, will in practice only run on US-controlled operating systems, and the digital euro is on course for the same situation.
- With a few niche exceptions, mobile phones are no longer made in the EU, which once counted Nokia, Ericsson, Philips as its global telecom pioneers.
- Independent European platforms are technically possible; the Jolla phone and its Sailfish OS prove that, but they face gigantic barriers in ecosystems, scale, cost, and political will. The first new-generation European phone, Jolla's, began shipping in small batches in 2026; even an optimistic view would not see a European phone at meaningful volume before 2030.
_This post is for paying subscribers only._
### Vendors integrate post-quantum cryptography into digital identity tools
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/vendors-integrate-post-quantum-cryptography-into-digital-identity-tools/
Last updated: 2026-08-30T05:28:50.000Z
Three vendors — Fobi AI, WISeKey and Atsign — announced updates integrating post-quantum cryptographic standards into digital identity platforms. Fobi’s AltID 3.0 converts KYC results into credentials, WISeKey links its WISeID platform to post-quantum PKI hardware, and Atsign’s X-Wing combines ML-KEM-768 and ML-DSA-65 for hybrid key establishment and signatures. The shift follows NIST’s 2024 standardisation of ML-KEM, ML-DSA and SLH-DSA algorithms. **(BIOMETRICUPDATE)**
[Post-quantum security spreads across digital identity infrastructurePost-quantum cryptography is beginning to spread across the digital identity stack, with vendors adding quantum-resistant protection to mobile credentials, PKI, secure hardware and developer platforms. Fobi AI, WISeKey, and Atsign announced updates this week that illustrate how different parts of the digital identity ecosystem are preparing for the transition. In 2024, NIST standardized ML-KEM for shared secrets and ML-DSA and SLH-DSA for digital signatures. But traditional identity systems use public-key cryptography to protect personal and sensitive information and authenticate credentials, devices, and transactions. Information captured today could eventually be decrypted. Separately, vulnerable signing algorithms could enable attackers to forge credentials that appear authentic. At the credential layer, Fobi describes AltID 3.0 as a mobile platform that converts KYC results into credentials that confirm identity, age, authorization, location, and time without disclosing the personal data. WISeKey advances the proposition toward a trust infrastructure by connecting its WISeID platform to the company’s PKI and SEALSQ post-quantum hardware. The proposed Know Your AI model would give an AI agent a verifiable identity that describes its operator, model, permissions, and policies. Atsign moves from a platform positioning to a more defined implementation. It uses X-Wing, combining ML-KEM-768 with X25519 for hybrid key establishment, and ML-DSA-65 for signatures. The public roadmap says the post-quantum primitives have entered its cryptographic library, with SDK and authentication migration staged through November. X-Wing remains an Internet Draft. Meanwhile, security vendor Trellix advises organizations beginning post-quantum migration to identify vulnerable systems, assess supplier readiness, test hybrid cryptography and modernize certificate infrastructure. The announcements reflect a broader industry shift. AuthID has named PQC signature algorithms for its biometric authorization, IOTA has released hybrid signatures for verifiable credentials, and NIST commissioned work to prepare federal identity credentials for post-quantum migration. The transition is expanding across the identity stack, from credentials and PKI to secure hardware, communications and developer tools, but products remain at different stages of maturity. While post-quantum cryptography can protect keys, records and digital signatures, it does not verify whether a document, biometric or AI agent itself can be trusted. Organizations evaluating PQC offerings will increasingly need to distinguish between cryptographic protection and broader identity assurance.Biometric Update](https://www.biometricupdate.com/202608/post-quantum-security-spreads-across-digital-identity-infrastructure?ref=nupath.eu)
### Legal Data Space joins Gaia-X to strengthen data infrastructure
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/legal-data-space-joins-gaia-x-to-strengthen-data-infrastructure/
Last updated: 2026-08-30T05:28:14.000Z
Gaia-X AISBL welcomes Legal Data Space as a new member to enhance Europe’s data sovereignty infrastructure. Legal Data Space contributes a legal layer for data spaces through governance, compliance and smart contracts, supporting cross-border data sharing. The move aims to reduce reliance on non-EU legal frameworks. **(GAIA-X)**
[Legal Data Space joins Gaia-X to strengthen the legal layer of data spacesGaia-X AISBL is pleased to welcome Legal Data Space (LDS) as a new member of the association. Legal Data Space provides the legal layer for data spaces through three services: \[…\] The post Legal Data Space joins Gaia-X to strengthen the legal layer of data spaces appeared first on Gaia-X: A Federated Secure Data Infrastructure.Gaia-X](https://gaia-x.eu/legal-data-space-joins-gaia-x-to-strengthen-the-legal-layer-of-data-spaces/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Please stop using Amazon and Google to run your smart home
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/please-stop-using-amazon-and-google-to-run-your-smart-home/
Last updated: 2026-08-30T05:27:35.000Z
**()**
[Please stop using Amazon and Google to run your smart homeBuild a more resilient and open smart home.howtogeek.com](https://www.howtogeek.com/stop-using-amazon-and-google-to-run-your-smart-home/?link%5Fsource=ta%5Ffirst%5Fcomment&taid=6a918fbc19d2840001ba3f13&utm%5Fcampaign=trueanthem&utm%5Fmedium=social&utm%5Fsource=facebook&fbclid=IwZnRzaAT%5FVRRwZG9mBWZkaWQWUNb3sr151SIiklmJHAFwvjs9WRE3jWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR4FEULf0ZJUFizHCfRIcSWfupzvJ4-L%5F68l0qd3W01%5FVh8GaBQ90-FnzwREpQ%5Faem%5FpglqAWdUj17OpTsKIkJCLQ)
### Ten open source maintainers join Sovereign Tech Standards network
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/ten-open-source-maintainers-join-sovereign-tech-standards-network/
Last updated: 2026-08-31T07:03:30.000Z
Ten open source maintainers have been selected for the Sovereign Tech Standards network to shape secure and interoperable technology through open standards. The initiative, launched on 24 August 2026, includes participation in standards bodies such as the Internet Engineering Task Force, the World Wide Web Consortium and the International Organization for Standardization. A new policy network on open digital infrastructure has also been established at the Internet Governance Forum to foster international collaboration. **(SOVEREIGN TECH AGENCY)**
[Newsletter: Sovereign Tech Standards network kicks off, international collaboration on open digital infrastructure, hiring & moreEmail newsletter on 24 August 2026: Sovereign Tech Standards network kicks off, international collaboration on open digital infrastructure, hiring & more Ten open source maintainers are part of the Sovereign Tech Standards network! By taking part in the development of open standards, they will help shape more secure and more interoperable technology. You can now participate in the Internet Governance Forum’s Policy Network on Open Digital Infrastructure. In a new guest article on digital sovereignty, Adriana Groh argues for strengthening the open source ecosystem.We are hiring a Program Manager for the Sovereign Tech Resilience Program, and a Finance & Operations Associate.If you’d like to find out about these updates as they happen, you can find the Sovereign Tech Agency on Mastodon, LinkedIn, and Bluesky.Meet the first Sovereign Tech Standards cohortWe are thrilled to introduce the open source maintainers who form the first cohort of the Sovereign Tech Standards network! Antoine d'Aligny, Daniel Supernault, Heiko Schäfer, Job Snijders, Kacper Dalach, Lola Odelola, Marten Seemann, Martine Lenders, Michael Pennisi, and Stephen Curran bring hands-on expertise from critical, open source infrastructure into three standards bodies: the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).These technologists all work in areas where open source infrastructure plays a critical role, from internet routing and web protocols to accessibility, digital payments, encryption, federated social platforms, and electric vehicle charging. Their diverse experiences and perspectives will help make open standards more robust, interoperable and reflective of how modern software actually works.Read MoreHeiko Schäfer, Job Snijders, Marten Seemann, and Martine Lenders, who are participating in IETF Working Groups, were already on the ground in Vienna for the IETF 126 in July 2026, along with Ted Hardie and Sovereign Tech Agency technologist Tara Tarakiyee. Become part of the international policy network on open digital infrastructureEarlier this year, the Sovereign Tech Agency, together with the German Federal Ministry for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation, proposed a new policy network at the Internet Governance Forum dedicated to open digital infrastructure. As basic technologies, such as core internet protocols, operating systems or software libraries, span the globe, governing, funding and sustaining them requires international cooperation.Our proposal was accepted: The IGF Policy Network on Open Digital Infrastructure is now starting its work and you can take part! The network welcomes participation from open source technologists or maintainers, researchers working on open standards or digital public goods, as well as policymakers and civil-society organizations. Read our blog post to find out how you can contribute:Read more The invisible foundation of digital sovereigntyAdriana Groh contributed a guest article about our mission to one of the leading publications on the public sector in Germany, Behörden Spiegel. For their special issue on digital sovereignty, she argues that our ability to shape and use technology greatly depends on the resilience of our shared software infrastructure, its open source components and standards, as well as the openness of the software ecosystem itself. “Those seeking not only independent alternatives to dominant software products today, but also long-term digital sovereignty, must shift their focus to digital infrastructure and the open software ecosystem.“Read the English version of this article in our blog:Read moreUpdates from the people and projects behind the codeThe projects and technologies commissioned by the Sovereign Tech Agency share updates about their work. Hear from the FOSS maintainers and contributors directly: New blog by Sovereign Tech Fellow Philipp Sauberzweig about his work on GNOME. Read moreUpdate by KDE about their work on KDE Plasma, KDE Linux, and KDE PIM. Visit BlogWe’re hiring: Finance & Operations AssociateWe're looking for a structured and detail-oriented Finance & Operations Associate to help the Sovereign Tech Agency operate effectively and continue growing.You’ll be working at the center of our organization's operations, at the intersection of finance, administration, our projects, and the team. From coordinating administrative workflows, and assisting with procurement and project controlling, to handling travel expense reports - your organizational abilities will help ensure everything runs smoothly in our Berlin office.Apply nowWe're hiring: Program Manager: ResilienceWe’re hiring a Program Manager to take hands-on ownership of our Sovereign Tech Resilience program, dedicated to protecting critical open source infrastructure. The program includes investments in security audits, memory safety, and post-quantum encryption readiness.We’re looking for someone who is familiar with the workflows of #FOSS maintainers and can balance the operational demands of a program already in motion with an impact-oriented, strategic perspective.The deadline to apply is 7 September 2026.Apply now Categories: Newsletter More articles Where standards and code meetWhat open source maintainers told us about standardsWhy Shaping Open Standards MattersSovereign Tech Agency](https://www.sovereign.tech/news/newsletter-sovereign-tech-standards-network-kicks-off-international-collaboration-on-open-digital-infrastructure-hiring-more?ref=nupath.eu)
Heiko Schäfer, Job Snijders, Marten Seemann, and Martine Lenders, who are participating in IETF Working Groups, were already on the ground in Vienna for the IETF 126 in July 2026, along with Ted Hardie and Sovereign Tech Agency technologist Tara Tarakiyee.
### NIST and European telcos advance identity framework for agentic AI
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/nist-and-european-telcos-advance-identity-framework-for-agentic-ai/
Last updated: 2026-08-29T05:11:20.000Z
NIST and two rival European telecoms, Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone, collaborate on identity-based governance for agentic AI. Their TM Forum Catalyst project demonstrates AI agents translating legal obligations into enforceable network access policies within a day. NIST warns that unchecked agentic AI deployments risk reviving outdated security practices, undermining long-term benefits. **(BIOMETRICUPDATE)**
[NIST, European telcos converge on identity as foundation for agentic AINew publications from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and two rival European telcos working together argue that the agentic AI ecosystem needs a strong foundation in identity. Identity increasingly looks like the control plane for agents. Who an agent represents, what authority it has been delegated, and how its actions can be governed: these core identity access management (IAM) questions are “existential” in a world in which network infrastructure underpins critical public and government services. So says Karsten Thon, senior business architect for Deutsche Telekom, in a blog for Telco Titans covering the company’s collaboration with primary competitor Vodafone on “the trusted agentic AI for access management TM Forum Catalyst proof-of-concept.” The Catalyst project aims to show how agentic AI can “continuously interpret contractual obligations and automatically translate them into enforceable network access policies,” as a way to cut through dense documentation and ensure practice meets evolving policy. Steffen Krippner, senior manager for OSS fulfillment at Vodafone, says the proof-of-concept shows that a process that would typically take an engineer multiple weeks of cross-domain, multi-vendor coordination can be completed by an AI agent within a single day. The Catalyst solution leverages multiple base LLMs, including models from Anthropic and Mistral, to process documents and “build an understanding of how distinct AI models interpret complex texts.” Put simply, it translates legalese into action. Its digital identity management (DIM) layer was built by telecom transformation specialist Tallence, which, according to the post, “views identity as the operational backbone of network AI.” AI intelligence is only as smart as its governance Krippner is careful to note that the goal is “governed intelligence,” and that the Catalyst employs four zero trust safeguards before any AI-generated policy goes live: an initial policy dry-run, a human-in-the-loop approval process mandating explicit validation for any high-risk identity changes, a controlled rollout, and negative testing, “deliberately injecting conflicting or incomplete data to expose weaknesses in the AI’s decision-making.” The project is designed as a repeatable industry blueprint, anchored in TM Forum standards, specifically ODA, the Digital Identity API (TMF720), and Digital Identity Management (TMFC020). NIST warns of AI that outpaces safeguards NIST’s paper begins with a concerning observation. Agentic AI, it says, has potential for everything from shopping to software development. “However, early agentic deployments are repeating a familiar pattern: prioritizing feature development and immediate value over security.” The push to integrate AI into everything brings us to a “novel frontier of security challenges that ‘model-only’ guardrails are not yet fully equipped to solve.” Innovation and deployment are outpacing caution and safeguards, and the problem could end up seeing the snake eat its own tail: “falling back to poor practices – such as credential sharing, relying on static tokens, granting overly broad access, and overusing Human-in-the-Loop approvals – will only resurrect vulnerabilities that the IAM community has spent decades trying to eliminate.” “While building a fully mature security framework in a fast-moving landscape takes time, reverting to outdated security practices risks eroding the core value AI agents provide.” The paper covers a range of governance challenges that AI has amplified, such as credential sharing, long-lived API keys or access tokens, “broadly scoped access,” and the risk of constant fatigue for humans serving as Human in the Loop mechanisms. “The established IAM standards and best practices of today are the foundation upon which we will build the secure and scalable agentic protocols of the future,” NIST says. The institute’s National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) plans to release a portfolio of resources to support the adoption of IAM standards and best practices for software and AI agents.Biometric Update](https://www.biometricupdate.com/202608/nist-european-telcos-converge-on-identity-as-foundation-for-agentic-ai?ref=nupath.eu)
### EU accelerates Digital Services Act enforcement on Meta over child safety
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-accelerates-digital-services-act-enforcement-on-meta-over-child-safety/
Last updated: 2026-08-29T05:10:21.000Z
The European Commission has accused Meta of breaching the Digital Services Act by running addictive design features on Facebook and Instagram, with investigations ongoing since 2024\. A $18bn US settlement with 47 states requires Meta to limit daily time for minors and disable cosmetic filters, raising pressure on Brussels to enforce stricter EU protections. Meta risks fines up to $12bn if non-compliant. **(POLITICO)**
[The US got Meta to change Instagram and Facebook. Europe wants in.](https://www.politico.eu/article/meta-kids-safety-us-eu-digital-services-act/?utm%5Fsource=RSS%5FFeed&utm%5Fmedium=RSS&utm%5Fcampaign=RSS%5FSyndication) (Politico)
### Slovakia proposes age checks for social platforms using biometric tools
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/slovakia-proposes-age-checks-for-social-platforms-using-biometric-tools/
Last updated: 2026-08-29T05:09:31.000Z
Slovakia’s government approved a bill requiring social platforms to verify users are at least 16, using biometric age assurance tools. The draft law, submitted by the Education Ministry, mandates privacy-preserving verification and aligns with EU digital identity frameworks. Parliament must still approve the measure, which could enter force next year. **(BIOMETRICUPDATE)**
[Slovakia tables bill to put age check requirements on social platformsIt is Slovakia’s turn to introduce legislation restricting large social media platforms to users 16 and older. This week, its government approved a bill, submitted by the Education Ministry, to bring age requirements into effect, citing concerns about addiction, extremism and radicalization. It includes a requirement that platforms “operate reasonable technical and organizational measures” to assess the age of those requesting access, which indicates a need for biometric age assurance tools. Self-declaration will no longer count. The proposed law leans toward the French double-blind model, in that acceptable solutions must be privacy-preserving, revealing no personal information, and “the entity conducting the age check would also not be allowed to know which social media platform had requested the verification.” Declared age range model an option, but not everyone loves it Commentary in EU Today evaluates various options for the Slovakian market, and the privacy and security trade-offs each comes with. “Document checks can disclose identity when a platform needs to know only whether somebody is above a threshold. Facial age estimation may reduce the amount of formal identity data collected, but introduces questions about accuracy, bias and biometric processing. Third-party tokens can preserve privacy if well designed, although users must trust another intermediary with the verification.” The piece argues that “the safest model is likely to confirm an age band without passing a name, birth date or document image to the social network.” This is the declared age range model that Apple and Google have adopted in their app stores, and the preferred liability model for social platforms and other adult sites. However, it is not popular with many other developers who found themselves ensnared in the regulatory mess Meta and Pornhub have made. A statement that the Developers Association emailed to Biometric Update following Meta’s settlement in U.S. courts this week argues that age band models target the wrong entities, and that platforms and services that expose minors to harmful or age-inappropriate experiences should bear the brunt of the responsibility. Safety regulation intended to catalyze societal shift Opinions aside, a functioning age assurance ecosystem is achievable at a national level for Slovakia, provided it aligns its approach with the rest of the EU as its digital identity policy and architecture develops: “national measures can add protections, but they cannot disregard the Union’s allocation of regulatory powers or the country-of-origin principles governing many digital services.” EU Today identifies enforcement as a challenge, especially when noncompliant companies are based abroad, and acknowledges that some kids will find ways to circumvent age checks. Nonetheless, “that does not make the law pointless. Safety regulation is rarely judged by whether it prevents every violation. The relevant test is whether it materially changes routine access and whether the burden imposed on lawful users is proportionate.” In Slovakia, among local biometrics companies, Bratislava-based Innovatrics is globally recognized as a leader with two decades of experience in the identity sector; the company joins Biometric Update and Goode Intelligence for a webinar on the changing landscape of age assurance, taking place on Sep 15, 2026 at 10 a.m. ET. Legislation must be precise to avoid French fate The EU’s legislative momentum on online safety laws and age checks tech has run into an obstacle in France, where the Constitutional Council found that the law violated certain rights, and that “the legislation’s restrictions and safeguards did not sit securely within the applicable constitutional framework.” While the EU Today piece notes that Slovakian law is not governed by French decisions, it also says it shows how “a politically popular age limit can fail if the legal design is imprecise, delegates too much power or interferes disproportionately with access to information and expression.” Slovakia’s bill still needs approval from parliament, but could come into effect as soon as next year.Biometric Update](https://www.biometricupdate.com/202608/slovakia-tables-bill-to-put-age-check-requirements-on-social-platforms?ref=nupath.eu)
### Poland formally requests EU fine for Meta over scam Facebook ads
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/poland-formally-requests-eu-fine-for-meta-over-scam-facebook-ads/
Last updated: 2026-08-28T05:14:17.000Z
Poland’s digital affairs minister Krzysztof Gawkowski has formally asked the European Commission to fine Meta €250 million for failing to remove fraudulent advertisements on Facebook. The request follows a campaign by Polish billionaire Rafał Brzoska over scam ads exploiting his image and other public figures. Poland cites a CERT Polska study showing Meta rejected 106 of 122 reported fraudulent adverts. **(NOTES FROM POLAND)**
[Poland asks EU to fine Meta €250m over scam Facebook adsKeep our news free from ads and paywalls by making a donation to support our work! Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support. Poland has formally requested that the European Commission fine Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, €250 million (1.1 billion zloty) for failing to tackle fraudulent advertising on its platforms. Its decision follows a high-profile campaign by Rafał Brzoska, the billionaire owner of Polish delivery giant InPost, over scam adverts on Facebook that exploit fake images of him and other prominent Polish public figures, including President Karol Nawrocki. Platformy cyfrowe muszą ponosić pełną odpowiedzialność za swoje działania i dlatego zawnioskowałem o nałożenie na Metę kary w wysokości miliarda złotych. Po analizie materiałów, w tym tych otrzymanych od Meta, a także kolejnych doniesień medialnych o braku kontroli nad… pic.twitter.com/1zSZg8MGf4 — Krzysztof Gawkowski (@KGawkowski) August 27, 2026 On Thursday morning, digital affairs minister Krzysztof Gawkowski announced that he had sent a request to the European Commission to take action against Meta, including fining it €250 million. “Inaction and ineffectiveness in combating harmful advertisements and fraudulent content targeting Poles will not be tolerated,” wrote Gawkowski. “I expect the European Commission to conduct the proceedings swiftly and impose the fine. There is more than enough evidence.” The minister also called on Meta itself to “immediately introduce effective tools to eliminate scams, fake advertisements, and the promotion of illegal applications. This Wild West on the platform must come to an end”. Click here to help us continue providing news free from paywalls and ads Gawkowski shared an image of the first page of a letter he had sent to Henna Virkkunen, the European commissioner for technological sovereignty, security and democracy, in which he argued that Meta’s failure to combat fraud may violate the EU’s Digital Services Act. He pointed to a study by CERT Polska, a Polish state IT security body, which found that, of 122 adverts reported to Meta as being fraudulent, in 106 cases the company rejected requests to remove them. Gawkowski noted that the European Consumer Organisation has reported similar concerns to the EU. On Wednesday, Gawkowski also shared copies of correspondence he had exchanged with Meta earlier this month. In response to the minister’s concerns, the tech firm had argued that it “does not seek to profit from” fraudulent advertising and outlined steps it was taking to address the problem. Meta disclosed that, between July 2025 and June 2026, it had, in Poland alone, removed 380,000 examples of content and 137,000 adverts for violating its policies on fraudulent practices. It noted that the vast majority were removed before users even reported them. Meta przesłała odpowiedź o działaniach związanych ze zwalczaniem scamów i wskazuje, że niektóre dane przekazuje z zachowaniem ścisłej poufności. W państwie szanującym obywatela takie dane muszą być jawne i dlatego podjąłem decyzję o ujawnieniu treści pisma. W piśmie Meta… — Krzysztof Gawkowski (@KGawkowski) August 26, 2026 Gawkowski’s intervention follows a high-profile campaign by Brzoska, one of Poland’s richest people and who, along with his wife, former TV presenter and businesswoman Omenaa Mensah, is a prominent public figure. Brzoska and Mensah have long complained about the unauthorised use of their likenesses in fraudulent social-media advertising, especially on Facebook. In 2024, Poland’s data protection authority ordered Meta to stop displaying adverts that featured false reports of Mensah’s death to promote scams. Earlier this month, Brzoska renewed his campaign, highlighting an example of a scam on Facebook that used a fake image of him being handcuffed by police in his home. Tak działa koncern @Meta w Polsce-nieustająco tolerując fake newsy na mój i wiele innych publicznych osób temat…Może innym to nie przeszkadza, ale jeśli moje małoletnie dzieciaki wysyłają mi te screeny pytając "o co chodzi Tato?", to jak się polskiemu zarządowi tej gównianej… pic.twitter.com/rp4CUscah1 — Rafał Brzoska (@RBrzoska) August 14, 2026 Brzoska – who also pointed to examples of Facebook running fake adverts featuring other prominent Polish figures, including President Nawrocki – launched a petition calling for platforms that run scam adverts to be fined 150% of the revenue they received from them. The petition – which, at the time of writing, has been signed by almost 91,000 people – cited leaked data, reported by Reuters last year, indicating that Meta estimated 10% of its sales in 2024, around €16 billion, came from advertising scams or illegal products and services. In comments to Reuters, Meta said at the time that the estimate was “rough and overly inclusive” and that the actual figure was lower. But it declined to provide an updated figure. Nowy dzień i nowy scam serwowany bez żadnych oporów przez @Meta z Prezydentem @NawrockiKn w roli głównej.Ale to managerowie Meta (Robert Bednarski, Jakub Turowski,Tomasz Parfjanowicz i Ewa Tumanow) mówią,że nic nie mogą w tej sprawie. Jeśli chcemy temu powiedzieć stanowcze… pic.twitter.com/ZVZl04yYY1 — Rafał Brzoska (@RBrzoska) August 24, 2026 This week, Brzoska welcomed Gawkowski’s moves against Meta. He also noted that, while the minister’s letter to Meta had been addressed to Jakub Turowski, Meta’s director of public policy for Central and Eastern Europe, the firm’s response to him was unsigned. “First-class cowardice,” declared Brzoska, who has repeatedly published the names of four of Meta’s senior Polish managers, including Turowski. Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support. Notes from Poland](https://notesfrompoland.com/2026/08/27/poland-asks-eu-to-fine-meta-e250m-over-scam-facebook-ads/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Nvidia agrees to buy Hugging Face for $12.9bn
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/nvidia-agrees-to-buy-hugging-face-for-12-9bn/
Last updated: 2026-08-28T05:13:16.000Z
Nvidia has agreed to acquire Hugging Face, a leading AI model repository founded by French entrepreneurs, for $12.9bn according to a report citing a person familiar with the deal. The acquisition, yet to be confirmed, would mark one of Nvidia's largest purchases and follows a $235m investment in Hugging Face in 2023\. The deal raises concerns over Europe's digital sovereignty in AI infrastructure. **(TECH.EU)**
[Nvidia agrees to buy Hugging Face for $12.9BN, says reportNvidia has agreed to buy Hugging Face, the AI platform and open-source AI model repository, for $12.9bn, according to a report in US tech title The Information, which cited a person with knowledge of the deal. The deal, which has not been confirmed by either side, would mark one of Nvidia’s biggest acquisitions to date, and comes as the US semiconductor giant continues to plough billions of dollars of investments into AI ecosystem players. Hugging Face, founded by three French entrepreneurs, has been likened to the GitHub for AI models and datasets. Based in New York, Hugging Face provides a repository where developers can download AI models, tools for running models, datasets for training AI models, as well as a community where developers and researchers can publish and collaborate on AI models. Nvidia backed Hugging Face in a $235m Series D funding round in 2023, valuing it at $4.5bn, which is Hugging Face's last known valuation. The world's biggest semiconductor company has invested billions of dollars in AI firms including OpenAI, Anthropic, CoreWeave, and Nebius, as it looks to power momentum across the entire AI sector. The expected deal comes as Nvidia reported that second-quarter revenues more than doubled year-on-year to $96.2bn, driven by increased use of AI agents. Image: ChatGPTTech.eu](https://tech.eu/2026/08/27/nvidia-agrees-to-buy-hugging-face-for-12-9bn-says-report/?ref=nupath.eu)
### PLD Space secures €158.9 million ESA award for reusable launcher
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/pld-space-secures-eu158-9-million-esa-award-for-reusable-launcher/
Last updated: 2026-08-28T05:12:30.000Z
Spanish space company PLD Space receives €158.9 million from the European Space Agency under the European Launcher Challenge to develop reusable launch capabilities. The funding supports commercial orbital launches and upgraded MIURA 5 capacity, reinforcing Europe's strategic autonomy in space access. PLD Space also raised €180 million in March and €30 million from the EIB in April. **(EU-STARTUPS)**
[PLD Space continues stellar year of growth with €158.9 million ESA awardPLD Space, a Spanish space transportation company, has been awarded €158.9 million by the European Space Agency (ESA) under the European Launcher Challenge (ELC) – a strategic initiative aimed at strengthening Europe’s autonomous, competitive, and resilient access to space. This comes amid a notable year of growth for the Elche-based SpaceTech company, having raised an €180 million Series C in March, a €30 million EIB venture-debt facility in April, and a €35 million investment for its Launch Complex at the Guiana Space Centre in June – making 2026 a year of expansion for the launch company. “ESA’s selection of PLD Space confirms the maturity of the roadmap we have been building for years: a European launch capability designed to grow with a bold footprint, with technology, industry and execution under our own control,” says Ezequiel Sánchez, Executive President of PLD Space . Today’s announcement comes amid notable capital deployment across Europe’s SpaceTech sector in 2026\. EU-Startups has reported closed financings totalling approximately €672.5 million across satellite manufacturing and connectivity, Earth observation, propulsion, spacecraft components and space-based intelligence, including €450 million for Finland’s ICEYE, €61 million for Switzerland’s SWISSto12, €51 million for Hydrosat, €34 million for SatVu and €27 million for UNIVITY. Spain is also represented by Castellón-based Arkadia Space, whose founders previously worked at PLD Space and which secured €14.5 million for green spacecraft propulsion. “For PLD Space, this contract is not an isolated milestone. It is part of a disciplined execution path: from demonstrating our technology with MIURA 1, to proving orbital capability with MIURA 5, developing its upgraded orbital capacity to scale performance and advance reusability, and ultimately transferring those critical technologies to MIURA Next. This is how Europe builds sovereign access to space: with ambition, but also with execution,” adds Ezequiel. Founded in 2011, PLD Space is a SpaceTech scale-up on a mission to transport satellites and people into space, vertically integrating the engineering, testing, manufacturing, and operations of its reusable and sustainable rockets. Headquartered in Elche (Spain) and founded by Raúl Torres and Raúl Verdú, PLD Space’s family of MIURA launchers and LINCE crewed capsule position the company as a leader in European technological sovereignty for space transportation, covering the full spectrum of space missions. At a time when access to space has become a defining factor of strategic autonomy, Europe is reshaping its launch landscape around resilience, competitiveness, and independence. PLD Space says that today’s news reinforces the company’s role as a European launch provider building the technologies and industrial capacity required to secure reliable and sovereign access to orbit. The award covers Components A and B of the European Launcher Challenge. Component A will support the consolidation of the company’s commercial orbital launch service and the ramp-up of its flight cadence until 2030, responding to growing commercial interest in the MIURA 5 launch vehicle across global market. Component B , focused on Upgraded Orbital Capacity, will support the development of enhanced capabilities for MIURA 5, designed to serve institutional and commercial missions that require greater payload capacity and orbital reach, as well as incorporate propulsive landing capabilities as a step toward reusability. The development of MIURA 5’s upgraded orbital capacity is part of PLD Space’s technology roadmap and represents a strategic step toward MIURA Next – the company’s family of heavy launchers. Key subsystems and upgrades developed under the Upgraded Orbital Capacity programme are being engineered for direct transferability to future heavy launch vehicles, allowing PLD Space to accelerate the path toward next-generation launch capabilities while reducing technical risk and maximizing technology investments. This contract supports PLD Space’s position as one of Europe’s leading private space companies and advances its mission to provide sovereign, resilient, and competitive launch capabilities for Europe in the decades ahead. The post PLD Space continues stellar year of growth with €158.9 million ESA award appeared first on EU-Startups.EU-Startups](https://www.eu-startups.com/2026/08/pld-space-continues-stellar-year-of-growth-with-e158-9-million-esa-award/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Poland reports widespread GPS disruptions across sectors
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/poland-reports-widespread-gps-disruptions-across-sectors/
Last updated: 2026-08-27T06:23:32.000Z
Poland's National Institute of Telecommunications reports GPS malfunctions affecting phones, drones and ships, attributing the issue to electronic warfare activity in the Baltic Sea region. The disruptions highlight vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure reliant on satellite navigation systems. **(EURONEWS)**
[Drones and ships running blind as GPS malfunctions across PolandPoland's National Institute of Telecommunications has said that the source is external and linked to the activity of electronic warfare systems in the Baltic Sea region. #EuropeNewseuronews.com](https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/08/25/phones-drones-and-ships-running-blind-as-gps-malfunctions-across-poland?fbclid=IwVERFWAT7UC1wZG9mBWZkaWQWUNM6KAT4KbYb38BAYKdN-2rb4NlHEWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR6ly4BWEmXhUGqZDuohM8SifUml8EEy4yqJIqSeN2FaocEEjhwvfBF3ULRPsA%5Faem%5FcyHnH9uXRt085uSsRyUS6w&ref=nupath.eu)
### ECB advances Pontes and Appia projects for tokenised asset market
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/ecb-advances-pontes-and-appia-projects-for-tokenised-asset-market/
Last updated: 2026-08-27T06:23:16.000Z
The European Central Bank is accelerating plans to create an integrated European market for tokenised assets through its Pontes and Appia projects, aiming to reduce fragmentation in capital markets. Cipollone highlighted risks from incompatible platforms and announced Pontes will launch this year with 22.5-hour daily operations, expanding to 24/7 by mid-2028\. The ECB also conducted over 50 trials in 2024 to enable DLT transaction settlement in central bank money. **(CYPRUSMAIL)**
[ECB pushes for integrated European market for tokenised assetsThe European Central Bank (ECB) is moving ahead with plans to build an integrated European market for tokenised assets, Executive Board member Piero Cipollone said on Wednesday, warning that fragmented digital platforms could deepen divisions in Europe’s capital markets. Speaking at the Deutsche Bundesbank’s Symposium on “Future of payments: trends and innovations in Germany and Europe” in Frankfurt, Cipollone said the ECB had moved from setting out a vision two years ago to putting it into practice through its Pontes and Appia projects. “Today, I will discuss the next steps in turning that vision into reality,” Cipollone said. He said tokenisation and distributed ledger technology (DLT) could make financial markets more efficient by allowing assets to be represented and transferred as programmable digital files, potentially enabling finance to operate around the clock with greater automation and fewer intermediaries. At the same time, he warned that incompatible platforms could create a new form of fragmentation. “This transformation also poses a risk: a proliferation of incompatible platforms could reproduce, or even deepen, the current fragmentation of Europe’s capital markets,” Cipollone said. Europe currently has 31 central securities depositories, 14 central counterparties and 323 trading venues, while cross-border settlement remains limited. More than 95 per cent of securities transactions, measured both by volume and value, were settled between parties within the same individual central securities depository in 2023, according to Cipollone. Tokenisation could bring issuance, trading, clearing, settlement, custody and asset servicing into a shared digital environment, allowing transactions to be executed conditionally and atomically so that the cash and asset legs settle together or not at all. Smart contracts could also automate processes including coupon payments, collateral movements and compliance checks. “Tokenisation is therefore not merely an incremental improvement to one stage of a financial transaction,” Cipollone said, arguing that it could instead reshape the entire financial value chain. He said the global market was already moving from experimentation towards early adoption, with tokenised traditional assets recorded on public blockchains increasing roughly fivefold between March 2025 and March 2026\. In the United States, one private platform processed an average of $354 billion in tokenised repo transactions per day in March 2026, four times its average daily volume a year earlier. European institutions are also developing tokenised bonds, deposits, collateral and settlement solutions, while European central securities depositories have announced large-scale securities tokenisation initiatives. Cipollone said the Eurosystem began accepting marketable assets issued through DLT-based services at European central securities depositories as eligible collateral in March. Despite the growth, tokenised real-world assets remain small compared with global financial markets, with limited liquidity and secondary-market activity. Cipollone identified fragmentation, the loss of central bank money as a monetary anchor and external dependence as the three main risks Europe must avoid. The ECB wants to provide settlement of DLT transactions in central bank money while supporting an integrated, competitive and innovative European payments and securities ecosystem and preserving Europe’s resilience and strategic autonomy. The Eurosystem has already conducted more than 50 trials and experiments involving 64 market participants in 2024, finding that central bank money could be used to settle transactions conducted on DLT platforms. Cipollone said this demonstrated that access to central bank money was not merely an additional feature but a condition for tokenised finance to develop safely and at scale. The findings have been incorporated into the Pontes and Appia projects. Pontes is intended to connect market DLT platforms with the Eurosystem’s TARGET Services, allowing the cash leg of transactions to settle in central bank money. The ECB intends to launch Pontes this year, initially offering attractive pricing with only one-off onboarding fees. The service is then expected to expand its operating hours to 22.5 hours per business day and provide immediate settlement finality in the Eurosystem DLT, with a 24/7 service planned by mid-2028, alongside greater programmability, resilience and multi-currency capability. “Central bank money does not carry credit or liquidity risk. What’s more, it serves as the common settlement anchor across the financial system,” Cipollone said. Appia, meanwhile, addresses the broader architecture, standards and governance of a European tokenised financial ecosystem. Its roadmap covers interoperability and standards, monetary policy implementation, collateral management, future infrastructure for tokenised central bank money, cross-border transactions and the legal and regulatory framework. The aim is to produce a blueprint for an integrated European tokenised financial ecosystem by 2028\. Cipollone said Pontes and Appia should be regarded as complementary parts of one strategy, with operational experience from Pontes informing Appia while Appia’s findings feed into the gradual development of Pontes. He identified three conditions for successful expansion of tokenised finance, namely common standards and interoperability, public-private cooperation and an integrated legal framework. “Competition should be in services, quality and price, not through incompatible standards or walled gardens,” Cipollone said. He also stressed that technological interoperability alone would not be enough. “A genuinely integrated tokenised ecosystem must have five capabilities,” he said, explaining that systems must be interoperable, assets transferable and portable, issuers and public authorities must retain appropriate control, and assets must be programmable within a safe and legally valid framework. Cipollone called for public authorities and the private sector to work together to ensure issuance, trading, settlement, custody, collateral and asset servicing develop alongside one another. He also warned that advanced technology cannot compensate for fragmented law, calling for greater clarity and harmonisation across the EU on ownership rights, settlement finality, liability, custody, asset servicing and the enforceability of smart-contract outcomes. “Technical interoperability without legal compatibility will remain incomplete and fail to overcome fragmentation,” he said. Cipollone said Europe was now at a decisive point in determining how tokenised finance develops. “If we act now, we can do more than just modernise settlement,” he said. “We can use technological change to help build something Europe has sought for decades: a deeper, more innovative and more competitive capital market,” he added.Cyprus Mail](https://cyprus-mail.com/2026/08/27/ecb-pushes-for-integrated-european-market-for-tokenised-assets?ref=nupath.eu)
### EU backs gaming sector with digital support measures
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-backs-gaming-sector-with-digital-support-measures/
Last updated: 2026-08-27T06:21:59.000Z
The European Union announces plans to provide digital support for the gaming industry, focusing on consumer protection and safety. The initiative aims to address regulatory challenges while strengthening the sector's strategic role in Europe's digital economy. **(BRUSSELS TIMES)**
[EU pledges digital backing for gaming sector amid consumer and safety focus - The Brussels TimesEU pledges digital backing for gaming sector amid consumer and safety focus The Brussels TimesBrussels Times](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMivwFBVV95cUxQR3JNaHdWYjB4WDFOSVg3V2JqYlNnTFZkY2JVZFk1ZG5rYnBiMXBUZWthLWs1Zjd4QzlTc2gtNWU0WV9FamJ1dTRvZ19qeEh0QkNqOGMzZDJ1MlVNMkhtNVBVeTdLQTNiRno3ejdhRnB5dDFXT2NnYlhoZEp6ejNtS29IRHRtYjd5V1Fadjh2ZHlmNHRuRUV5czhyMnZxTFozajdYRjhQOE56VTBQOWhuOUtoRkhaNmppdWZNdl9KMA?oc=5&ref=nupath.eu)
### Ireland proposes €1 billion fund-of-funds for startups
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/ireland-proposes-eu1-billion-fund-of-funds-for-startups/
Last updated: 2026-08-27T06:21:35.000Z
The Irish Venture Capital and Private Equity Association urges the government to mobilise €1 billion in private institutional capital for homegrown startups through a fund-of-funds model inspired by Denmark’s Dansk Vækstkapital. The proposal, part of the IVCA’s Pre-Budget Submission 2027, aims to reduce dependence on overseas investors and address late-stage funding gaps in Ireland’s startup ecosystem. **(EU-STARTUPS)**
[Ireland urged to unlock €1 billion for startup funding with Denmark-style capital pushIreland could mobilise €1 billion in private institutional capital to support homegrown startups and scale-ups under a new fund-of-funds proposal from the Irish Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (IVCA), as the country looks to reduce its dependence on overseas investors for growth-stage financing. The proposal forms part of the IVCA Pre-Budget Submission 2027, which calls on the Irish Government to establish a government-convened investment vehicle capable of aggregating commitments from pension funds, insurers, banks and other institutional investors. Sarah-Jane Larkin, Director General of the IVCA, says: “VC investment in the quarter fell by almost 60% to just over €221 million with 85% of the capital raised coming from international investors. That combination points to a market with strong companies and real investor interest, but one that remains heavily dependent on external capital conditions.” Founded in 1985, the IVCA represents Irish-based venture capital and private equity firms, alongside their investors and professional advisers. According to them, IVCA members have provided more than €10 billion in funding to innovative Irish companies over the past decade, supporting areas including technology, life sciences, MedTech and other export-focused industries. EU-Startups’ coverage of Irish funding announcements in 2026 points to approximately €350.4 million in funding. The total is concentrated in a relatively small number of larger transactions: Fonoa, Neurent Medical, Equal1 and CameraMatics account for up to €256.9 million, or around 73% of the headline sum, while smaller Seed and pre-Seed rounds have continued across AI, HR software and industrial climate technology. The association argues, however, that Ireland’s startup ecosystem continues to face a significant shortage of domestic capital at later stages. Its document identifies funding gaps at late Seed, Series A, Series B and subsequent scale-up rounds, warning that Irish companies frequently turn to overseas investors as their capital requirements increase. At the centre of their proposal is a government-convened fund-of-funds inspired by Denmark’s Dansk Vækstkapital model. Richard Watson, Chairperson of the IVCA, says: “And this can be implemented quickly as we have an off the shelf working example in the Danish Dansk Vaekstkapital model which has pumped more than €1.5 billion into domestic companies.” Under the IVCA’s proposed structure, the Irish Government would act as a convener and potentially an anchor investor through the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) or a newly created vehicle. Institutional investors would make multi-year commitments to approved Irish venture and growth funds, while individual investment decisions would remain under private sector-led governance and commercial management. Richard adds: “Ireland has a good track record in getting startups off the ground thanks to government initiatives through EI (Enterprise Ireland) and ISIF (Ireland Strategic Investment Fund), but the gap in institutional scaling finance means that these companies usually have to go overseas to raise the capital necessary to grow into major employers.” The IVCA also sees the proposed Personal Investment Account as a potential future source of capital for the ecosystem. It argues that, over time, a professionally governed fund-of-funds could provide a route for allocating a modest share of household investment savings to productive domestic assets, alongside more conventional market investments. The association is also calling for changes to pension architecture. One recommendation proposes an opt-in provision for new entrants to Ireland’s auto-enrolment pension system, allowing savers to allocate a small proportion of their contributions to a vehicle supporting Irish enterprise. The association stresses that the proposal is intended to catalyse private investment rather than create a major new public spending programme. Sarah-Jane says: “At a time when all government departments are facing spending pressures, crucially, this can be done without material Exchequer cost. The objective is not to create a new spending commitment, but to use a limited portion of existing ISIF capital strategically to convene, structure and catalyse much larger pools of private investmen.” Ireland would not be acting in isolation. The IVCA compares its proposal with several European initiatives already attempting to channel institutional savings towards venture capital and private markets. These include: France’s Tibi Initiative Denmark’s Dansk Vækstkapital The UK’s Mansion House reforms Germany’s Deutschlandfonds The Dutch Venture Initiative The European Tech Champions Initiative managed by the European Investment Fund For the IVCA, these initiatives point towards a wider European effort to mobilise pension and institutional capital for innovation, at a time when European policymakers are increasingly concerned about promising companies having to seek large growth rounds elsewhere. Sarah-Jane adds: “This would help create the financial foundations for more indigenous companies to scale from Ireland, deepen domestic ownership of innovation, and build a stronger base of employers over time. This is therefore not only a response to a funding gap, but a time-sensitive opportunity to strengthen the long-term structure of the Irish economy.” The proposal now depends on whether the Irish Government chooses to incorporate the recommendations into Budget 2027 and move towards placing Ireland firmly within the wider European debate over how to keep more startup and scale-up financing, ownership and economic value within the continent. The post Ireland urged to unlock €1 billion for startup funding with Denmark-style capital push appeared first on EU-Startups.EU-Startups](https://www.eu-startups.com/2026/08/ireland-urged-to-unlock-e1-billion-for-startups-with-denmark-style-capital-push/?ref=nupath.eu)
### French SpaceTech startup ArcSpace raises over €2 million for satellite repair tech
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/french-spacetech-startup-arcspace-raises-over-eu2-million-for-satellite-repair-tech/
Last updated: 2026-08-26T04:59:09.000Z
French SpaceTech startup ArcSpace secures over €2 million in funding to develop in-orbit satellite repair technology using electron beam welding. The round was led by DEPO Ventures and includes SCE Freiraum Ventures, IRDI Capital Investissement, and a French Business Angels network. The technology aims to extend satellite lifespans and reduce space debris, with a first demonstration mission planned for 2027\. **(EU-STARTUPS)**
[French SpaceTech startup ArcSpace secures over €2 million for in-orbit satellite servicing and repairArcSpace, a Paris-based SpaceTech startup developing technology for in-orbit satellite repair, assembly, and servicing, has closed a funding round of over €2 million to support the startup’s next stage of growth. The round was led by DEPO Ventures through its DEPO Ventures One fund, alongside SCE Freiraum Ventures, IRDI Capital Investissement, and a French Business Angels network. “Artificial intelligence, defence technologies, and space are among the sectors where Europe’s future champions are being built. ArcSpace offers a breakthrough solution capable of repairing satellites that were never intended to be serviced. This capability significantly reduces risk and strengthens the resilience of critical infrastructure that our societies increasingly depend upon. At DEPO Ventures, we focus precisely on innovations of this kind with global relevance and long-term strategic impact,” said Petr Šíma, Partner at DEPO Ventures. Founded in 2022, ArcSpace provides manufacturing tools and processes for use in space. Its proprietary Electron Beam technology enables joining, welding, and cutting directly on board spacecraft and lunar rovers, for applications ranging from in-orbit servicing to assembly and manufacturing. According to the company, until now, once a satellite malfunctioned, ran out of fuel, or was damaged, it became a useless and hazardous piece of space debris. It further notes that space agencies have so far relied on complex mechanisms with many critical points of failure, which also require extensive interface standardisation, to manage the end-of-life of spacecraft or extend the life of high-value space assets. As a result, satellites not specifically designed for servicing could not be repaired or modified once in orbit. ArcSpace has developed a compact tool that utilises high-energy electron beam technology. The system can be deployed immediately aboard a spacecraft and produces no hazardous waste during operation. The company claims that it can safely and precisely cut, join, and weld materials even in deep space vacuum. The company highlights that its greatest advantage for in-orbit servicing lies in its ability to capture and repair satellites that were never originally designed for servicing. Guillaume Mohara, CEO and co-founder of ArcSpace, said, “The space industry has traditionally operated on a one-time-use model. When something failed or a satellite ran out of fuel, infrastructure worth hundreds of millions of euros was lost. At ArcSpace, we believe that the ability to manufacture, repair, and modify equipment directly in orbit is the only way to build a sustainable and secure space economy. “Our technology recently passed demanding space environmental testing, including high-vacuum and mechanical vibrations. This new funding will allow us to accelerate in-space validation of our solution, demonstrating more than 100 seconds of fully autonomous welding aboard a spacecraft in 2027, a world first.” ArcSpace mentions that its solution has already attracted interest from more than a dozen commercial companies. To date, the startup has also established collaborations with institutional partners, including the French space agency (CNES), the European Space Agency (ESA), and the European Defence Fund (EDF). The company plans to use this capital to support the startup’s next stage of growth, primarily through team expansion, qualification of its flight hardware, and preparations for its first demonstration mission planned for 2027\. The company aims to bring its product to market by 2028\. ArcSpace’s roadmap begins with near-term in-orbit servicing effectors for customer life extension, de-orbiting, and dual-use missions starting in 2028, then scales the same technology to support in-orbit and lunar assembly of large structures, as well as in-space manufacturing. “The European Commission has identified In-Orbit Servicing and Operations (ISOS) as one of the foundations of Europe’s future space economy, backed by substantial investment plans leading to the ISOS Pilot Mission by 2030\. ArcSpace is building exactly the kind of breakthrough capability Europe will need to turn this vision into operational reality,” concluded Justyna Redelkiewicz, Space Tech Venture Partner at DEPO Ventures. The post French SpaceTech startup ArcSpace secures over €2 million for in-orbit satellite servicing and repair appeared first on EU-Startups.EU-Startups](https://www.eu-startups.com/2026/08/french-spacetech-startup-arcspace-secures-over-e2-million-for-in-orbit-satellite-servicing-and-repair/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Draghi and Collison launch Rhine Group to boost Europe’s competitiveness
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/draghi-and-collison-launch-rhine-group-to-boost-europes-competitiveness/
Last updated: 2026-08-30T13:59:46.000Z
Former ECB president Mario Draghi and Stripe co-founder Patrick Collison co-chair the Rhine Group, a new forum uniting economists, executives and officials to turn Europe’s competitiveness debate into actionable reforms. The initiative, which includes Italian members like ION Group’s Andrea Pignataro and former Vodafone CEO Vittorio Colao, aims to address strategic dependencies and innovation gaps highlighted in Draghi’s 2024 competitiveness report. Decode39 reports. **(DECODE39)**
[Draghi’s Rhine bet puts Italy inside Europe’s growth fightDecoding the news. Mario Draghi and Patrick Collison are trying to move Europe’s competitiveness debate from diagnosis to implementation. The new initiative is called the Rhine Group. Draghi, the former European Central Bank president and Italian prime minister, and Collison, co-founder and CEO of Stripe, are its co-chairs. Luis Garicano, the Spanish economist and former MEP, is the group’s executive director. The group describes itself as a gathering of leaders from government, academia and business, built around the idea of turning evidence into action. Why it matters. Europe does not lack reports on its economic weakness. It lacks the political and industrial machinery to act on them. That is the space the Rhine Group wants to occupy: not as an EU institution, nor as a substitute for the Commission or national governments, but as a place where people who usually sit at different tables can work through the reforms Europe says it needs but often struggles to deliver. The starting point is the 2024 Draghi report on European competitiveness, prepared at the request of the European Commission. That report warned that Europe could no longer rely on the same external conditions that supported growth in the past and laid out recommendations to move the continent onto a different trajectory. The big picture. The Rhine Group’s argument is economic and strategic. According to the group’s founding statement, only four of the world’s fifty largest technology companies are European, while the continent is weak across the emerging technologies likely to shape the coming decades. It links stagnation directly to Europe’s ability to finance defence, healthcare, pensions, education, climate investment and social protection. The group’s diagnosis is familiar but sharper in tone: for decades Europe benefited from expanding global trade, the American security umbrella and dependencies that appeared manageable. That environment, the Rhine Group argues, has changed. The United States has become more protectionist, China is a tougher competitor both abroad and inside the European market, and strategic dependencies have become more exposed. Between the lines. The novelty is not another call for Europe to “wake up.” It is the attempt to create a bridge between research, political feasibility and industrial execution. The group says its discussions will be based on research papers distributed in advance and held under the Chatham House Rule. That suggests a format closer to a working policy network than a conventional public-facing think tank. Its message also reverses a defensive reading of European sovereignty. The goal is not simply to protect what Europe already has, but to rebuild the capacity to innovate, scale companies and compete globally. In the group’s own words, Europe is not a middle power but “the world’s second-largest market.” Expert take. As Stefano da Empoli said to Formiche.net, president of I-Com, the Rhine Group should be read less as a traditional think tank than as a laboratory for ideas and alliances. In his view, the initiative inherits the logic of the Draghi report and tries to give it a political and operational life: Europe’s competitiveness problem is an existential question for the Union. Da Empoli notes that the world has moved far away from the post-Cold War optimism in which globalisation, open trade and American security made the language of national competitiveness seem almost misplaced. Today, with great-power competition back at the centre of international politics, Europe’s weaknesses in technology, scale, capital and decision-making carry strategic consequences. The challenge, he argues, will be to avoid turning the Rhine Group into an exclusive club and instead make it a platform able to connect institutions, companies, academics and other actors around a difficult but still possible mission: restoring Europe’s capacity to innovate, grow and compete. The Italian angle. Among the members listed by the Rhine Group are Andrea Pignataro, founder and CEO of ION Group; Lucrezia Reichlin, the economist at London Business School; Francesco Giavazzi, professor emeritus at Bocconi; Francesco Decarolis, professor of economics at Bocconi; Luca Ferrari, co-founder and CEO of Bending Spoons; and Vittorio Colao, former Vodafone CEO and former Italian minister. That matters because the competitiveness debate is often framed in Brussels, Paris or Berlin. The Rhine Group gives Italy a visible place in a discussion that connects technology, finance, industrial policy and economic security. What to watch. The test will be whether the Rhine Group can help translate the Draghi agenda into reforms that governments and EU institutions are willing to carry. The European Commission says the Draghi report is already feeding into its work on sustainable prosperity and competitiveness, including the Competitiveness Compass presented in January 2025\. The harder part begins now: moving from consensus about Europe’s weakness to choices on capital markets, energy, digital infrastructure, defence, productivity and industrial scale. That is where the Rhine Group wants to place itself – between the warning and the decision. The post Draghi’s Rhine bet puts Italy inside Europe’s growth fight appeared first on Decode39.Decode39](https://decode39.com/16303/draghi-and-collison-launch-the-rhine-group-to-put-europe-back-on-a-growth-track/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Ireland’s medieval law blocks Big Tech class actions in Europe
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/irelands-medieval-law-blocks-big-tech-class-actions-in-europe/
Last updated: 2026-08-25T05:03:53.000Z
An Irish law from 1634, prohibiting third-party funding of lawsuits, is preventing non-profits from launching class actions against Big Tech firms in Europe. The restriction, rooted in medieval concepts of maintenance and champerty, limits collective redress under the EU’s 2020 Representative Actions Directive. Ireland is the only EU country enforcing this ban, which activists argue undermines accountability for tech giants. **(POLITICO)**
[How a 17th-century Irish law is shielding Big Tech from class actions in Europe](https://www.politico.eu/article/17th-century-ireland-law-shielding-big-tech-class-actions-europe/?utm%5Fsource=RSS%5FFeed&utm%5Fmedium=RSS&utm%5Fcampaign=RSS%5FSyndication) (Politico)
### EuroHPC launches six new quantum technology calls
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eurohpc-launches-six-new-quantum-technology-calls/
Last updated: 2026-08-25T05:02:45.000Z
The EuroHPC Joint Undertaking opens six new calls to advance quantum technologies and infrastructure in Europe. The initiative aims to accelerate the development and deployment of next-generation quantum systems, reinforcing Europe's digital sovereignty in high-performance computing. **(EUROHPC JU)**
[Six New Quantum Calls Launched by the EuroHPC Joint UndertakingThe EuroHPC Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) launches six new calls to advance strategic quantum technologies and the infrastructure needed to accelerate the development and deployment of next-generation quantum systems in Europe.EuroHPC JU](https://www.eurohpc-ju.europa.eu/six-new-quantum-calls-launched-eurohpc-joint-undertaking-2026-08-14%5Fen?ref=nupath.eu)
### NEURA Robotics acquires Adlatus Robotics to boost cleaning robot AI
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/neura-robotics-acquires-adlatus-robotics-to-boost-cleaning-robot-ai/
Last updated: 2026-08-25T05:02:11.000Z
German cognitive robotics firm NEURA Robotics acquires Adlatus Robotics, an autonomous cleaning robot maker, to integrate its fleet into the Neuraverse platform. The deal follows NEURA’s €1.2 billion Series C raise and aims to enhance Physical AI capabilities in cleaning robots through shared AI infrastructure. **(EU-STARTUPS)**
[Fresh from €1.2 billion raise, NEURA Robotics acquires Adlatus Robotics to give cleaning robots a “new brain”NEURA Robotics, a Metzingen-based cognitive robotics startup, today announced that it is acquiring 100% of the shares in Adlatus Robotics, an Ulm-based maker of autonomous cleaning robots. The deal was carried out through NEURA Mobile Robots GmbH, the group’s logistics and automated-vehicle arm, and folds Adlatus’s installed base of cleaning and sweeping robots into NEURA’s broader “Neuraverse” platform. David Reger, founder and CEO of NEURA Robotics, said, “We’re not buying ADLATUS just to add another cleaning robot to our portfolio. We want to give machines like this a new brain. Cleaning is a massive global labour market and, at the same time, a perfect example of what Physical AI can transform. “When a robot doesn’t just navigate its environment but understands what it sees, senses, and needs to do, an entirely new generation of machines emerges. That’s exactly what we’re building the Neuraverse for.” The acquisition comes just weeks after NEURA Mobile Robots agreed to acquire the ACTIVE Shuttle automated guided vehicle business from Bosch Rexroth. That transaction brought Bosch Rexroth’s ACTIVE Fleet Manager and ROKIT navigation software into the NEURA Group, with plans to offer these technologies as tools through the Neuraverse. Founded in 2019, NEURA Robotics builds cognitive robots — including the humanoid 4NE1 and the MAiRA and LARA robotic arms — alongside the software and AI infrastructure that helps these cognitive robots to learn and share skills across the Neuraverse. The company is building a new category of AI infrastructure in which cognitive robots continuously learn, collaborate, and operate across real-world environments through a shared intelligence ecosystem called the Neuraverse. Unlike traditional robotics companies focused on isolated machines or narrow industrial automation, the company states that it combines robotics, AI, sensors, edge compute and large-scale learning infrastructure into one unified platform architecture designed for global deployment. The acquisition spree follows a record capital raise. In June, NEURA raised a Series C financing of up to €1.2 billion ($1.4 billion), which it described as the largest round ever raised by a full-stack robotics company. The funding was backed by Tether, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., Amazon, NVIDIA, imec.xpand, Bosch, Schaeffler, European Investment Bank, Lingotto Horizon, InterAlpen Partners and others. The company said its existing order book and deployment pipeline already exceeded €864.8 million ($1 billion), and that the fresh capital is earmarked for scaling manufacturing toward several million robots in production by 2030 and expanding its network of “NEURA Gyms”, real-world training environments for cognitive robots. Headquartered in Hamburg, NEURA Mobile Robots develops and delivers mobile transport robotics for production and warehouse logistics at international companies under its ek robotics brand. Headquartered in Ulm, Germany, Adlatus has more than 20 years of experience building autonomous cleaning robots for industry, logistics, healthcare, and commercial and public spaces, with hundreds of systems already deployed in the field. It also builds its own navigation software and has deep knowledge of real-world cleaning operations. Neura says it plans to equip the Adlatus fleet with additional sensor and AI capabilities and gradually connect the machines to the Neuraverse, so that a cleaning robot eventually recognises different surfaces and types of dirt, interprets its surroundings, chooses appropriate cleaning strategies, and learns from deployments rather than simply following a fixed route. The German robotics company says the move doesn’t close the platform to other manufacturers. The company wants the Neuraverse to function as open infrastructure that other makers of cleaning and mobile robots can eventually plug their own machines into. “Physical AI will only truly scale if it becomes an ecosystem,” Reger said. The post Fresh from €1.2 billion raise, NEURA Robotics acquires Adlatus Robotics to give cleaning robots a “new brain” appeared first on EU-Startups.EU-Startups](https://www.eu-startups.com/2026/08/fresh-from-e1-2-billion-raise-neura-robotics-acquires-adlatus-robotics-to-give-cleaning-robots-a-new-brain/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Greater Manchester rejects Palantir health data platform
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/greater-manchester-rejects-palantir-health-data-platform/
Last updated: 2026-08-25T05:00:58.000Z
Greater Manchester’s health authority refuses to adopt Palantir’s federated data platform, citing public trust concerns. The UK government faces pressure to cancel a £400 million NHS contract with the US firm amid digital sovereignty debates. The decision follows national scrutiny over Palantir’s role in UK healthcare. **(WIRED)**
[The Single English County Saying No to PalantirThe UK government is facing calls to cancel a sprawling health care contract with Palantir. The region of Greater Manchester insists it can do a better job itself.www.wired.com](https://www.wired.com/story/the-single-english-county-saying-no-to-palantir/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Bi-weekly: Will open source save us all?
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/bi-weekly-will-open-source-save-us-all/
Last updated: 2026-08-24T05:25:49.000Z
### The last two weeks in European digital sovereignty
### [Will open source save us all?](https://www.nupath.eu/will-open-source-save-us-all/)
**(Paying users)** From a digital sovereignty perspective, the answer is: No, not right now, but maybe later.
---
### News
▸ [EU lags behind US and China in critical minerals race](https://www.nupath.eu/eu-lags-behind-us-and-china-in-critical-minerals-race/)
▸ [EU digital border system blocks 1,500 threats since rollout](https://www.nupath.eu/eu-digital-border-system-blocks-1-500-threats-since-rollout/)
▸ [German companies acknowledge US tech risks but fail to act](https://www.nupath.eu/german-companies-acknowledge-us-tech-risks-but-fail-to-act/)
▸ [Eight NATO allies launch HALO satellite constellation initiative](https://www.nupath.eu/eight-nato-allies-launch-halo-satellite-constellation-initiative/)
▸ [Lagarde warns EU fragmentation risks AI competitiveness](https://www.nupath.eu/lagarde-warns-eu-fragmentation-risks-ai-competitiveness/)
▸ [EU launches AI-powered cybersecurity action plan](https://www.nupath.eu/eu-launches-ai-powered-cybersecurity-action-plan/)
▸ [Callosum raises €85.4M to unify AI models and chips](https://www.nupath.eu/callosum-raises-eu85-4m-to-unify-ai-models-and-chips/)
▸ [Mistral AI secures €724M to expand sovereign AI infrastructure in France](https://www.nupath.eu/mistral-ai-secures-eu724m-to-expand-sovereign-ai-infrastructure-in-france/)
▸ [Oakley Capital buys majority stake in Graphwise](https://www.nupath.eu/oakley-capital-buys-majority-stake-in-graphwise/)
▸ [Denmark unveils Mimir AI model to boost digital sovereignty](https://www.nupath.eu/denmark-unveils-mimir-ai-model-to-boost-digital-sovereignty/)
▸ [EU shifts Big Tech enforcement from fines to behavioral interventions](https://www.nupath.eu/eu-shifts-big-tech-enforcement-from-fines-to-behavioral-interventions/)
▸ [Italy joins US-led 6G coalition to shape future networks](https://www.nupath.eu/italy-joins-us-led-6g-coalition-to-shape-future-networks/)
▸ [EU expands semiconductor skills and design focus under Chips Act 2.0](https://www.nupath.eu/eu-expands-semiconductor-skills-and-design-focus-under-chips-act-2-0/)
▸ [Nebius plans $4.5bn bond issue to fund AI infrastructure](https://www.nupath.eu/nebius-plans-4-5bn-bond-issue-to-fund-ai-infrastructure/)
▸ [Germany’s Computomics raises €6.3m for climate-smart crop breeding](https://www.nupath.eu/germanys-computomics-raises-eu6-3m-for-climate-smart-crop-breeding/)
▸ [Reporter tests Europe’s digital sovereignty in 72-hour US tech blackout](https://www.nupath.eu/reporter-tests-europes-digital-sovereignty-in-72-hour-us-tech-blackout/)
▸ [Bulgarian DiscreteStack raises €800K for sovereign AI infrastructure](https://www.nupath.eu/bulgarian-discretestack-raises-eu800k-for-sovereign-ai-infrastructure/)
▸ [EU-US digital tensions freeze CLOUD Act talks and sovereignty plans](https://www.nupath.eu/eu-us-digital-tensions-freeze-cloud-act-talks-and-sovereignty-plans/)
▸ [Swiss startup Gravis Robotics raises €172 million Series A](https://www.nupath.eu/swiss-startup-gravis-robotics-raises-eu172-million-series-a/)
▸ [US might warn partners over dual AI framework participation](https://www.nupath.eu/us-might-warn-partners-over-dual-ai-framework-participation/)
▸ [EU fund invests $400m in Lovable at $13.3bn valuation](https://www.nupath.eu/eu-fund-invests-400m-in-lovable-at-13-3bn-valuation/)
▸ [EU Right to Repair laws enter force to extend product lifespans](https://www.nupath.eu/eu-right-to-repair-laws-enter-force-to-extend-product-lifespans/)
▸ [FSFE urges EU to adopt Free Software by default in public services](https://www.nupath.eu/fsfe-urges-eu-to-adopt-free-software-by-default-in-public-services/)
▸ [FSFE warns Google’s Android developer scheme threatens software freedom](https://www.nupath.eu/fsfe-warns-googles-android-developer-scheme-threatens-software-freedom/)
▸ [Biometrics and foundational ID shape Europe’s digital trust systems](https://www.nupath.eu/biometrics-and-foundational-id-shape-europes-digital-trust-systems/)
▸ [Microsoft Outlook sends login data to its servers](https://www.nupath.eu/microsoft-outlook-sends-login-data-to-its-servers/)
▸ [EU court upholds Apple’s DMA gatekeeper status](https://www.nupath.eu/eu-court-upholds-apples-dma-gatekeeper-status/)
▸ [Austrian military funds LibreOffice development for digital independence](https://www.nupath.eu/austrian-military-funds-libreoffice-development-for-digital-independence/)
▸ [Italy and Germany adopt divergent cyber-defense strategies against hybrid threats](https://www.nupath.eu/italy-and-germany-adopt-divergent-cyber-defense-strategies-against-hybrid-threats/)
▸ [French court blocks social media ban for under-15s](https://www.nupath.eu/french-court-blocks-social-media-ban-for-under-15s/)
▸ [Poland reverses Starlink roaming price hike](https://www.nupath.eu/poland-reverses-starlink-roaming-price-hike/)
▸ [AI exposes weaknesses in post-quantum cryptography candidates](https://www.nupath.eu/ai-exposes-weaknesses-in-post-quantum-cryptography-candidates/)
▸ [EU explores alternatives to US card payment dominance](https://www.nupath.eu/eu-explores-alternatives-to-us-card-payment-dominance/)
▸ [Berlin group files criminal complaint against Meta AI glasses](https://www.nupath.eu/berlin-group-files-criminal-complaint-against-meta-ai-glasses/)
▸ [Poland threatens to cut Starlink funding over roaming restrictions](https://www.nupath.eu/poland-threatens-to-cut-starlink-funding-over-roaming-restrictions/)
▸ [Alice & Bob joins EU quantum error correction network](https://www.nupath.eu/alice-bob-joins-eu-quantum-error-correction-network/)
▸ [EU watchdogs urge stricter AI rules for financial sector resilience](https://www.nupath.eu/eu-watchdogs-urge-stricter-ai-rules-for-financial-sector-resilience/)
▸ [Anthropic watermarks Claude output globally for EU AI Act](https://www.nupath.eu/anthropic-watermarks-claude-output-globally-for-eu-ai-act/)
▸ [Kyndryl and Microsoft expand sovereign cloud services partnership](https://www.nupath.eu/kyndryl-and-microsoft-expand-sovereign-cloud-services-partnership/)
▸ [EU financial firms face DORA penalties as enforcement begins](https://www.nupath.eu/eu-financial-firms-face-dora-penalties-as-enforcement-begins/)
▸ [OpenID launches certification for digital identity protocols](https://www.nupath.eu/openid-launches-certification-for-digital-identity-protocols/)
▸ [Moody’s warns AI adoption risks banks’ reliance on tech giants](https://www.nupath.eu/moodys-warns-ai-adoption-risks-banks-reliance-on-tech-giants/)
▸ [Infomaniak CEO claims full European tech sovereignty achievable](https://www.nupath.eu/infomaniak-ceo-claims-full-european-tech-sovereignty-achievable/)
▸ [European firms fear US cloud 'kill switch' more than ransomware](https://www.nupath.eu/european-firms-fear-us-cloud-kill-switch-more-than-ransomware/)
Read everything at [nupath.eu](https://www.nupath.eu/)
### EU lags behind US and China in critical minerals race
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-lags-behind-us-and-china-in-critical-minerals-race/
Last updated: 2026-08-23T05:47:37.000Z
The EU is falling behind the United States and China in securing critical minerals essential for defence and green technologies. The bloc's slower progress highlights strategic vulnerabilities in Europe's digital and green transitions, according to the Luxembourg Times. **(LUXEMBOURG TIMES)**
[EU slips further behind US in race for critical mineralsWashington and Beijing are beating Brussels in competition to secure components used in defence and green technologiesLuxembourg Times](https://www.luxtimes.lu/europeanunion/eu-slips-further-behind-us-in-race-for-critical-minerals/160379092.html?ref=nupath.eu)
### EU digital border system blocks 1,500 threats since rollout
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-digital-border-system-blocks-1-500-threats-since-rollout/
Last updated: 2026-08-22T04:45:41.000Z
The EU's new digital border infrastructure has blocked 1,500 serious security threats since its deployment, according to The Brussels Times. The system represents a key component of the bloc's digital sovereignty efforts in managing external risks and enhancing border security through advanced technology. **(BRUSSELS TIMES)**
[EU's digital border system blocks 1,500 serious security threats since rollout - The Brussels TimesEU's digital border system blocks 1,500 serious security threats since rollout The Brussels TimesBrussels Times](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwwFBVV95cUxQdFNwRjBtVmRDbFZYZUZnajhnaEpSVllzanVyTk1Sck55SmNScmo1TDljTkhUNEg4cjAyd1dwMm9YU3E4WGFtMWJ2ZnVNX3ZxS1BqRG14bVZJdUxRcHQ4djk0NDIwbmwzR1o1U1pfRUstT0FkMVBHUHVIN2h2aU5GYkFwSmw0ejFpWHVnOFNXWjd1ZGp3akhkMDJZa3RTZmQ1N2s4MEdXSEJUX092anpibndNNjdlVjc1Y1hfeE03NzR0eTQ?oc=5&ref=nupath.eu)
### German companies acknowledge US tech risks but fail to act
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/german-companies-acknowledge-us-tech-risks-but-fail-to-act/
Last updated: 2026-08-22T04:41:52.000Z
A survey by Germany's ifo Institute finds many German companies recognise their dependence on US services as risky but have no plans to address it. The findings highlight persistent gaps in digital sovereignty despite growing concerns over geopolitical exposure. **(HEISE)**
[Sovereignty: Many companies see risky US dependence but do nothingAn ifo survey shows that quite a few German companies consider their dependence on US services risky but are not planning countermeasures.www.heise.de](https://www.heise.de/en/news/Sovereignty-Many-companies-see-risky-US-dependence-but-do-nothing-11419748.html?ref=nupath.eu)
### Eight NATO allies launch HALO satellite constellation initiative
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eight-nato-allies-launch-halo-satellite-constellation-initiative/
Last updated: 2026-08-21T05:02:32.000Z
Eight NATO allies launch the HALO satellite constellation initiative to integrate nationally owned military satellites into a networked system. The project, announced at the NATO summit in Ankara, aims to enhance military resilience, communications and missile tracking. Denmark, Canada, Finland, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden and Turkey are involved. **(DEFENSE NEWS)**
[Eight NATO allies launch HALO satellite constellation initiativeThe project aims to stitch together spacecraft managed by individual member countries into one mega-constellation, alliance officials said.defensenews.com](https://www.defensenews.com/space/2026/07/07/eight-nato-allies-launch-halo-satellite-constellation-initiative/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Lagarde warns EU fragmentation risks AI competitiveness
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/lagarde-warns-eu-fragmentation-risks-ai-competitiveness/
Last updated: 2026-08-21T05:02:15.000Z
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde warns that excessive market fragmentation in the EU could undermine Europe’s ability to compete in the global AI race. The ECB chief urges member states to address regulatory and structural divides to support digital sovereignty. **(EURONEWS)**
[Fix market fragmentation or miss the AI train, Lagarde warns the EUAn overly fragmented single market cannot support Europe’s top priority of competing globally in the AI race, European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde warns. #EuropeNewseuronews.com](https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/08/20/overcome-market-fragmentation-or-miss-the-ai-train-lagarde-warns-the-eu?ref=nupath.eu)
### EU launches AI-powered cybersecurity action plan
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-launches-ai-powered-cybersecurity-action-plan/
Last updated: 2026-08-21T05:01:47.000Z
The EU’s Action Plan on Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence aims to counter AI-driven cyber threats while advancing technological sovereignty through open-source solutions and AI-driven defense capabilities. European Commission digital chief Henna Virkkunen highlighted risks from AI-powered attacks on critical infrastructure at the July 2026 launch. **(POLITICO)**
[LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR AI-POWERED CYBERSECURITY](https://www.politico.eu/sponsored-content/laying-the-groundwork-for-ai-powered-cybersecurity/?utm%5Fsource=RSS%5FFeed&utm%5Fmedium=RSS&utm%5Fcampaign=RSS%5FSyndication) (Politico)
### Callosum raises €85.4M to unify AI models and chips
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/callosum-raises-eu85-4m-to-unify-ai-models-and-chips/
Last updated: 2026-08-21T05:00:58.000Z
London-based Callosum raises €85.4 million in a Seed round led by Atomico to build infrastructure unifying AI models and chips. The funding, including support from the UK Sovereign AI Fund, aims to advance heterogeneous intelligence for strategic AI autonomy. Callosum was also named in the UK government’s £1.1 billion AI hardware plan. **(EU-STARTUPS)**
[London-based Callosum raises €85.4 million in Atomico-led Seed round to unify AI models and chipsCallosum, a London-based startup building infrastructure to unify different AI models and chips, has raised €85.4 million ($100 million) in a Seed round to advance what it calls “heterogeneous intelligence”. The round was led by Atomico, with significant participation from Plural, DCVC, and the UK Sovereign AI Fund, as well as other investors and angels. The UK government formally launched the €573 million (£500 million) Sovereign AI initiative in April 2026 to back British AI startups working in areas seen as strategically important for both economic growth and national security. Callosum said the raise would help it “redefine how humanity computes for AI’s next chapter”. “As AI moves from training to inference, the question is no longer just who builds the best models. It’s how we deliver intelligence efficiently, across an increasingly diverse landscape of models and chips,” said Niklas Zennström, CEO of Atomico. He added, “That’s what makes Callosum so compelling. They’re building the software layer that intelligently routes AI workloads to the right compute, making AI faster, more efficient and more accessible without adding complexity.” The Seed round follows an €8.76 million ($10.25 million) pre-Seed raise announced in February 2026, which was led by Plural with participation from 22 investors and support from the UK’s Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA). Founded in 2025 by Jascha Achterberg and Danyal Akarca, Callosum was born from the idea that the future of AI does not lie in who builds the biggest frontier model or who owns the best AI infrastructure, but in orchestrating many different models across many types of silicon. Alongside the funding announcement, Callosum said it is the first-ever investment made by the UK Sovereign AI Fund, and that the company has also been named in the UK government’s £1.1 billion AI hardware plan. “AI is nothing without the chips that underpin it – and the eye-watering demand for them is only going to grow. In the race to develop and use AI, success will depend not just on having access to those chips, but on using them as efficiently as possible,” said Kanishka Narayan, Minister for Artificial Intelligence, UK Government. Callosum argues that new AI models and the specialised chips that power them are arriving simultaneously, and that harnessing this diversity can unlock major gains in AI capability and cost-efficiency. To advance its heterogeneous intelligence, Callosum revealed three major developments as part of its Seed funding round. The first is a wave of global compute partnerships, including a “flagship partnership” with Cerebras Systems aimed at bringing low-latency, multi-agent AI to customers at scale, plus partnerships with chipmaker Rebellions and other infrastructure providers and OEMs worldwide. The second is what the company calls advances in “programmable heterogeneity”: the ability to break AI workloads into smaller compute tasks and route each to whichever model and chip run it most efficiently. This ability, tailored for constraints such as cost, energy, and speed, could be the silver bullet here. The third is the rollout of “Tailored Inference” in production, a family of APIs that Callosum says is already delivering performance and cost improvements in fields including cybersecurity and finance. Andrew Feldman, CEO of Cerebras Systems, said, “By integrating Cerebras into Callosum’s platform, we’re making ultra-low-latency inference available exactly where it creates the greatest impact, enabling customers to build AI systems that simply weren’t practical before.” With a founding team whose backgrounds span neuroscience and hardware-software co-design, and members drawn from Cambridge, Oxford, MIT, Imperial College London, Microsoft, ETH Zurich, and Intel, Callosum has grown to include founding engineers, technical staff, and operational leads across the UK and the US. In a February 2026 blog post, the company argued that the AI industry’s traditional approach of bigger models on the same chips is breaking down, because most real-world AI problems are inherently heterogeneous and require different, complementary forms of intelligence rather than one dominant model. For AI companies around the world, infrastructure or compute has become the biggest bottleneck. By offering customers a library of APIs that route AI workloads across a global network of silicon partners, continuously profiling combinations of models and hardware so that systems stay on what the company calls “the Pareto frontier” of cost, speed and performance as the underlying technology evolves, Callosum sees its “Tailored Inference product” as the solution. The post London-based Callosum raises €85.4 million in Atomico-led Seed round to unify AI models and chips appeared first on EU-Startups.EU-Startups](https://www.eu-startups.com/2026/08/london-based-callosum-raises-e85-4-million-in-atomico-led-seed-round-to-unify-ai-models-and-chips/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Mistral AI secures €724M to expand sovereign AI infrastructure in France
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/mistral-ai-secures-eu724m-to-expand-sovereign-ai-infrastructure-in-france/
Last updated: 2026-08-21T04:59:40.000Z
Mistral AI raised €724 million in debt financing to purchase 13,800 Nvidia GPUs for its first data centre in France, Tech.eu reports. The Paris-based company is expanding beyond model development into a full-stack AI offering aimed at European AI sovereignty and data control. **(TECH.EU)**
[France's top-funded tech companies in H1 2026France remained one of Europe’s leading tech funding markets in H1 2026, with investment concentrated in AI, space, fintech and healthcare. Several large transactions shaped the total, including Eutelsat’s €975 million debt financing, Advanced Machine Intelligence’s €885 million seed round and Mistral AI’s €724 million debt raise. AI was a major driver of funding, supported by large investments in model development and infrastructure, while fintech also attracted substantial capital. Space and deeptech remained important parts of the market, with funding spanning satellite infrastructure, aerospace and quantum computing. Healthcare continued to generate activity across both large and mid-sized rounds, while software companies contributed to a broader pipeline of deals across the ecosystem. Security also gained momentum, reflecting growing investor interest in defence, cybersecurity and sovereign technologies. Large seed rounds and debt financing accounted for a significant share of capital raised during the period, highlighting the impact of a relatively small number of sizeable transactions. At the same time, funding activity remained diverse across AI, fintech, healthcare, software, deeptech and security. Overall, France’s H1 2026 funding landscape combined large investments in AI and strategic infrastructure with broader activity across the technology ecosystem. For further insights into funding trends across the European technology ecosystem, check out Tech.eu's Funding Explorer, free and open to everyone. Here are the ten companies that raised the most in H1 2026\. Amount raised in H1 2026: €975M Eutelsat is a satellite communications operator providing connectivity and broadcast services through a combined fleet of geostationary and low Earth orbit satellites. Following its combination with OneWeb, the company operates more than 600 LEO satellites alongside its GEO network, serving video, mobile and fixed connectivity, and government customers worldwide. Its OneWeb constellation positions Eutelsat as a European provider of global LEO connectivity and an alternative to other large satellite networks. In H1 2026, Eutelsat secured €975 million in financing to support the procurement of 340 new LEO satellites and the expansion and renewal of its OneWeb constellation. Amount raised in H1 2026: $1B Founded by AI researcher Yann LeCun and entrepreneur Alexandre LeBrun, Advanced Machine Intelligence (AMI) is developing AI systems based on world models that aim to understand and predict how the physical world behaves. Rather than relying primarily on the large language model approach used by many generative AI companies, AMI is building models designed to reason about real-world environments, with teams planned across Paris, New York, Montreal and Singapore. The company raised $1 billion in seed funding in H1 2026, one of the largest seed rounds ever raised by a European startup. Amount raised in H1 2026: $830M Mistral AI develops generative AI models and infrastructure aimed at businesses, governments and developers seeking greater control over how AI is deployed. The Paris-based company is expanding beyond model development into a full-stack AI offering, including tools for building agents and applications and infrastructure for training and running models. It positions its technology around customisation, data control and European AI sovereignty. Mistral secured $830 million in debt financing in H1 2026 to purchase 13,800 Nvidia GPUs for its first data centre in France. Amount raised in H1 2026: €580M Digital health company Alan combines health insurance, care navigation, prevention and wellbeing services within a single technology platform. Founded in 2016, the Paris-based company serves businesses, public-sector organisations and freelancers and has expanded from France into Belgium, Spain and Canada. Its platform uses technology and AI to simplify insurance administration while providing members with access to healthcare and preventive services. Across two rounds in H1 2026, Alan raised €580 million, including €100 million in March and €480 million in June, with the latter valuing the company at €5.5 billion. Amount raised in H1 2026: €340M Toulouse-based AURA AERO is an aircraft manufacturer developing lower-emission aircraft for training and regional aviation. Founded in 2018 by former Airbus engineers Jérémy Caussade, Fabien Raison and Wilfried Dufaud, its portfolio includes the two-seat Integral aircraft and ERA, a 19-seat hybrid-electric regional aircraft designed for short-haul routes. The company is building manufacturing capacity in France and the US and has also established a military division developing drones. AURA AERO secured €340 million in H1 2026 to produce its electric aircraft designed for training and regional passenger transport. Amount raised in H1 2026: $200M Harmattan AI is a defence technology company developing AI-enabled autonomous systems for military operations. Its technology combines autonomy, sensing and mission intelligence across applications including drone interception, intelligence and surveillance, electronic warfare and command and control. The company builds systems designed to operate at the tactical edge while retaining human decision authority. In H1 2026, Harmattan AI raised $200 million in Series B funding to expand deployments into new operational theatres, enter new defence domains and scale manufacturing of its ISR, drone-interception and electronic-warfare platforms. Amount raised in H1 2026: $200M Founded in 2020, Pennylane provides an all-in-one financial management and accounting platform for SMEs, startups and accounting firms. The software brings accounting, invoicing, payments, cash management and other financial processes into a shared workspace, allowing businesses and their accountants to manage financial operations together. Pennylane raised $200 million in Series E funding in H1 2026 to increase R&D investment, strengthen its product for the German market and improve its payments and cash-management offering as it expands across Europe. Amount raised in H1 2026: $175M Morpho is a decentralised finance company building open blockchain infrastructure for lending and borrowing. Its protocol enables financial institutions, fintechs and other platforms to offer configurable credit products through shared onchain infrastructure, connecting capital providers and borrowers without relying on a single intermediary. In H1 2026, Morpho secured $175 million to expand its credit infrastructure, deepen technical and commercial integrations with strategic partners and bring more financial institutions onto its open credit network. Amount raised in H1 2026: €115M Quobly develops silicon-based quantum computers designed to integrate with existing data centres and high-performance computing infrastructure. The company builds its quantum processors using silicon qubits and established semiconductor manufacturing processes, with the aim of making quantum systems scalable and suitable for industrial deployment. Quobly raised €115 million in Series A funding in H1 2026 to improve the performance and scalability of its platform, industrialise its silicon quantum processors and deploy its first Alloy systems in cloud and HPC environments. Amount raised in H1 2026: €83M French medtech company FineHeart is developing implantable technologies for patients with advanced heart failure. Its lead product, FlowMaker, is designed to support the heart's pumping function and address limitations associated with existing treatments for advanced-stage patients. The clinical-stage company was founded by a team with experience in cardiac rhythm management and electrophysiology. FineHeart secured €83 million in H1 2026 to advance the clinical development and industrialisation of FlowMaker while strengthening its position in Europe's active implantable medical device market. Tech.eu](https://tech.eu/2026/08/20/frances-top-funded-tech-companies-in-h1-2026/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Oakley Capital buys majority stake in Graphwise
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/oakley-capital-buys-majority-stake-in-graphwise/
Last updated: 2026-08-20T06:00:29.000Z
European private equity firm Oakley Capital acquires a majority stake in Graphwise, formed in 2024 by merging Bulgarian Ontotext and Austrian Semantic Web Company. The deal is one of Bulgaria’s largest software exits, though financial terms were not disclosed. Graphwise serves over 200 blue-chip clients with AI and knowledge graph infrastructure. **(THERECURSIVE)**
[Oakley Capital Acquires a Majority Stake in GraphwiseEuropean private equity investor Oakley Capital acquired a majority stake in Graphwise, a company formed in 2024 through the merger of Bulgarian Ontotext and Austrian Semantic Web Company. According to the companies, the deal marks one of the biggest exits in the Bulgarian software industry, although the financial terms have not been disclosed.Graphwise is an enterprise AI and data platform specializing in knowledge graphs and semantic layer technology. It provides data infrastructure for AI and serves more than 200 international blue-chip clients across the financial services, pharmaceutical, and public sectors.Graphwise was formed in 2024 through the merger of Ontotext and Semantic Web Company. Ontotext was founded in Sofia in 2000, while Semantic Web Company was established in Vienna in 2004.A Content Management Platform and a Graph Database Come Together in the New Company: GraphwiseIn a nutshell Bulgarian Ontotext merges with Austria’s Semantic Web Company to form the new Graphwise, focusing on strengthening its global presence in AIBudapest-based Portfolion invested in Ontotext as part of a consortium led by Integral Capital Group, alongside Carpathian Partners. The European Investment Fund and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development also co-invested in the company.The investors later pursued a buy-and-build strategy, which led to the 2024 merger with Semantic Web Company.“This transaction is clear proof that domestic and regional private equity can achieve breakthrough successes in a globally competitive deep tech market,” said Jenő Nieder, Deputy CEO and Partner at Portfolion Capital Partners.“Through the international buy-and-build strategy implemented together with Integral Capital Group and Carpathian Partners, we successfully built an internationally dominant platform out of two regional pioneers, avoiding short-term AI hypes and creating genuine, commercially sustainable value.”Following the acquisition, Graphwise plans to accelerate its international expansion and pursue further acquisitions. The Recursive](https://www.therecursive.com/oakley-capital-acquires-a-majority-stake-in-graphwise/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Denmark unveils Mimir AI model to boost digital sovereignty
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/denmark-unveils-mimir-ai-model-to-boost-digital-sovereignty/
Last updated: 2026-08-20T05:59:57.000Z
Denmark launches Mimir, a Danish-developed AI language model with 1 billion parameters that matches larger international models while using only legally sourced data. The model, trained on eight GPUs in under three weeks, aims to reduce reliance on foreign tech giants and support EU digital sovereignty in public and private sectors.
English version in the lower half of the press release**. (RITZAU)**
[Danmark lancerer verdens bedste AI-model i sin klasse – og viser vejen til en digital fremtid, vi selv bestemmer over | Ordbogen A/SMimir hedder den nye danske sprogmodel, der officielt er verdens bedste i sin størrelsesklasse – og matcher techgiganternes AI uden at bruge en eneste linje stjålet eller privat data.Home](https://via.ritzau.dk/pressemeddelelse/15096602/danmark-lancerer-verdens-bedste-ai-model-i-sin-klasse-og-viser-vejen-til-en-digital-fremtid-vi-selv-bestemmer-over?publisherId=13564058&lang=da&fbclid=IwdGRleATyJzBwZG9mBWZkaWQWUMyOI38UmXci2sLYpSICj1UEi1tqYmV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR5LtF3cCLk0iA4goZQYyzAYVdQ3d7CH8zt5%5FaHv7WBuDdfsx6Hs2Rb%5FIIpLcw%5Faem%5FrXM01Ug17ern1vsbndorKQ&ref=nupath.eu)
### EU shifts Big Tech enforcement from fines to behavioral interventions
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-shifts-big-tech-enforcement-from-fines-to-behavioral-interventions/
Last updated: 2026-08-20T05:38:09.000Z
The European Commission is reducing fines for Digital Markets Act breaches, with total penalties now at €1.6 billion, compared to €4.1 billion in a 2018 Google case. Brussels is prioritising behavioral interventions like specification decisions, closing cases without penalties, and regulatory dialogue to reshape Big Tech practices. The shift aims to alter core business models of gatekeepers, including Google, Apple and Meta, with Apple’s app store fee changes resolving its case. POLITICO reports. **(POLITICO)**
[Brussels changes gear on Big Tech enforcement](https://www.politico.eu/article/brussels-changes-gear-on-big-tech-enforcement-as-first-wave-of-cases-wraps-up/?utm%5Fsource=RSS%5FFeed&utm%5Fmedium=RSS&utm%5Fcampaign=RSS%5FSyndication) (Politico)
### Italy joins US-led 6G coalition to shape future networks
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/italy-joins-us-led-6g-coalition-to-shape-future-networks/
Last updated: 2026-08-20T05:37:01.000Z
Italy has joined a US-led coalition to shape 6G standards and infrastructure, positioning itself as a partner in building AI-native networks. Undersecretary Alessio Butti outlined Italy’s contribution, proposing the principle of “trust by design” alongside security by design. The initiative aims to coordinate security, resilience and trusted supply chains among 25 governments and industry partners. **(DECODE39)**
[On 6G, Italy is betting on AmericaThe next generation of mobile telecommunications will not simply be 5G’s successor. 6G is set to become a key enabling infrastructure for artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing and critical services. That is why the race to shape its standards, security requirements and supply chains has already begun — well before commercialization. Driving the news. That is the message behind the U.S.-led International Call to Action on 6G, which the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington has helped amplify — first with the initiative’s launch in late July, and now with a special issue under its Betting on America series. The discussion brought together representatives from 25 governments and industry around a strategic premise: Washington sees 6G as critical to competition in artificial intelligence, critical infrastructure and advanced manufacturing — essentially, the technologies that will matter now and for decades to come. The bigger picture. The Trump administration also recognizes that the ecosystem needed to sustain this technological transition cannot be built by the United States alone. It needs allies. That acknowledgment is particularly relevant at a time when Washington is facing criticism over strains in some of its relationships with allies. On 6G, however, the U.S. approach is explicitly coalition-based. Enter Italy. Rome joined the Call to Action for 6G Leadership and Security in July, when the United States, through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, launched the initiative together with a group of international partners. The goal is to reach the next generation of wireless networks with coordination already in place around security, resilience, interoperability, standards and trusted supply chains. Why it matters. This marks a change of method from the 5G competition. Then, the United States and its Western allies found themselves responding to the international expansion of Chinese vendors after Huawei and ZTE had already secured significant positions across global markets. With 6G, Washington wants to move earlier: build a coalition while the technology, standards and market are still taking shape, and influence from the outset the rules and industrial ecosystem underpinning the future digital infrastructure. The Italian angle. Italy was represented at the launch by Alessio Butti, Undersecretary of State to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers with responsibility for technological innovation. Worth noting what he said. His message provides a window into how Rome wants to position itself in the emerging international 6G competition: not simply as a user of the future technology, but as a partner in building its ecosystem. “The next generation of wireless technology is not simply an upgrade, it is a strategic choice; one that will shape our economic competitiveness, our national security, and our digital sovereignty for decades to come,” Butti said. Competitiveness, security and digital sovereignty, in other words, are three dimensions of the same race. Italy’s pitch. Butti also pointed to Italy’s own capacity to contribute. He invoked the country’s scientific and technological tradition — from Alessandro Volta and Antonio Meucci to Guglielmo Marconi and Federico Faggin — and linked it to Italian expertise today in artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, space and cybersecurity. Italy’s position at the heart of the Mediterranean adds another dimension. In Butti’s framing, geography gives the country a natural role as a hub connecting Europe, the Atlantic and emerging technological ecosystems. Zoom in: The future networks. The politically most relevant part of Butti’s remarks concerned how future networks should be built. Italy supports the principle of technological neutrality, in line with the European Union’s approach: governments should set strategic objectives rather than select individual technologies, allowing different solutions to compete on their merits. But innovation and national or international security, Butti argued, should not be treated as competing priorities. They reinforce each other. If 6G networks are to become critical infrastructure, openness, security and trustworthiness will have to be embedded into their design. The AI question. This is where Rome sees a fundamental break with previous generations of telecommunications. “For the first time we are building networks that are AI native. This changes how we think about security. Trusted vendors and secure hardware remain essential, but we must also ask: can we trust the algorithms that will run our networks?” Butti said. That question expands the security perimeter. The issue is no longer only who manufactures network equipment or where components come from — questions that dominated the geopolitical confrontation over 5G. It is also about who develops the algorithms running the networks, how they are trained and how they can be scrutinized and controlled. The Italian proposal. Rome therefore wants to add another principle to the established concept of security by design: trust by design. “Therefore Italy proposes an additional principle alongside ‘security by design’: ‘trust by design’. AI native networks must be secure, transparent, explainable, and accountable. Our goal is not just faster networks, but trustworthy ones,” Butti said. The proposal captures the difference between the 5G contest and the one the United States and its partners are preparing to fight over 6G. Trusted vendors and secure hardware remain essential, but they are no longer sufficient. If AI is embedded into the operation of the networks themselves, trust will also have to extend to the systems managing them and the rules governing their decisions. What to watch. This is the terrain on which Rome wants to make its contribution to the emerging coalition. For Butti, no country can build 6G alone: it will require concrete, action-oriented partnerships among governments, industry and academia. Italy’s participation in the Call to Action therefore goes beyond alignment with Washington on telecommunications security. Rome wants to be involved before technological choices become entrenched — helping define the principles on which the next generation of networks will be built. The post On 6G, Italy is betting on America appeared first on Decode39.Decode39](https://decode39.com/16226/on-6g-italy-is-betting-on-america/?ref=nupath.eu)
### EU expands semiconductor skills and design focus under Chips Act 2.0
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-expands-semiconductor-skills-and-design-focus-under-chips-act-2-0/
Last updated: 2026-08-20T05:36:26.000Z
The EU’s Chips Act 2.0 shifts semiconductor sovereignty efforts beyond fabrication to skills, design and talent pipelines. €325 million in 2024 funding targets design platforms and competence centres, while EU Talent Pool linkages aim to ease cross-border recruitment. Europe faces a projected annual shortfall of 10,800 skilled workers by 2030 despite rising graduate numbers. **(EENEWS EUROPE)**
[Chips Act 2.0, Part 2: From Brussels to the Bench: What Chips Act 2.0 Means for EngineersFor engineers, Chips Act 2.0 is less about grand rhetoric and more about where the jobs, tools, and career ladders are likely to appear. The short version is this: Europe is trying to thicken the whole engineering pipeline, not only fab headcount. That means more demand for process engineers, equipment engineers, yield and test specialists, power-electronics designers, packaging/chiplet engineers, EDA and verification talent, materials scientists, and engineers who can translate between semiconductor technology and vertical markets such as automotive, AI infrastructure, energy, and industrial automation. The practical levers are the pilot lines, competence centres, design platform, Chips Fund, and a broader skills framework that now links to the EU Talent Pool and other Union-of-Skills initiatives. The catch is that Europe still faces an engineering and technician shortage, and the skills gap is structural rather than cyclical. The engineer’s market is broadening because the law now explicitly treats semiconductors as an ecosystem problem. The Chips for Europe Initiative 2.0 comprises six components: design capacity; pilot lines with testing and experimentation; quantum-chip engineering capacity; competence centres and skills; Chips Fund activities; and grand challenges. That is important because it spreads opportunity beyond the relatively small number of people who will ever work in a greenfield mega-fab. Engineers can now position themselves across the value chain: design, IP, tools, materials, front-end, back-end, photonics, power devices, AI-related integration, and industrial applications. Where the Engineering Opportunities Are Demand is likely to be strongest where Europe is already commercially credible. JRC analysis says Europe remains strong in semiconductor equipment, automotive-oriented analog/discrete/micro device demand, and research infrastructure, while remaining weak in leading-edge logic fabrication and dependent on external EDA/IP ecosystems. That combination will reward engineers who can work at the interface between European strengths and global bottlenecks: for example power semiconductors, FD-SOI, chiplet packaging, photonics, automotive-grade qualification, yield engineering, and design-for-manufacture on non-leading-edge nodes. Access to Tools and Infrastructure The clearest immediate engineering benefit is access to infrastructure. The proposal states that access to publicly funded infrastructure, including pilot and testing facilities and competence centres, should be open on a transparent and non-discriminatory basis. The design-platform concept is similarly explicit: a cloud-based environment integrating EDA tools, IP libraries, support services, MPW brokerage, and pilot-line access. For working engineers and engineering start-ups, that matters more than slogans about sovereignty, because it lowers experimentation costs and shortens the route from design idea to prototype. Five Career Paths for Engineers Career pathways are therefore multiplying. A young engineer can now plausibly follow at least five European routes. One is the RTO/pilot-line route, centred on infrastructures such as NanoIC, FAMES, and APECS, where prototyping and process-development work dominate. Another is the industrial manufacturing route, in projects such as ESMC Dresden, Infineon’s MEGAFAB-DD, and ams OSRAM Premstätten, where process integration, equipment maintenance, automated metrology, and automotive/industrial qualification are central. A third is the design route, supported by the design platform and competence centres. A fourth is the packaging and integration route, which becomes more important as Europe pushes chiplets and advanced packaging. A fifth is the applications route, where semiconductors meet EVs, industrial automation, medtech, defense systems, and AI infrastructure. Europe’s Semiconductor Skills Shortage On skills, the picture is blunt. The ECA says the industry faces a severe shortage of skilled labor and cites a projected global gap of one million workers by 2030\. The European Chips Skills Academy’s 2025 strategy is more specific to Europe: it says 30% of the current workforce is expected to retire between 2023 and 2030, graduate inflow in semiconductor-related fields is growing by less than 1% per year, and the European industry is expected to face an average annual shortfall of around 10,800 skilled workers by 2030\. That points to persistent bargaining power for scarce engineers, but also to heavier pressure on universities, VET systems, and employers to produce technicians and process staff, not just elite PhDs. The education and training architecture is improving, if unevenly. All member states plus Norway have established competence centres; the Chips Skills Academy has put a formal strategic process around forecasting needs and updating curricula; the Commission’s Digital Skills Academies and Union-of-Skills agenda provide adjacent instruments; and several state-aid approvals now include explicit workforce-training commitments. That last point matters because the law is slowly moving from “fund the fab” to “fund the ecosystem around the fab.” Recruiting Beyond Europe Hiring and immigration rules are not the headline of Chips Act 2.0, but they do matter. The proposal explicitly says synergies with the EU Talent Pool should be explored for international recruitment. Since the EU Talent Pool Regulation was adopted in April 2026, semiconductor employers now operate in a labor-policy environment more favorable to cross-border recruitment than the one that existed when Chips Act 1.0 was launched. That still does not mean visa friction disappears; it means the direction of travel is toward easier matching of EU employers with third-country talent. Key data points All EU member states and Norway now have semiconductor competence centres. 2024 calls launched €325 million in EU funding for the design platform and competence centres. Global skilled-labor gap projected at 1 million workers by 2030\. ECSA 2025: average annual European shortfall of about 10,800 skilled workers by 2030\. The 2026 proposal explicitly links semiconductor talent attraction to the EU Talent Pool. Case studies NanoIC pilot line: Hosted by imec, NanoIC is the practical embodiment of “bench-to-industry” policy: open-access, beyond-2 nm R&D, with strong participation by RTOs, tools suppliers, and industrial users. For engineers, it is a place to learn process modules and co-development without working for a mega-fab. FAMES pilot line: FAMES focuses on FD-SOI 10 nm and 7 nm, embedded memory, RF, 3D, and PMIC technologies. That is exactly the sort of engineering stack Europe can monetize in low-power industrial and automotive applications. APECS advanced packaging: APECS’ significance is that it exposes engineers to the fastest-growing pain point in system design: heterogeneous integration. Europe was late to treat packaging as strategic; now it is creating one of the more engineer-friendly entry points in the whole program. ESMC and Infineon in Dresden: ESMC’s planned 2,000 direct high-tech jobs and Infineon’s larger Dresden megafab show how regional labor markets can become multi-employer semiconductor clusters, which in practice means better mobility for engineers and stronger supplier ecosystems. The following table focuses on what different instruments mean from an engineer’s point of view. It synthesizes the proposal, Chips JU documentation, and the main implementation examples. Instrument Engineering effect Main beneficiaries Stakeholder relevance Pilot lines Real process access, prototyping, tool familiarity, industrial transfer Process, test, packaging, device engineers RTOs, industry consortia, start-ups Competence centres Local advisory support, training, SME assistance, connections into EU infrastructure SMEs, graduates, regional engineers Member states, regional clusters Design platform / EUROPRACTICE-type access EDA/IP access, MPW shuttles, lower tape-out barriers Design engineers, start-ups, universities Designers, teaching labs, fabless firms Chips Skills Academy and skills actions Curriculum updates, labor-market forecasting, courses and schools Students, technicians, employers Universities, VET providers, SEMI ecosystem EU Talent Pool linkage Easier cross-border matching with non-EU talent Employers and senior specialists HR teams, growth-stage firms, clusters In Part 3 of this four-part series, we will look at whether Europe can realistically compete in the global semiconductor industry, examining its strengths, structural weaknesses, fab economics, and the limits of what Chips Act 2.0 can achieve. The post Chips Act 2.0, Part 2: From Brussels to the Bench: What Chips Act 2.0 Means for Engineers appeared first on eeNews Europe.eeNews Europe](https://www.eenewseurope.com/en/chips-act-2-engineers-europe/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Nebius plans $4.5bn bond issue to fund AI infrastructure
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/nebius-plans-4-5bn-bond-issue-to-fund-ai-infrastructure/
Last updated: 2026-08-20T05:35:44.000Z
Amsterdam-based AI infrastructure provider Nebius plans to raise $4.5bn through convertible notes to finance data centre expansion and GPU purchases. Funds will also support AI cloud development and contracts with Meta and Microsoft. The issue highlights Europe’s reliance on non-EU capital and supply chains for critical digital infrastructure. **(TECH.EU)**
[Nebius looks to raise $4.5BN through bond issueNebius, the Amsterdam-based AI infrastructure provider, is looking to raise $4.5bn through convertible notes, it said today, as it looks to finance the sizeable cost of compute and data centre build-out. Nebius is issuing notes worth $2.75bn due in 2030 and notes valued at $1.75bn which mature in 2034, it said in a statement. It says the funds will be used for the build-out of data centres, investment in AI cloud, and buy GPUs. Nebius, which is sometimes referred to as a neocloud, builds and operates data centres, packing them with GPUs, then offers access to these data centres to AI and enterprise companies needing compute power, as well as offering them specialised software to run AI applications. Nebius has bagged multi-billion-dollar contracts with Meta and Microsoft to supply them with AI infrastructure. In May, it acquired Eigen, a US startup which specialises in improving the performance of leading open-source AI models for approximately $643m in cash and stock.Tech.eu](https://tech.eu/2026/08/19/nebius-looks-to-raise-45bn-through-bond-issue/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Germany’s Computomics raises €6.3m for climate-smart crop breeding
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/germanys-computomics-raises-eu6-3m-for-climate-smart-crop-breeding/
Last updated: 2026-08-19T05:02:29.000Z
Tübingen-based Computomics secures €6.3 million in a Series B round led by Convent Capital Agri Food Fund to scale its AI-driven climate-smart crop breeding platform. The funding will accelerate commercial deployment of tools like ×SeedScore® to help European breeders develop heat- and drought-resistant varieties amid worsening agricultural conditions. EU-Startups reports. **(EU-STARTUPS)**
[Germany’s Computomics secures €6.3 million to help crop breeders stay ahead of heat and droughtComputomics, a Tübingen-based BioTech research company, has raised €6.3 million in a Series B round to scale commercial delivery of its climate-smart breeding platform, as heat and drought take an increasing toll on European harvests. The round was led by Convent Capital Agri Food Fund, which invested €5 million. Existing investors High-Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF), MBG Baden-Württemberg, and Amathaon Capital also participated, alongside founders and scientific advisors. The startup also benefits from support from the European Union under the InvestEU Fund. “We back companies whose environmental impact grows with their commercial success. Better breeding predictions mean fewer wasted seasons and varieties that hold up in the field, so the impact case and the business case point the same way. That alignment is why we led this round,” said Stephen McLoughlin, Partner at Convent Capital Agri Food Fund. The Series B funding comes at a time when European growers have been battered by heat and drought. The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre has cut its 2026 yield forecasts for all spring and summer crops, with the steepest downgrades affecting maize and sunflower, and France is on course for one of its weakest maize harvests in decades. The varieties currently in the ground were bred for a climate that has already shifted. To overcome this challenge, Computomics, founded in 2012 as a spin-off from the Max Planck Institute for Biology and the University of Tübingen, builds machine learning models that forecast how a specific genotype will perform under a given set of environmental conditions. The models combine genomic data with environmental factors such as temperature, rainfall and soil characteristics, alongside field measurements. The ML models offer breeders predictions to answer questions that cannot be answered by trial data alone within the available time: which candidates will hold up in hotter, drier conditions; which perform consistently across environments rather than excelling in just one; and where a given variety should be placed. The company’s ×SeedScore® platform runs these predictions at the scale of a full commercial breeding programme. Its customer base spans breeders working in field crops, forages, vegetables and specialty crops. “Breeders have never lacked ambition about climate resilience. What they have lacked is a way to see it before the field tells them, which takes years they no longer have. This financing is about getting that capability into far more breeding programs, faster,” said Dr. Sebastian J. Schultheiss, co-founder and CEO of Computomics Its climate-smart breeding portfolio includes ×SeedScore® alongside CropCompass and BreedScope. The company’s omics data hub, Pantograph, supports trait discovery through pangenome analysis, while MORPHEUS and MEGAN7 serve microbiome applications. “AI-based breeding of stress-resistant crops is part of the German federal government’s High-Tech Agenda for good reason: it is one of the levers that matter most as the climate shifts. HTGF has supported Computomics since the seed phase and congratulates the team on this growth financing,” said Dr. Frank Hensel, Principal at High-Tech Gründerfonds. The new capital will be used to scale commercial delivery of Computomics’ climate-smart breeding platform, extending the technology to more breeding programmes at a faster pace. The post Germany’s Computomics secures €6.3 million to help crop breeders stay ahead of heat and drought appeared first on EU-Startups.EU-Startups](https://www.eu-startups.com/2026/08/germanys-computomics-secures-e6-3-million-to-help-crop-breeders-stay-ahead-of-heat-and-drought/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Reporter tests Europe’s digital sovereignty in 72-hour US tech blackout
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/reporter-tests-europes-digital-sovereignty-in-72-hour-us-tech-blackout/
Last updated: 2026-08-26T05:02:36.000Z
A POLITICO journalist attempted to live and work without US technology for three days, finding European alternatives lacking and collaboration nearly impossible. The experiment highlighted deep dependence on US-controlled infrastructure, from smartphones to cloud services, payment networks and app ecosystems. 74% of European business leaders fear such a cutoff could disrupt operations, according to a Proton survey. **(POLITICO)**
[Flipping the kill switch: I survived 72 hours without US tech](https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-digital-sovereignty-experiment-living-without-us-tech-for-72-hours/?utm%5Fsource=RSS%5FFeed&utm%5Fmedium=RSS&utm%5Fcampaign=RSS%5FSyndication) (Politico)
### Bulgarian DiscreteStack raises €800K for sovereign AI infrastructure
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/bulgarian-discretestack-raises-eu800k-for-sovereign-ai-infrastructure/
Last updated: 2026-08-18T05:02:18.000Z
Bulgarian AI startup DiscreteStack secures €800K in seed funding to expand its open-source AI infrastructure for regulated sectors. The technology enables businesses to run large models on standalone servers and disconnect from the internet for data control. The round was led by CleverPine Ventures with strategic investors participating. **(THERECURSIVE)**
[Bulgarian DiscreteStack Secures Seed Funding for European AI InfrastructureBulgarian AI infrastructure startup DiscreteStack has raised €800K in seed funding to expand its technology across regulated industries and increase its access to GPU computing capacity.The round was led by CleverPine Ventures, with participation from strategic angel investors Milen Manev of Next Solutions and Stoil Vasilev of Paypercut, alongside several other investors.DiscreteStack was founded eight months ago by Hristo Todorov, a software engineer and entrepreneur. The company is developing infrastructure that allows businesses to run open-source AI models on their own servers. The company says its patent-pending engineering optimizations enable even large AI models to operate on a single standalone server.The infrastructure can also be completely disconnected from the internet when required, allowing organizations to keep sensitive data within their own systems. This makes the technology particularly relevant for industries such as financial services, insurance and the public sector, where data security, regulatory compliance and infrastructure control are increasingly important.The fresh capital will be used to enter these regulated sectors and secure additional GPU computing capacity for further technology development.From first customers to international partnershipsDespite being less than a year old, DiscreteStack says it has already secured its first enterprise customers in Bulgaria and international markets.The company has also received the Seal of Excellence from the European Innovation Council Accelerator and joined Canada-based AI Partnership Corporation, a network bringing together more than 190 companies working in artificial intelligence.In June, DiscreteStack was also accepted into the NVIDIA Inception Program, which supports technology companies developing AI-based products.“European AI does not mean an American product hosted on a server in Frankfurt. It means organizations controlling the infrastructure on which their artificial intelligence runs, owning their own data, and setting their own rules,” said Hristo Todorov, founder and CEO of DiscreteStack.“We believe AI will become critical infrastructure for businesses, and companies should be able to own it rather than simply rent it.”Betting on European AI sovereigntyThere is a growing focus on European technological sovereignty, as companies and governments pay increasing attention to where data is processed and who controls the underlying infrastructure. The European cloud market remains heavily dependent on US hyperscalers. According to figures cited by DiscreteStack, around 70% of Europe’s cloud infrastructure market is controlled by US technology companies, with many widely used AI services relying on the same infrastructure.For DiscreteStack, this creates an opportunity for an alternative model in which companies own and operate the infrastructure behind their AI systems. The startup argues that as AI becomes embedded deeper into business operations, the question of who controls the infrastructure on which AI runs could become as important as which model organizations choose to use.The Recursive](https://www.therecursive.com/bulgarian-discretestack-secures-seed-funding-for-european-ai-infrastructure/?ref=nupath.eu)
### EU-US digital tensions freeze CLOUD Act talks and sovereignty plans
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-us-digital-tensions-freeze-cloud-act-talks-and-sovereignty-plans/
Last updated: 2026-08-18T05:01:34.000Z
A 2026 trust deficit between the EU and US has stalled negotiations on an EU–US CLOUD Act agreement and complicated implementation of the EU’s e-Evidence Regulation, due to enter force in August 2026\. Workshop participants report that over three-quarters of EU member states missed the May 2026 transposition deadline for the e-Evidence directive, with Ireland only enacting its legislation in July 2026\. **(ATLANTICCOUNCIL)**
[Sovereignty without borders: Decoding the transatlantic digital relationship at a time of changeExecutive summary There is a growing trust deficit at the center of the transatlantic digital relationship, which has widened during 2026\. This friction stems from shifting political priorities, in both Washington and Brussels, that have strained decades-old ties between the European Union and the United States. The tension is not limited to digital policymaking. But within the digital arena, contrasting perspectives and increasingly vocal disagreement on digital regulation, digital sovereignty, and artificial intelligence (AI) are placing these longtime allies at odds. Yet much still unites the EU and US, particularly at the policy level. The Atlantic Council’s Democracy + Tech Initiative held two roundtables under the Chatham House Rule to address critical components of the current transatlantic tension. One, in cooperation with the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center, focused on the implementation of the EU’s e-Evidence Regulation in August 2026 and the future of EU–US data sharing for law-enforcement purposes. The second, hosted by the Democracy + Tech Initiative, addressed questions around digital sovereignty and its implications for ongoing interoperability within the digital economy. The discussions brought together academics, civil society representatives, industry practitioners, and current and former government officials from EU member states, the European Commission, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the US. The workshops were held in May and June 2026, respectively, and included between fourteen and eighteen representatives drawn from the above stakeholder groups. At first glance, these topics may appear unrelated. But both workshops highlighted the same underlying tension related to the cross-border legal and operational control over data and infrastructure. For Europe, political commitment to greater digital autonomy and control on both topics is advancing faster than the technical, legal, and administrative capacity required to operationalize that desire. For the US, an increasingly adversarial position against many of Europe’s digital priorities, including the threat of retaliatory trade sanctions, has weakened Washington’s negotiating position just as the geopolitical environment has hardened. This EU–US trust deficit is the bond that unites both the data sharing and digital sovereignty policymaking arenas. Within transatlantic data access, US blocking statutes and EU production orders around law-enforcement data access create a legal conflict that no amount of technical interoperability can resolve on its own. Closing that gap requires an EU–US Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data (CLOUD) Act agreement. But such a pact is unlikely to be concluded and brought into force while the broader transatlantic political relationship remains frozen. For digital sovereignty, Brussels’s eagerness to reduce its reliance on US technology infrastructure—as demonstrated by the recent European Technology Sovereignty Package published in June 2026—cannot be overcome in the short to medium term without ongoing engagement at some level with US providers. Washington’s emphasis on maintaining US technological dominance, especially within AI, is at odds with Brussels’s policymaking objectives and has created a zero-sum dynamic in how Washington interacts with non-US policymakers. Each actor discussed in this paper (the European Commission, EU member states, middle-power countries, and the US administration) controls part, but not all, of the digital policymaking relationship between Western countries. This policy paper’s recommendations are designed with that in mind. They are conscious of the ongoing EU–US trust gap but offer pragmatic routes forward to maintain ongoing engagement, even while the broader relationship between Washington and Brussels remains contested. Underlying workshop themes A specific, identifiable set of events in 2026 re-politicized the digital sovereignty debate, froze negotiations around an EU–US CLOUD Act agreement, and hardened transatlantic positions on digital sovereignty. The current EU–US fragmentation is happening at both procedural and implementation levels. It includes missed e-Evidence implementation deadlines within the EU and contrasting choices regarding digital infrastructure and digital sovereignty. There has been no deliberate decision, by either the US or EU, to decouple on digital issues. Practitioners from both sides of the Atlantic working on digital sovereignty and law-enforcement data sharing topics are attempting to forge a path forward via limited bilateral agreements. Almost no one is waiting for a comprehensive resolution to the current transatlantic tension. The law-enforcement data transfer dispute is the broader digital sovereignty debate’s core legal grievance and is playing out in concrete detail. It shows how Europe’s reliance on a third country’s policy decisions might become a real constraint. US blocking statutes and the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Article 48 protections block each other directly. Only a political agreement, not a technical fix, can resolve that standoff. The transatlantic trust deficit Both workshops treated 2026 as an inflection point in the transatlantic relationship. EU–US tensions had been growing over the previous eighteen months. But the trust deficit, in which officials on both sides of the Atlantic showed increased wariness toward working with each other on likeminded issues, is the fundamental unknown variable that will determine whether progress can be made on either digital sovereignty or law-enforcement data transfers. Participants highlighted a geopolitical flashpoint in the first quarter of 2026 that produced, in the words of one individual in the digital sovereignty workshop, a “material shift” in how EU national capitals viewed their long-standing relationship with the US. This change—related to Washington’s repeated and continuing demands that the US acquire or control Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, a NATO ally—was seen as more consequential than the steady transatlantic friction over digital regulation that has been apparent for more than a decade. Within digital policymaking, this shift toward greater EU–US friction was reinforced by three further developments, according to workshop participants. Those included: The perception that prominent US technology companies had aligned themselves with the current US administration’s foreign and industrial policies and were receiving strong administration backing for their economic interests; Recurring complaints from high-profile EU voices that US actors were supporting far-right political parties in Europe and recasting EU online safety laws as censorship rather than regulation; and A recent US Supreme Court ruling giving the US president greater authority to remove Federal Trade Commission (FTC) commissioners and possibly other independent regulators. Participants viewed that decision as a threat to one of the institutional assumptions underpinning the EU-US Data Privacy Framework. That concern was subsequently echoed by the European Data Protection Board, which noted that the EU data adequacy decision with the US explicitly relied on the FTC’s statutory independence and asked the European Commission to assess whether the recent US judgment affected the framework’s continued operation. These workshop assessments align with external research that documents the US administration’s use of diplomatic pressure, tariff and market-access threats, accusations of censorship against EU online safety regulation, and relationships with European political actors to challenge the EU’s digital regulatory agenda. Why this trust deficit matters These geopolitical and policymaking changes have had real-world impact. The EU-US CLOUD Act negotiation was described in the e-Evidence workshop as substantially advanced before the change in US administration in 2025\. Participants described those discussions as currently frozen. Separate research published in June similarly reported that EU-US negotiations had stalled. A joint EU-US Justice and Home Affairs ministerial, which had appeared on the Cyprus Presidency’s public calendar for late June, was removed without explanation. This removal suggested the meeting did not go ahead as originally planned. Technical negotiations were stalled because of the new political reality. In the digital sovereignty workshop, participants were split over the core definition of digital sovereignty. They were divided into camps related to: defensive sovereignty, or the pursuit of digital autonomy as protection against external coercion, access, or disruption (in this context, referring to the US or China); offensive sovereignty, or the pursuit of digital autonomy to build competitive strength and reduce structural weakness; and political sovereignty, or the use of sovereignty primarily as a response to eroded trust and a symbolic or political signal, rather than as a policy objective driven by technical or legal risk assessments. Participants in this workshop said political sovereignty had become dominant in EU policymaking discussions since early 2026 precisely because technical and legal questions related to the topic were now filtered through a lens of diminished trust, particularly among transatlantic allies. There were also significant differences between European and US participants regarding what was at stake in both digital sovereignty and e-Evidence discussions. EU participants framed the core risk as coercive via extraterritorial legal reach from the US government and the possibility that dependence on US technology would be used as leverage. US participants framed the core friction as regulatory and reputational risk in which disputes over platform governance would bleed into otherwise resolvable legal cooperation questions linked to data sharing and digital infrastructure. Both workshop topics were, in effect, downstream casualties of a transatlantic trust deficit that did not originate in either cloud policy or criminal procedure negotiations. Policymaking solutions confined to either domain are unlikely to succeed without an accompanying de-escalation of the broader EU–US conflicts. The current transatlantic trust deficit does not explain every dimension of the capability gaps examined in the two sections that follow. But it is also not simply the backdrop to these separate administrative and financing failures. Instead, the current, broader EU–US friction actively produces specific elements of the capability gap in both arenas. It is a fundamental tension that runs throughout both workshops. The trust deficit has hardened political sovereignty into a distinct, dominant category in Brussels that makes it harder for the European Technology Sovereignty Package to resolve the trade-offs between defensive and offensive objectives on their own technical merits. It is also the direct cause of the frozen negotiations around the EU–US CLOUD Act Agreement, whose technical discussions have stalled for political, not legal or technical, reasons. This distinction matters. The current capability gaps that are structural (e.g., administrative capacity, financing, and national implementation choices) can be addressed through funding, sequencing, and institutional decisions regardless of the state of the relationship. But the capability gaps that are caused by the current trust deficit require an improvement in the underlying EU–US relationship. The recommendations at the end of this paper are organized with that distinction in mind. Capability gap: Digital sovereignty According to workshop participants, the EU’s political ambition for greater independence—particularly from US technology providers—is running ahead of the capacity, financing, and consensus required to deliver that objective. Overt political language from EU officials and lawmakers masks that capability gap. More importantly, specific choices within the recently published European Technology Sovereignty Package are not expected to reconcile the EU’s current limitations related to either the technical or political requirements for digital sovereignty. That digital policymaking proposal includes efforts to build the EU’s local semiconductor manufacturing, cloud computing infrastructure, and energy-related capacity. The package’s central design flaw, as discussed in the digital sovereignty workshop, is that it does not choose between competing objectives: defensive resilience against outside coercion, offensive competitiveness to strengthen Europe’s economy, and a political response to the transatlantic trust deficit described above. Instead, it blends all three into an unstructured policy instrument designed to placate all stakeholders without prioritizing any objective. Defensive resilience was the most concrete of the three objectives. Workshop participants tied this concept directly to a specific fear that dependence on US-headquartered cloud and software providers could be weaponized, either through extraterritorial legal reach or through an outright denial of service. Some participants described this concern, only partly in jest, as a “kill switch” risk, or shorthand for what others in the room termed “weaponized interdependence” between the EU and the US. Views diverged sharply on how seriously to treat the kill switch threat. Some participants argued that far more consequential systems, such as the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) financial network, had been suspended for individual countries in the past without collapsing the broader architecture of global finance, and that cloud or AI dependency was unlikely to prove more fragile. Others argued the opposite: that dismissing extraterritorial exposure as a low-probability scenario understated the risk because a comparable dynamic (dependence converting directly into legal leverage) was already playing out in the law-enforcement data access standoff examined in the e-Evidence workshop, as discussed below. Currently, all three objectives—defensive, offensive, and political sovereignty—are bundled into one policy proposal via the European Technology Sovereignty Package. This bundling is compounded by the fact that EU member states are not expected to implement the Technology Sovereignty Package in the same way. Participants highlighted discussions around scoring EU member states’ sovereignty exposure, as outlined in the European Technology Sovereignty Package, which had already surfaced disagreement regarding which risks should carry the most weight. This objective includes weighing risks such as foreign jurisdictional reach against supply chain resilience and other factors. France was seen by participants as pushing for greater emphasis on foreign jurisdiction exposure in risk weightings than other member states. Several participants predicted that this divergence would only widen as the European Technology Sovereignty Package moved from political agreement to national-level implementation. The resulting EU-wide outcome could be considerably less uniform than either its supporters or critics currently expect. The package’s Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) already reflects an attempt to manage this bundling through a tiered structure. Four assurance levels run from baseline data residency to full EU ownership and control. But the criteria separating those tiers remain contested. Some participants argued the tiers should be triggered narrowly, by demonstrable national security risk. Others viewed market concentration itself as sufficient justification for stricter ownership requirements. Advocates of stricter ownership requirements argued that interoperability and contractual safeguards would not eliminate exposure to third-country law. A provider headquartered in the US could remain subject to American legal compulsion regardless of where data was stored, which meant technical portability did not necessarily resolve jurisdictional dependency. For some workshop participants, European ownership was not, in itself, protectionism. It was a necessary condition for genuine legal autonomy. The counterargument, however, was that applying such requirements across ordinary public- and private-sector cloud use imposed substantial costs, reduced available capacity, and potentially replaced dependence on foreign providers with dependence on European alternatives that were not yet available at comparable scale. The financing side of the capability gap drew similar criticism. Europe entered the current sovereignty debate with an established investment disadvantage. European Parliamentary Research Service analysis identified the US as the leading jurisdiction for private AI investment and venture financing. Against that background, several participants pointed to national-level funding commitments that they considered orders of magnitude smaller than what would be required to build cloud or AI infrastructure at a scale genuinely competitive with US hyperscalers. This was seen as evidence that political rhetoric around sovereignty was moving well ahead of the budgetary reality needed to support it. One frequently cited example during the workshop was a national AI investment fund that participants said was several multiples too small to meaningfully shift the competitive balance. This illustrated a broader pattern of Europe’s sovereignty ambitions being announced at a political tempo that public financing commitments had yet to match. Under the EU’s plans, a renewed focus on interoperability and open-source technologies was proposed to capture digital sovereignty’s benefits while limiting any potential fragmentation costs. But workshop participants cautioned these policymaking objectives were unlikely to be a silver bullet. Interoperability without a credible alternative for switching, for example, was described as hollow. The term itself was also contested. Some participants used it narrowly to mean protocol-level interoperability, or shared technical standards that let systems communicate directly. Others used it more broadly to mean data-level interoperability, or the ability to move data and switch providers without being locked in. Several participants argued the latter is more relevant to digital sovereignty policy, even though EU regulatory language often uses interoperability without distinguishing between the two levels. Open source, which underpins the European Technology Sovereignty Package, was also not seen as a standalone fix to the bloc’s dependence on external providers. Open-source development is inherently transnational. Data from 2023 showed that the US, India, and several European countries led contributions to open-source projects. By 2025, India had become the world’s largest public and open-source contributor base, while US-based developers continued to account for the greatest overall volume of contributions. That reality undercut claims within Europe that adopting open-source tools, by itself, would provide the bloc with greater autonomy from third-party countries. One workshop participant recounted that a European government had experimented with a foreign open-source AI model only to discover that the system carried biases the government had not anticipated before deployment. This provided a real-life case study of the ongoing mismatch between EU objectives to diversify its technological supplier base and the insufficient institutional capacity to vet potential alternatives before adoption. For some participants who looked beyond the current transatlantic trust deficit, middle-power cooperation among the likes of Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Singapore could prove a hedge against both full EU dependence on US infrastructure and the EU’s own lack of internal cohesion. But expectations for such a middle path were mixed. One participant compared the likely outcome of greater middle-power cooperation to Brexit’s effect on financial services. Greater cooperation between such countries could lead to fragmentation at the margins of digital infrastructure rather than a clean break from the current status quo. In that outcome, the US would likely remain structurally dominant despite countries’ efforts to forge their own paths. Another participant argued the more productive version of this middle-power alternative would resemble defense-sector industrial cooperation, including pooled investment and shared technological capability across digital infrastructure. This model already has a working precedent in areas such as shared intelligence and joint weapons development, where allied countries combine industrial and financial strength to build capacity that no single mid-sized country could sustain alone. That is a template middle powers could plausibly apply to cloud and AI infrastructure. e-Evidence and the US CLOUD Act: The capability gap in practice The EU’s e-Evidence regulation comes into force on August 18, 2026\. When implemented, it will allow EU law-enforcement authorities to issue so-called production and preservation orders directly to service providers, including companies based outside the EU. That differs from the current process, in which requests are routed through the provider’s home-state authorities. This is intended to give authorities a faster, direct-to-provider channel alongside—rather than in place of—the slower state-to-state processes currently used for cross-border evidence requests, such as mutual legal assistance treaties and the European Investigation Order. Those instruments remain available and will still be used in certain cases and for other types of investigative measures. But they can take months to produce results, defeating fast-moving investigations. The current EU-wide efforts toward implementation of the E-Evidence regulation ahead of the August deadline show the same capability gap described above during the digital sovereignty convening. Workshop participants explained that, as of late May, most EU member states had missed the deadline for transposing the e-Evidence regulation’s companion directive. This assessment was supported by separate research published in June 2026 that found that more than three-quarters of EU member states had not completed this transposition. The European Commission had opened infringement proceedings against twenty-two member states in March for failing to communicate complete transposition. The most significant point of failure was Ireland, which housed the EU establishments of most major foreign technology companies at the heart of pending digital data requests. At the time of the e-Evidence workshop in May 2026, the country had yet to transpose the companion directive. On July 15, however, Ireland enacted its domestic legislation to transpose the EU-wide directive and appointed Helen Martin as its first director of criminal justice international cooperation. This is the capability gap at its starkest. An instrument that took years to negotiate at the political level may now face uneven and phased implementation because many EU member states had yet to transpose the regulation’s companion directive into national law.That step is needed to compel companies to designate the legal representatives who receive production orders under the directly applicable regulation. A negotiated agreement would not eliminate every disagreement between the two legal systems. It would, however, provide a recognized legal route for qualifying requests, lift relevant US disclosure restrictions and establish the international-agreement basis contemplated by Article 48\. More significantly, most workshop participants assessed that the regulation’s own conflict-of-law mechanism was more bark than bite. The EU’s e-Evidence regulation includes a procedure (Article 17) for handling instances in which a European Production Order conflicts with the law of a third country like the US. That procedure sets out decision criteria, including the strength of each jurisdiction’s connection to the case, the third country’s fundamental rights protections and national security interests, and the consequences of compliance for the provider. Participants noted these criteria form a broad, discretionary balancing test rather than a fixed rule. This limitation is not unique to the e-Evidence regulation’s Article 17\. The US CLOUD Act’s own comity analysis provision, which US courts use to weigh conflicting foreign-law obligations, similarly relies on an unweighted, multifactor test. That symmetry underscores the point. No unilateral statutory mechanism, on either side of the Atlantic, has solved the underlying conflict-of-law problem. That is precisely why participants saw a negotiated EU–US CLOUD Act agreement, rather than a better-drafted Article 17, as the appropriate fix. With no case law yet testing how courts will weigh these factors against one another, participants expected significant uncertainty in how the mechanism will perform in its first real disputes. Separate legal analysis similarly identified the risk that US providers could be required to disclose data under e-Evidence while remaining prohibited from doing so under US law. This example, referenced by multiple e-Evidence workshop participants, is a representation of the weaponized interdependence concern that was also raised during the digital sovereignty workshop. The underlying jurisdictional conflict is not new. So-called comity tests of this kind have always been an imperfect tool for managing interjurisdictional issues. What has changed is whether a negotiated bilateral fix like an EU–US CLOUD Act agreement is achievable. That has become a political question, not a legal or technical one, due to the current state of the transatlantic relationship. Both the US Stored Communications Act and GDPR Article 48 can operate as blocking statutes by creating reciprocal legal friction for providers subject to both jurisdictions. Their operation, however, is not perfectly symmetrical. The Stored Communications Act generally restricts covered US providers from disclosing communications content directly to foreign governments. Article 48 prevents a third-country judgment or administrative decision from serving, by itself, as authority for disclosing EU personal data. Where the data remains in the EU and no applicable international agreement, lawful transfer basis, or derogation exists, Article 48 can prevent compliance with a US order. For example, a US-headquartered provider could find itself legally barred from honoring an EU production order under US law. An entity handling that same request within the EU might simultaneously face restrictions on disclosing the data to a US authority via obligations from EU member states’ domestic criminal procedure rules and from GDPR Article 48’s requirement that any such disclosure rest on a recognized legal basis. Soon, providers caught in this conflict could have no fast, direct path to compliance absent a negotiated agreement that recognizes the other jurisdiction’s legal process. They will likely fall back on the slower mutual legal assistance channels that the European Production Order mechanism was specifically designed to bypass. Transposition was not the only implementation concern. Separate research published in June identified unresolved capacity, cybersecurity, and operational issues within the EU’s decentralized IT system through which authorities and providers would exchange production orders and responsive information. The combination of incomplete national transposition and uneven technical readiness suggested that e-Evidence implementation would initially vary across EU member states.US Absent a resolved EU–US CLOUD Act agreement, the existing UK–US data access agreement (under the UK–US CLOUD Act Agreement) offered an example of what partial, bilateral progress could look like. One participant described it as heavily used and highly valuable, but explicitly said it was not the “silver bullet” it was expected to be when it was negotiated. Scope limitations that appeared minor on paper, but which included restrictions on using the agreement to investigate the other party’s own nationals, had become more intractable once the agreement was in use. The lesson several participants drew from this experience was pragmatic, not aspirational: bank the value available now from small policymaking successes and don’t wait for a US administration to re-engage. The bottleneck is not likely the EU weighing whether to accept what is on offer from the US but, more likely, the absence of active US interest in reaching a deal related to an EU–US CLOUD Act agreement. Continued reliance on ad hoc workarounds, however, carries its own risk. New technical and legal problems will emerge that only a negotiated agreement can resolve. An EU–US CLOUD Act deal is unlikely to get easier to reach amid ongoing US disengagement. Fragmentation by accident, not design Taken together, the two workshops were underpinned by three connected themes that are expected to anchor transatlantic digital policymaking over the next five years. Fragmentation is procedural, not deliberate: Participants in both workshops did not identify a single decision point at which the EU and US decided to decouple their approaches toward digital. Instead, the current fragmentation and trust deficit emerged progressively through smaller, individual decisions. That includes missed directive transposition deadlines; divergent national regulatory regimes; specific government procurement preferences; and stalled EU–US negotiations. The e-Evidence discussion also demonstrated a divergence between EU member states even before such friction reached the transatlantic discussion. Legal interoperability is the missing analog to technical interoperability: Participants in the digital sovereignty workshop proposed greater interoperable, portable, standards-based systems to ward off the threat of weaponized interdependence. That has a direct comparison in the legal domain. An EU–US CLOUD Act agreement would be for each side’s legal systems what interoperability standards would be for technical ones. It would allow two distinct, sovereign systems to work together without either side ceding control outright. Partial, bilateral progress has become the norm: Both workshops independently arrived at what has become the de facto hedging strategy for ongoing transatlantic discussions on digital. Without comprehensive multilateral solutions, policymakers are relying on existing bilateral or coalition-based systems and are treating them as a foundation for dialogue. They are not waiting for an ideal political outcome. That includes middle-power coalitions in digital sovereignty and the UK–US data access agreement in law-enforcement cooperation, as discussed above. Such pacts offer more caution than confidence about how far bilateral progress can substitute for comprehensive resolutions. This final point — about not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good — is a critical element of what transatlantic digital policymaking engagement will look like during the rest of the decade. For a variety of political, policy, legal, and industrial realities, comprehensive transatlantic frameworks are unlikely to be negotiated quickly. Narrower, well-scoped bilateral instruments might be able to deliver meaningful value for both EU and US policymakers without waiting for broader tensions to be resolved. Not everything is the same Despite underlying similarities, both workshops highlighted significant differences between the ongoing digital sovereignty and law-enforcement data transfer policy arenas that must be taken into consideration when designing correct policy responses. Level of discussion: The digital sovereignty discussion remains invariably strategic and philosophical. The e-Evidence conversation is based on specific legal and technical implementation questions. Pathways forward pitched at the wrong level will not be successful. Both policy topics also do not easily integrate collectively into greater transatlantic engagement. A bilateral data access agreement, for example, does not resolve Europe’s underlying cloud and AI capability vulnerabilities. Types of disagreement: In the digital sovereignty workshop, participants disagreed about what digital sovereignty was supposed to solve. In the e-Evidence discussion, participants largely agreed on the problem but disagreed about which specific legal mechanisms would resolve it. Those differences relate to how advanced each separate conversation is in terms of implementation. Transatlantic friction: The digital sovereignty discussion was more openly skeptical about US dominance within digital infrastructure, framed as part of the defensive definition of digital sovereignty as described above. The e-Evidence workshop, despite covering similar legal friction, was more collegial. Practitioners on both sides of the Atlantic shared frustration with political paralysis rather than with each other. The role of industry: In the digital sovereignty workshop, major US technology companies were framed primarily as objects of policy concerns and sources of dependency risk that must be mitigated. In the e-Evidence discussion, the same types of companies were described as good-faith actors working to comply with legal complexities and constraints. That tension — companies being viewed as both cooperative and adversarial, depending on the policy topic — is likely to become the norm. Time horizon: The digital sovereignty debate operates on a three-to-five-year horizon. The e-Evidence and CLOUD Act debate operates against a fixed, near-term legal deadline of the August implementation date. Pairing them within this project illustrates both the slow-moving structural trend of transatlantic friction toward digital and an acute flashpoint within that wider conversation. Recommendations The current EU–US trust deficit and its implications for digital policymaking cannot be overcome by a single actor. The recommendations below are scoped to be realistic next steps within the currently strained geopolitical environment. Some are structural and can proceed regardless of the state of the transatlantic relationship. Others directly target the trust deficit described above. Focus on digital policymaking that does not require trust. Support EU member state transposition of EU law. The European Commission should offer direct administrative and technical support to any EU member state still lacking domestic legislation to designate legal representatives ahead of the August e-Evidence application date. The commission should also issue interim guidance to clarify how voluntary cooperation can bridge any remaining legal gap where transposition is incomplete. Build on the tiered assurance-level structure within the EU’s Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA). CADA already establishes a graduated framework from baseline data-residency requirements to full EU ownership and control for the most sensitive public-sector systems. The European Commission should make the criteria separating these tiers explicit and narrowly defined. It should reserve the highest tiers that require EU ownership or structural separation for clearly justified national security and core state function cases. The remaining tiers should rely on interoperability and portability requirements. Workshop participants were divided on this question. The recommendation reflects a narrower, tier-based approach favored by most participants in the room, not a settled consensus. Keep technical and legal questions outside of politics. Resume CLOUD Act negotiations at a technical level. Political differences make the resolution of an EU–US CLOUD Act agreement unlikely for the foreseeable future. But workshop participants were clear that remaining technical gaps were addressable. The continuation of technical negotiations—outside the current political impasse—could prevent resolvable legal questions from remaining hostage to wider tensions. Washington should clarify oversight of EU–US data sharing. The US administration has a direct interest in proactively clarifying how independent oversight of the US side of ongoing transatlantic data sharing agreements will be preserved in practice. That includes a public account of how enforcement of the EU–US Data Privacy Framework will now operate. Without that, the alternative is renewed legal challenges. Both Washington and Brussels have an interest in protecting ongoing commercial data flows. Bank partial progress ahead of comprehensive deals. Pool sovereignty-related investment among smaller EU member state groups. EU capitals with aligned interests and budgets should proceed with joint procurement of sovereign cloud or compute capacity on a bilateral or multilateral basis. This is consistent with the “sovereignty by design” approach that ran through the digital sovereignty workshop. It also allows for faster decisions than deferring investments until a harmonized EU position is agreed. Scope middle-power cooperation narrowly and technically. These countries can pursue specific joint initiatives with the EU, such as pooled procurement of sovereign compute capacity, as described above, rather than broad political coalition statements. Workshop participants were skeptical that loosely structured middle-power cooperation would deliver meaningful outcomes. Build the groundwork for when the politics change. Expand Article 28’s existing monitoring framework. The e-Evidence Regulation requires EU member states to report annual statistics to the European Commission, which must also publish an annual report on the regulation’s outputs and impacts. The categories currently specified for that reporting do not explicitly capture instances in which a US provider declines a European Production Order citing a US blocking statute, or in which a member state defaults to mutual legal assistance instead. The European Commission should ensure these conflict-of-law instances are tracked and published as a distinct category within the existing Article 28 reporting cycle. Produce a joint technical-political assessment within the European Technology Sovereignty Package. The EU should commission an assessment of the most consequential trade-offs between greater European ownership of cloud computing infrastructure and what can be achieved through greater interoperability standards. This would ensure that the future implementation of the EU’s proposals is grounded in a technical feasibility assessment of what will deliver the appropriate outcome. This paper was made possible by support from Microsoft. The Atlantic Council maintains strict intellectual independence across all of its projects and publications. The analysis, findings, and recommendations in this paper are those of the author alone. Workshop participants included academics, civil society representatives, current and former government officials, and industry representatives, including representatives of Microsoft. All participants were selected by the author. All participants spoke under the Chatham House Rule. No single participant or organization shaped the paper’s conclusions. Workshop-derived judgments are identified as participant assessments throughout this paper. Public sources are used to establish the legal, institutional, and political context and, where available, to corroborate themes raised during the discussions. Cite this case study Mark Scott, “Sovereignty without borders: Decoding the transatlantic digital relationship at a time of change,” Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab), August 17, 2026, https://dfrlab.org/2026/08/17/sovereignty-without-borders-decoding-the-transatlantic-digital-relationship-at-a-time-of-change/. The post Sovereignty without borders: Decoding the transatlantic digital relationship at a time of change appeared first on Atlantic Council.Atlantic Council](https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-research-reports/issue-brief/sovereignty-without-borders-decoding-the-transatlantic-digital-relationship-at-a-time-of-change/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Swiss startup Gravis Robotics raises €172 million Series A
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/swiss-startup-gravis-robotics-raises-eu172-million-series-a/
Last updated: 2026-08-18T04:57:15.000Z
Switzerland-based Gravis Robotics, a construction robotics company, raised €172 million in a Series A round led by SoftBank, achieving an €862 million post-money valuation. The company develops autonomous technology for heavy machinery retrofits, aiming to boost productivity by 30 percent and reduce reliance on manual operators in critical infrastructure projects. **(EU-STARTUPS)**
[Gravis Robotics becomes Europe’s latest unicorn after €172 million Series ASwitzerland-based Gravis Robotics, a ConTech company developing autonomous technology for heavy machinery, has raised €172 million ($200 million) in a Series A round, giving the company an €862 million ($1 billion) post-money valuation – becoming Europe’s latest robotics unicorn. SoftBank is the sole investor in the round, which Gravis says is the largest Series A financing in construction robotics to date. Today’s news follows a 2025 €19 million round – as covered by EU-Startups. Ryan Luke Johns, co-founder and CEO of Gravis Robotics, says: “It’s not about taking operators out of the machine. It’s about getting machines to be 30 percent more productive, to get an operator to drive multiple highly productive machines.” Gravis’ Series A comes amid continued investment into European construction robotics, physical AI and autonomous machinery in 2026\. Among the closest rounds seen by EU-Startups, Amsterdam-based Monumental raised €27 million to scale its construction robotics fleet and expand the range of tasks it can automate, while Espoo-based Hyperion Robotics secured €6.4 million to scale robotic microfactories for infrastructure projects. Adjacent machine-autonomy and industrial robotics rounds from Nature Robots, Trener Robotics, Nomagic, KEMARO and Exclaim Robotics bring 2026 financings to approximately €80.2 million; including Gravis, the selected funding total reaches roughly €252.2 million. Of note is the presence of fellow Swiss companies KEMARO and Exclaim Robotics – indicating an active robotics scene for Switzerland. Archie Muirhead, Partner at IQ Capital (investor in the 2025 raise), said: “Ryan and the Gravis team identified a fundamental constraint facing construction at a time when demand for new infrastructure from compute to energy is accelerating – a shortage of skilled operators. Leveraging years of reinforcement learning and control policy research at ETH Zurich, Gravis’s technology is already delivering measurable productivity gains on live projects across four continents. “This funding cements Gravis’ position as the leading construction autonomy company building into an enormous global total addressable market.” The company and its approach to construction autonomy will already be familiar to some EU-Startups readers as we interviewed Ryan in January 2026 for the EU-Startups Podcast as part of a five-part series recorded with Leonard, the innovation and foresight platform of the VINCI Group, during its Launch Day in Paris. Founded in 2022 as a spinout from ETH Zurich, Gravis Robotics is led by co-founder and CEO Ryan Luke Johns and co-founder and CTO Dominic Jud, while ETH Zurich robotics professor Marco Hutter is a co-founder and board member. The company develops hardware and software that can be retrofitted to existing excavators and other heavy equipment, allowing construction businesses to introduce autonomous operations without replacing their existing fleets. Rather than building autonomous construction equipment from the ground up, Gravis has focused on making existing machinery autonomous through its Gravis Rack, which combines sensors, computing hardware and software. According to the company, the technology has been adapted for more than a dozen brands, makes and models, ranging from approximately 10-tonne equipment to substantially larger machines. Gravis says its autonomous machines can carry out tasks including driving, trench digging, bulk excavation, truck loading and stockpile management. Operators can also switch between manual and autonomous operation, allowing a person to take control for more complicated sections of a job before handing repetitive tasks back to the autonomous system. Ryan adds: “You press play, the machine will drive itself to the start and essentially do that entire job without intervention.” The company says its systems are now being used across four continents, with customers and partners including Holcim, Taylor Woodrow and HD Hyundai. Gravis has reported productivity improvements of approximately 30 percent on several projects when compared with human-operated equipment. Johns has stressed that the company’s goal is not simply to remove people from construction machinery, but to change how operators work with fleets of equipment. Gravis is already deploying machines across areas including highways, utilities, oil and gas projects, quarries and data centre construction, where demand for new infrastructure is growing alongside investment in AI and computing capacity. One of its ongoing initiatives is an €6.8 million ($8 million) UK government-backed project with Flannery Plant Hire, which will trial Gravis’ autonomous system across six excavators carrying out jobs such as trenching, bulk excavation and truck loading. Gravis and Flannery also have a separate rental partnership designed to allow contractors to hire excavators already fitted with Gravis technology. Gravis plans to use today’s funding to expand its team, enter additional international markets and increase the number of autonomous machines operating commercially. The post Gravis Robotics becomes Europe’s latest unicorn after €172 million Series A appeared first on EU-Startups.EU-Startups](https://www.eu-startups.com/2026/08/gravis-robotics-becomes-europes-latest-robotics-unicorn-after-e172-million-series-a/?ref=nupath.eu)
### US might warn partners over dual AI framework participation
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/us-might-warn-partners-over-dual-ai-framework-participation/
Last updated: 2026-08-18T04:56:40.000Z
A US State Department draft reviewed by Reuters warns 35 partners, including Italy, that joining rival Chinese AI initiatives could exclude them from the US-led Pax Silica coalition. The document, addressed to signatories of the Joint Statement on AI Opportunity, frames membership as a commitment rather than a subscription. Italy joined Pax Silica on 30 July. **(DECODE39)**
[Washington is ending AI hedging. Rome should take noteThe United States is preparing to tell dozens of partners that the emerging artificial intelligence contest with China may leave little room for playing both sides. According to an internal State Department draft reviewed by Reuters, Washington intends to warn countries aligned with its AI initiatives that participation in competing Chinese-led frameworks could exclude them from the U.S.-led coalition. The document is addressed to the 35 signatories of the Joint Statement on AI Opportunity, a group that includes members of Pax Silica and other governments that have signalled their willingness to align AI cooperation with Washington. Italy is among them. “To be part of everything is to be part of nothing,” the draft says. Membership in Pax Silica, it adds, is “not merely a membership subscription, but a commitment”. What to watch: The document could still be amended, and Reuters could not determine when it might be sent. But its political direction is difficult to miss. Washington appears to be moving from building a competing technology ecosystem to defining the conditions for belonging to it. At the centre of the immediate dispute is Kazakhstan. Washington had celebrated its accession to Pax Silica in June, not least because of the country’s significant critical-mineral reserves. But Astana subsequently also joined the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping in July. It is so far the only country known to have joined both. For Washington, that appears to have turned Kazakhstan into a test case for a much broader question: can a country be considered a trusted partner in one technology ecosystem while simultaneously participating in an initiative designed to advance a competing one? The answer emerging from the State Department is increasingly “no”. That matters because Pax Silica reaches far beyond AI models. Launched by Washington last year, the initiative connects semiconductors, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, investment and supply-chain security. Its underlying proposition is that technological sovereignty does not require countries to replicate the entire AI stack domestically. Instead, trusted partners contribute complementary capabilities to a common architecture. China is developing an alternative proposition. At the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai in July, Beijing launched its World AI Cooperation Organization (WAICO), backed by 29 countries, alongside an offer built around open-weight technology, capacity-building, technical standards and access for developing economies. The competition is therefore moving beyond who produces the most capable model. It is increasingly about who defines the networks through which compute, minerals, semiconductors, standards, investment and AI systems move. Those networks depend on trust. The implications were already becoming visible before the latest U.S. draft emerged. Asked by Decode39 about the shrinking room for ambiguity in AI governance, Hudson Institute Research Fellow Zineb Riboua argued that the space governments believed they retained between the American and Chinese ecosystems was largely illusory. “The room governments believe they retain is an illusion sustained by the interval between procurement and consequence, and that interval is closing,” she said. Governance frameworks can prove even more durable than temporary advantages in compute because they determine how systems interoperate, how models are evaluated and how public authorities procure and deploy technology. The draft reported by Reuters suggests that Washington may now be preparing to turn that strategic logic into a more explicit diplomatic requirement. For Italy, this distinction matters. On July 31, Italy formally joined Pax Silica, following its earlier signature of the Joint Statement on AI Opportunity. The decision sits alongside Italy’s participation in the U.S.-led Call to Action for 6G Leadership and Security, its engagement with Washington on critical minerals and the bilateral dialogue on Trusted Technologies. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani described the Pax Silica accession as confirmation of Italy’s “political will to work with the United States and other partners” on production technologies, strengthening both security and “the unity of the West”. Yes but… The strategic direction is therefore relatively clear. The more difficult question is implementation. That question had already surfaced after the presence of Italy’s Agency for Digital Italy, AgID, at the WAIC in Shanghai, shortly after Rome had joined the U.S.-led Joint Statement on AI Opportunity. The episode did not prevent Italy’s subsequent accession to Pax Silica. But the message now emerging from Washington suggests that similar ambiguities may become harder to sustain as the two AI architectures consolidate. There is an important distinction. Participation in the Shanghai conference is not equivalent to joining China’s new organization, and Italy is not in Kazakhstan’s position. But the direction of U.S. policy matters precisely because it may progressively raise the political significance of interactions that governments previously regarded as technical, commercial or institutionally routine. Martijn Rasser, Vice President for Tech Leadership at the Special Competitive Studies Project, had already identified implementation as the next challenge when Italy joined Pax Silica. “The test will be whether its members translate political alignment into coordinated action,” he told Decode39, while arguing that Italy was moving in the right direction but still had more to do in identifying unacceptable dependencies, protecting critical technologies and diversifying supply chains. Reuters’ disclosure adds another dimension to that test. The bottom line: Italy has picked its side in the emerging AI architecture. If Washington follows through on the approach contained in the draft, the question for Rome will increasingly be whether that choice is reflected consistently across the institutions of the Italian state. The age of AI hedging may not be over yet. But Washington is making increasingly clear that, for members of its technology coalition, the room for it is closing. The post Washington is ending AI hedging. Rome should take note appeared first on Decode39.Decode39](https://decode39.com/16182/washington-is-ending-ai-hedging-rome-should-take-note/?ref=nupath.eu)
### EU fund invests $400m in Lovable at $13.3bn valuation
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-fund-invests-400m-in-lovable-at-13-3bn-valuation/
Last updated: 2026-08-18T04:47:44.000Z
The EU's Scaleup Europe Fund co-led a $400m Series C round in Lovable, valuing the AI company at $13.3bn. Revenue reached $600m, according to the report. The investment underscores the EU's strategic push to back high-growth European tech firms. **(THENEXTWEB)**
[‘It’s still day zero’: Lovable is worth $13.3bn, and the EU just became a shareholderLovable raised $400m at a $13.3bn valuation, co-led by Menlo Ventures and the EU's Scaleup Europe Fund. Revenue is nearing $600m.thenextweb.com](https://thenextweb.com/news/lovable-400m-series-c-13-3bn-scaleup-europe-fund?fbclid=IwdGRleATwJlZwZG9mBWZkaWQWUMrbCMaKvF62-lRlfakl93jW1VFp2GV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR76UJZdDpxDtR7%5FfVcNJDU-Dy8QEmjZ%5Fp748NsVyl0XVTZHGR9MXpL-8mI4nA%5Faem%5FLSIObw83NtLFPYWi8cGKIQ&ref=nupath.eu)
### EU Right to Repair laws enter force to extend product lifespans
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-right-to-repair-laws-enter-force-to-extend-product-lifespans/
Last updated: 2026-08-17T04:23:57.000Z
The EU's new Right to Repair legislation grants consumers a legally enforceable right to request repairs for repairable products, including household appliances and electronics. Manufacturers must provide accessible repair information and spare parts at reasonable prices, while repairs must be completed within a set timeframe. The rules extend product guarantees by at least 12 months if repairs are chosen over replacements, with an EU-wide platform launching in 2027 to streamline access to repair services. **(CYPRUSMAIL)**
[Consumers set to benefit as EU right to repair laws transform product lifespansConsumers across Cyprus and the wider European Union are now able to reap the benefits of groundbreaking right to repair rules following landmark legislation enacted by European authorities. For many years, it made far more economic sense for individuals to dispose of a broken or defective item and replace it with a new model, rather than attempting to have it repaired. That traditional habit generated a substantial amount of waste and led to unnecessary resource consumption across the European continent. The new legislative framework was designed to change that dynamic completely by making it possible to extend the lifecycle of products and establish a system that explicitly favours repairing an item over purchasing a brand new replacement. The measures apply directly to everyday household and electronic products, including washing machines, vacuum cleaners, mobile phones, tablets, and similar equipment. These new rules will result in significant direct savings for consumers, while simultaneously boosting the circular economy and supporting the broader objectives of sustainable consumption. Concretely, the legislation provides consumers with a legally enforceable right to request that manufacturers repair products that are deemed technically repairable under EU law. To encourage people to opt for fixes rather than replacements, the repair work must be carried out within a reasonable timeframe and at a reasonable price, unless the service is provided entirely free of charge. Furthermore, when a consumer chooses to repair a product rather than replace it within the standard liability period, the legal guarantee of that product is automatically extended by at least 12 months. Manufacturers are now also legally required to provide easily accessible information regarding local repair services, as well as guaranteeing access to necessary spare parts at a reasonable price. According to the European Commission, it is expected that these updated rules will generate approximately €4.8 billion in growth and investment across the EU. Looking ahead, a dedicated online European repair platform will become fully operational in 2027 to allow consumers to find suitable repair services even more easily. That digital platform will feature dedicated sections for each individual EU member state, ensuring local support for households seeking repairs.Cyprus Mail](https://cyprus-mail.com/2026/08/17/consumers-set-to-benefit-as-eu-right-to-repair-laws-transform-product-lifespans?ref=nupath.eu)
### FSFE urges EU to adopt Free Software by default in public services
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/fsfe-urges-eu-to-adopt-free-software-by-default-in-public-services/
Last updated: 2026-08-16T05:23:35.000Z
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) has submitted a proposal to the updated European Interoperability Framework advocating for mandatory Free Software use in all digital public services. The move aims to strengthen digital sovereignty by reducing vendor lock-in and enhancing transparency across Europe. FSFE, FSFE reports. **(FSFE)**
[Back from our FSFE25 celebrations with news about EIF and the DMABack from our FSFE25 celebrations with news about EIF and the DMA August is here and after our FSFE 25 years celebration, we are already working on our next projects! While we are still enjoying the wonderful "hangover" of our days in Kraków, in the last weeks we have also got positive news on the DMA and the Apple litigation, we submitted our proposal to the new EIF, and more! 25 years ago, our founders declared: "Software already transcends daily life in an increasing manner and becomes a deciding factor. Just as other developments in the past of mankind, software developed from being an economic to a cultural property with increasing presence in everyday life. \[â¦\] It is essential for the future of mankind that software as a cultural property will remain accessible for everyone and is preserved in libraries like other knowledge." Two and a half decades later, standing among staff, volunteers, and supporters who have built this movement, that message is more urgent than ever. Turning 25 was a moment to reflect on major milestones while casting an eye toward our vision for 2048\. That vision was put into practice in a major way this July when the Court of Justice of the European Union delivered a decisive victory for software freedom. In Apple v. European Commission, a case in which the FSFE intervened as the only charitable organisation defending developer rights, the Court dismissed Appleâs challenge to its gatekeeper status under the Digital Markets Act. The ruling confirmed that gatekeepers cannot bypass interoperability requirements or fragment their platforms to evade accountability. This milestone brings us one step closer to true device neutrality, ensuring that both developers and users have the freedom to build, install, and run software on their own terms. If you want to learn more, we dedicated our latest Legal Corner article to it. On a related matter, in July we published an analysis for Tech Policy Press on the landmark Google Android antitrust ruling of the European Union Court of Justice. We argue that the real battle ahead isn't over contracts, but over who controls trust in the Android ecosystem, as Google's incoming Android Developer Verification scheme will make it much harder to distribute apps outside Google's own approval system. And one more reading recommendation! Our colleague Dr. Lucas Lasota, who also works at the Martin-Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, has just published a paper examining how interoperability regulation in the EU, Japan, the UK and Brazil can give Free Software access to features controlled by dominant proprietary platforms and help level the playing field for smaller developers and communities. At the same time, we are looking at how the European Commission updates the European Interoperability Framework. We are actively urging European decision-makers to adopt a "Free Software by default" model for all digital public services. Public administrations across Europe are more concerned than ever about digital sovereignty, and we are advocating for mandatory Open Standards, clearer procurement guidelines to prevent openwashing, and sustained funding for the digital commons. From the stages August is also the moment to talk about Free Software with our German community. As usual, we will attend FrOSCon! We will be there on 15 and 16 August with a booth and several talks: about CRA; Openwashing, and what the United Federation of Planets and the Free Software Foundation Europe have in common. Youth Hacking 4 Freedom Our programming competition for young European is into its next phase! The programming period for the current edition of YH4F wrapped up at the end of June. During July our jury of experts has reviewed all submitted projects and compiled a shortlist for interviews. From this list the jury members will select this year's six winning projects. If you or a young person you know missed out on this edition, don't worry: registration for the next edition of YH4F is open! Stay tuned for more announcements. Your support helps us move our work forward We may be behind the wheel, but youâre the ones keeping us moving forward. You can support us, contribute to our work, and join our community. Are you using social media? If so, do not forget to follow us there! You can also follow the FSFE news in your RSS Reader. Your editor,AnaSupport FSFEFSFE](https://fsfe.org/news/nl/nl-202608.en.html?ref=nupath.eu)
### FSFE warns Google’s Android developer scheme threatens software freedom
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/fsfe-warns-googles-android-developer-scheme-threatens-software-freedom/
Last updated: 2026-08-16T05:22:59.000Z
The Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) highlights Google’s 2025 announcement that apps on certified Android devices must be registered by verified developers. The scheme, set to launch in September 2026 in four countries before expanding globally including Europe in 2027, risks fragmenting the Android ecosystem and undermining digital sovereignty. FSFE outlines its policy work to protect developers’ software freedom under the Digital Markets Act. FSFE reports. **(FSFE)**
[SFP#54: Policy and EU: Keep Android Open, what is the FSFE doing?SFP#54: Policy and EU: Keep Andriod Open, what is the FSFE doing?The Software Freedom Podcast is not going on holiday this summer! In our 54th Bonnie Mehring meets with Jithendra Palepu to learn about the Android Developer verification and how it may affect the Android operating system.In 2025, Google announced that, for âsecurity reasonsâ, apps installed on certified Android devices would need to be registered by verified developers. This controversial announcement has been widely discussed within the Free Software movement since day one. The requirements will first take effect in Brazil, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand in September 2026\. Google then plans to expand the system globally, including to Europe, from 2027.In our 54th episode we look into the background of this decision. Together we dive into the current activities of the Free Software movement to safeguard software freedom on Android and outline the FSFE's steps to protect Free Software developers. The policy work of the FSFE is an important part of our work towards safeguarding Software Freedom. You can support our work by donating today!Show notesSupport our work for Free SoftwareStay up-to-date and join our NewsletterKeep Android OpenDMA: Protecting Device Neutrality in Android DevicesGoogle Android antitrust ruling shows the next battle is over who controls trustSFP#46: Policy and EU: Can the DMA help Free Software developers working with Android?Free Your AndroidAppleâs Improved 6-Step Install Flow Proves That Scare Screens and Deceptive Design Undermine CompetitionDigital Markets Act: Gatekeepers Portal(Google blog link) A new layer of security for certified Android devicesGoogle compliance report mentioning registered app stores programAndroid developer verification (Google youtube video)We are happy to receive your feedback on the Software Freedom Podcast and especially on the transcript of the episode. Please, email us to: podcast@fsfe.org. If you liked this episode and want to support our continuous work for software freedom, please help us with a donation.Support FSFEFSFE](https://fsfe.org/news/podcast/2026/episode-54.en.html?ref=nupath.eu)
### Biometrics and foundational ID shape Europe’s digital trust systems
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/biometrics-and-foundational-id-shape-europes-digital-trust-systems/
Last updated: 2026-08-16T05:13:41.000Z
Biometric accuracy and privacy-preserving binding are central to secure foundational identity systems, Biometric Update reports. NIST’s latest face biometrics tests show convergence in accuracy among top providers, with operational performance and scalability becoming key differentiators. **(BIOMETRICUPDATE)**
[Foundational ID and biometric binding underpin digital trustBiometric fundamentals and foundational ID are considerations at the very beginning of the identity lifecycle that are sometimes overlooked. If organizations can handle them better the rewards are improved trustworthy service delivery and stronger defenses against fraud. Fundamental considerations for biometrics include accuracy, but also scalability and other performance details. And crucially, if they are not bound to IDs when they are created, those credentials are vulnerable to compromise. When the credentials are created matters too, particularly since public services affect children and families. Countries that digitalize their birth registration systems can not only improve their civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems but also funnel people towards national ID systems that serve as a pillar of digital public infrastructure. The system must be trustworthy, however, or downstream costs pile up quickly. Two of the top stories of the week on Biometric Update illustrate this tension. Case studies on Rwanda and Thailand by advocacy group Vital Strategies show birth and death registration can contribute to trusted DPI that can be used in service delivery. On Africa CRVS Day Monday, observers credited Burundi’s example and ACSA’s promise as reasons for optimism that the continent is headed in the right direction. An attempt by Cameroon’s government to support public servants with the costs of raising a family has led to an investigation into almost a million birth certificates, many of which are suspected of being fraudulent. A recent increase in a monthly child allowance for government workers led to what authorities say is a statistically impossible spike in claims. UNICEF sees schools playing a potentially pivotal role in reducing the global birth registration gap of some 200 million children under five years old. The beginning of the identity credential lifecycle, likewise, depends on solid foundations, which means privacy-preserving biometric binding, Prove GM for New Market Initiatives Frances Zelazny emphasizes in an interview with Biometric Update. Bringing that piece of the digital identity puzzle to Prove with new IP including MCP and advanced cryptography is her new role with the company. Foundational identity is also becoming the platform for broader digital public infrastructure. This week, Biometric Update examined how Caribbean nations are building a cross-border layer of interoperable DPI, Sri Lanka is advancing its MOSIP-based digital identity with support from development partners, and a new framework argued that trustworthy government AI depends on strong digital public infrastructure. Biometric trust through operational performance and scalability New editions of both the NIST FRTE 1:1 and 1:N show significant convergence in accuracy among the best developers. The 1:1 results indicate that differentiation among the leading face biometrics algorithm providers at this point is more a matter of operational performance, demographic and capture considerations than overall accuracy. Similarly, metrics for scalability, which is crucial for biometric deduplication, and unconstrained capture environments, which are critical for law enforcement scenarios, are becoming the keys to picking winners for particular applications in the 1:N assessment. Extending trust to applications Mexico’s banking industry is switching to face biometrics for account-holder authentication to make use of government identity records, closing the circle with national ID. Identy CEO and Co-founder Jesús Aragón offers guidance for financial institutions looking to comply with the new regulations in a guest post for Biometric Update. The problem of continuous identity trust is behind the account-sharing rampant among gig workers, Trua Founder and CEO Raj Ananthanpillai writes in a guest post. Only strong binding between the credential and the worker can prove the person who passed the background check is the same one making the delivery. Nobody likes friction in banking. But in online marketplaces? Dating? GuyID Founder Ravi Shankar tells Biometric Update that robust identity verification that includes a little friction helps make online dating trustworthy by discouraging the kinds of catphishing and identity fraud that have plagued the industry. One of the effects of AI on scams and identity fraud is that the value of static identity signals is falling, Feedzai VP of Product Planning and Strategy Dan Holmes argues in a guest post. Continuous adaptive trust is the logical next step for identity verification, according to Holmes. On the latest episode of the Biometric Update Podcast, Aragón and Resemble.ai's Zohaib Ahmed discuss how the growing availability of AI fraud tools is birthing whole new fraud categories, and making IAD and deepfake detection based on how the real world works table stakes for businesses online. Please let us know if you come across any podcasts, thought leadership pieces or other content you think we should share with those in biometrics and the digital identity community via the comments below or social media.Biometric Update](https://www.biometricupdate.com/202608/foundational-id-and-biometric-binding-underpin-digital-trust?ref=nupath.eu)
### Microsoft Outlook sends login data to its servers
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/microsoft-outlook-sends-login-data-to-its-servers/
Last updated: 2026-08-16T05:12:10.000Z
Microsoft's new Outlook client transmits user login credentials to its servers, raising concerns over digital sovereignty and email privacy. The free application replaces the classic Outlook in Windows and is flagged in mailcow's documentation as a privacy risk for users prioritising data localisation. **(HEISE)**
[Microsoft lays hands on login data: Beware of the new OutlookThe free new Outlook replaces Mail in Windows, and later also the classic Outlook. It sends secret credentials to Microsoft servers.www.heise.de](https://www.heise.de/en/news/Microsoft-lays-hands-on-login-data-Beware-of-the-new-Outlook-9608798.html?ref=nupath.eu)
### EU court upholds Apple’s DMA gatekeeper status
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-court-upholds-apples-dma-gatekeeper-status/
Last updated: 2026-08-16T05:11:06.000Z
The Court of Justice of the European Union dismissed Apple’s challenge to its designation as a gatekeeper under the Digital Markets Act. The ruling confirms that gatekeepers cannot bypass interoperability requirements, reinforcing device neutrality and developer freedom. FSFE intervened as the only charitable organisation defending developer rights. **(FSFE)**
[Back from our FSFE25 celebrations with news about EIF and the DMABack from our FSFE25 celebrations with news about EIF and the DMA August is here and after our FSFE 25 years celebration, we are already working on our next projects! While we are still enjoying the wonderful "hangover" of our days in Kraków, in the last weeks we have also got positive news on the DMA and the Apple litigation, we submitted our proposal to the new EIF, and more! 25 years ago, our founders declared: "Software already transcends daily life in an increasing manner and becomes a deciding factor. Just as other developments in the past of mankind, software developed from being an economic to a cultural property with increasing presence in everyday life. \[â¦\] It is essential for the future of mankind that software as a cultural property will remain accessible for everyone and is preserved in libraries like other knowledge." Two and a half decades later, standing among staff, volunteers, and supporters who have built this movement, that message is more urgent than ever. Turning 25 was a moment to reflect on major milestones while casting an eye toward our vision for 2048\. That vision was put into practice in a major way this July when the Court of Justice of the European Union delivered a decisive victory for software freedom. In Apple v. European Commission, a case in which the FSFE intervened as the only charitable organisation defending developer rights, the Court dismissed Appleâs challenge to its gatekeeper status under the Digital Markets Act. The ruling confirmed that gatekeepers cannot bypass interoperability requirements or fragment their platforms to evade accountability. This milestone brings us one step closer to true device neutrality, ensuring that both developers and users have the freedom to build, install, and run software on their own terms. If you want to learn more, we dedicated our latest Legal Corner article to it. On a related matter, in July we published an analysis for Tech Policy Press on the landmark Google Android antitrust ruling of the European Union Court of Justice. We argue that the real battle ahead isn't over contracts, but over who controls trust in the Android ecosystem, as Google's incoming Android Developer Verification scheme will make it much harder to distribute apps outside Google's own approval system. And one more reading recommendation! Our colleague Dr. Lucas Lasota, who also works at the Martin-Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, has just published a paper examining how interoperability regulation in the EU, Japan, the UK and Brazil can give Free Software access to features controlled by dominant proprietary platforms and help level the playing field for smaller developers and communities. At the same time, we are looking at how the European Commission updates the European Interoperability Framework. We are actively urging European decision-makers to adopt a "Free Software by default" model for all digital public services. Public administrations across Europe are more concerned than ever about digital sovereignty, and we are advocating for mandatory Open Standards, clearer procurement guidelines to prevent openwashing, and sustained funding for the digital commons. From the stages August is also the moment to talk about Free Software with our German community. As usual, we will attend FrOSCon! We will be there on 15 and 16 August with a booth and several talks: about CRA; Openwashing, and what the United Federation of Planets and the Free Software Foundation Europe have in common. Youth Hacking 4 Freedom Our programming competition for young European is into its next phase! The programming period for the current edition of YH4F wrapped up at the end of June. During July our jury of experts has reviewed all submitted projects and compiled a shortlist for interviews. From this list the jury members will select this year's six winning projects. If you or a young person you know missed out on this edition, don't worry: registration for the next edition of YH4F is open! Stay tuned for more announcements. Your support helps us move our work forward We may be behind the wheel, but youâre the ones keeping us moving forward. You can support us, contribute to our work, and join our community. Are you using social media? If so, do not forget to follow us there! You can also follow the FSFE news in your RSS Reader. Your editor,AnaSupport FSFEFSFE](https://fsfe.org/news/nl/nl-202608.en.html?ref=nupath.eu)
### Austrian military funds LibreOffice development for digital independence
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/austrian-military-funds-libreoffice-development-for-digital-independence/
Last updated: 2026-08-16T05:09:52.000Z
The Austrian Armed Forces (Bundesheer) sponsored new features in LibreOffice and adopted Open Document Format to enhance digital independence. The military issued a Europe-wide call for proposals to secure support and development capacity for the open-source suite, as revealed in a second interview with the Bundesheer. **(TDF COMMUNITY BLOG)**
[Why and how the Austrian Military moved to LibreOffice (Part 2) - TDF Community BlogThis is the second part of our interview with the Bundesheer (see here for the first). At the LibreOffice Conference 2025, you showcased the new LibreOffice features sponsored by the Austrian Armed Forces. How did that come about? From the very beginning, we clearly recognised the need to further deblog.documentfoundation.org](https://blog.documentfoundation.org/blog/2026/08/14/why-and-how-the-austrian-military-moved-to-libreoffice-part-2/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Italy and Germany adopt divergent cyber-defense strategies against hybrid threats
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/italy-and-germany-adopt-divergent-cyber-defense-strategies-against-hybrid-threats/
Last updated: 2026-08-15T04:33:22.000Z
Italy’s government approved on 4 August a bill strengthening the military’s cyber architecture, while Germany expanded intelligence services’ operational capabilities to counter hybrid operations. The contrasting approaches highlight Europe’s evolving security architecture to address AI-driven disinformation and cyberattacks, a critical dimension of digital sovereignty. **(DECODE39)**
[Italy and Germany are hardening against hybrid warfare — and here’s whyROME — Italy and Germany are moving to strengthen their defenses against hybrid threats, but their latest reforms point to two different approaches: Rome is building up the military’s cyber architecture, while Berlin is giving its intelligence services a more operational edge. The difference is emerging as European governments reassess how institutions designed for clearer distinctions between peace and conflict should respond to cyberattacks, espionage, disinformation and influence operations that deliberately blur those lines. Why it matters: The comparison is not simply about which country is moving faster. It highlights a broader European question: whether countering hybrid warfare requires stronger defensive structures, more offensive capabilities — or a combination of both. Italy’s government approved on Aug. 4 a broad bill strengthening the national defense apparatus in the cyber domain. The measure is now before Parliament. Germany, meanwhile, has moved ahead with a reform of its domestic and foreign intelligence services aimed at expanding their ability to actively counter hybrid operations. The two moves show Rome and Berlin responding to the same security environment while assigning different weight to military defense and intelligence capabilities. The Italian view: That contrast is at the center of an analysis by Niccolò Petrelli, an intelligence and national security scholar, published by our sister website Formiche.net. Petrelli argues that Berlin’s intelligence reform appears more explicitly operational, while Italy’s bill remains primarily focused on reorganizing and strengthening the military side of cyber defense. The Italian measure formally establishes a “national cyber space of interest for the defense and military security of the State,” whose perimeter is defined and updated by the defense minister. It also elevates cyber to a strategic military domain alongside land, sea and air. The reform reorganizes military intelligence through the Joint Cyber Intel Command– Reparto Informazioni e Sicurezza (COCI-RIS) and creates specialized cyber roles. Petrelli’s key distinction is about posture. In his reading, the German approach explicitly opens the door to active responses, while Italy remains more defensive and focused on containing hybrid threats in the military sphere. But Italy’s reform goes beyond a reshuffle. That distinction comes with an important qualification. Alberto Pagani, also an intelligence and national security scholar, writing for Formiche.net, places the Italian measure within a broader effort to adapt a fragmented security architecture to threats that increasingly cut across institutional boundaries. Italy’s national security responsibilities are currently distributed among several actors: the DIS intelligence coordination department; foreign intelligence agency AISE and domestic agency AISI; the National Cybersecurity Agency (ACN); the Interior Ministry; and the Defense Ministry. That architecture was built around a clearer division between intelligence, policing, cybersecurity and military defense. Hybrid warfare makes those distinctions harder to sustain. A hostile influence operation, Pagani notes, can simultaneously affect domestic political debate, public trust and critical infrastructure while being accompanied by cyberattacks. Between the lines: Seen from this perspective, the Italian reform is less about creating an offensive cyber instrument than about making the military component of the existing system more capable of operating inside that increasingly blurred environment. The bill turns the traditional military intelligence department into a joint Cyber Intel command, formally bringing conventional intelligence collection and the cyber domain closer together. It also creates a joint training center dedicated to combat and countering hybrid threats under the Chief of Defense Staff, bringing disinformation, electronic warfare and attacks on infrastructure into military training. A dedicated military cyber specialist career is also envisaged, alongside measures intended to support military technological research and accelerate the acquisition and testing of new systems. Pagani therefore reads the legislation as a “structural transition” for Italian defense rather than simply an administrative change. Zoom out: Germany. Germany is taking a different route. The reform of the BND, Germany’s foreign intelligence service, and the BfV, its domestic intelligence service, is designed to move the agencies beyond a predominantly defensive model of information collection and analysis. As described in the analyses published by Formiche.net, the German framework expands the space for active measures against hostile hybrid activities. Among the envisaged capabilities are the possibility of accessing and manipulating data in cyber systems connected to hostile operations, disabling infrastructure and interrupting financial flows. The reform also broadens the potential use of spyware and artificial intelligence, as well as online surveillance and the retention of data collected through those activities. For Petrelli, this is the critical difference: Germany is moving toward a model that can include “strike-back,” sabotage and counter-hacking operations. Italy, by contrast, has so far chosen to strengthen its defensive architecture without a comparable redefinition of offensive powers. The bigger picture: The Italian move looks less cautious when viewed against the longer trajectory of European allies. Pagani notes that France has been developing an integrated cyber-defense structure since the creation of Comcyber in 2016, later establishing a doctrine for military operations in the information sphere. The United Kingdom combines the non-kinetic and information activities of the 77th Brigade with the offensive cyber capabilities brought together in the National Cyber Force. Germany had already elevated its Cyber- und Informationsraum command in 2024, giving the cyber and information domain a more central place within the Bundeswehr. The message for Italy: Rome is not designing its approach in isolation. It is trying to close a gap with allies that started adapting their military and intelligence structures earlier — while preserving an Italian institutional architecture in which defense, intelligence and civilian cybersecurity retain distinct responsibilities. That helps explain why Petrelli’s and Pagani’s readings are complementary. Petrelli identifies the limitation: Italy has not yet made the shift toward the more active posture now visible in Germany. Pagani identifies the significance of what Rome has done: formally bringing cyber, intelligence and hybrid threats deeper into military organization, training and career structures. What we’re watching: The Italian bill still faces Parliament, making its final shape one of the immediate variables to watch. The larger question raised by the two analyses is what comes next. Petrelli argues that Italy should now consider whether the changing hybrid threat warrants “a less defensive and reactive posture” in national security and defense. Pagani, meanwhile, points to another challenge: ensuring that a stronger role for the Defense Ministry does not create overlaps with ACN and the intelligence agencies. The bottom line: Germany’s answer to hybrid warfare is pushing intelligence toward more active disruption. Italy’s is strengthening the military cyber system and the institutional machinery around it. For Italian security analysts, the distinction matters — but so does the direction of travel. Rome is moving from treating cyber and hybrid threats largely as specialized functions toward embedding them more deeply in national defense. The next debate is whether that institutional upgrade will be enough, or whether Italy will eventually follow Berlin toward a more active posture. The post Italy and Germany are hardening against hybrid warfare — and here’s why appeared first on Decode39.Decode39](https://decode39.com/16160/italy-and-germany-are-hardening-against-hybrid-warfare-and-heres-why/?ref=nupath.eu)
### French court blocks social media ban for under-15s
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/french-court-blocks-social-media-ban-for-under-15s/
Last updated: 2026-08-15T04:31:02.000Z
France's Constitutional Council struck down a bill banning social media access for under-15s from September, ruling the restrictions disproportionately infringe minors' freedom of expression. The government plans to revise the draft by spring 2027, aligning with the court's call for parental flexibility. The ruling may influence EU-wide measures expected from the European Commission in September. **(POLITICO)**
[French court blocks social media ban for under 15s](https://www.politico.eu/article/french-constitutional-court-shoots-down-social-media-ban-for-minors/?utm%5Fsource=RSS%5FFeed&utm%5Fmedium=RSS&utm%5Fcampaign=RSS%5FSyndication) (Politico)
### Poland reverses Starlink roaming price hike
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/poland-reverses-starlink-roaming-price-hike/
Last updated: 2026-08-15T04:29:54.000Z
Poland secured a reversal of SpaceX’s decision to exclude the country from Starlink’s European roaming zone, averting a price doubling for Polish users. The move follows days of pressure and raises concerns over Europe’s reliance on non-EU satellite internet providers amid geopolitical tensions. **(EURONEWS)**
[Poland forces Starlink U-turn over roaming price hikeSpaceX has reversed a decision to exclude Poland from Starlink's European roaming zone, days before new rules would have doubled prices for Polish users and reignited questions over the company's reliability as Ukraine's wartime lifeline.Euronews](http://www.euronews.com/next/2026/08/14/poland-forces-starlink-u-turn-over-roaming-price-hike?ref=nupath.eu)
### AI exposes weaknesses in post-quantum cryptography candidates
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/ai-exposes-weaknesses-in-post-quantum-cryptography-candidates/
Last updated: 2026-08-15T04:29:07.000Z
AI systems have reduced the safety of a post-quantum cryptography (PQC) candidate algorithm, HAWK, cutting its key strength in half within 60 hours. The finding accelerates the EU's transition to quantum-resistant encryption as NIST advances nine new digital signature schemes for standardisation. eeNews Europe reports. **(EENEWS EUROPE)**
[Third round of PQC algorithms faces AI threatA new phase in post-quantum cryptography (PQC) is underway, with the field of candidate digital signature algorithms narrowing just as AI systems begin to expose weaknesses in the very schemes designed to withstand quantum attacks. After a decade of assessments and three rounds of evaluation and analysis, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the US selected the first four algorithms to be standardised that are resistant to cracking by quantum computers. Nine new algorithms are now going forward for assessment over the next two years in the face of AI attacks. The race to secure data The public-key encapsulation mechanism (KEM) selected for standardisation for post-quantum cryptography (PQC) was CRYSTALS-KYBER (ML-KEM). The digital signatures selected were CRYSTALS-Dilithium (ML-DSA), FALCON (FN-DSA), and SPHINCS+ (SLH-DSA). Except for SPHINCS+, all of these schemes are based on structured lattices. While several non-lattice-based KEMs remained under consideration in the fourth round, no signature schemes remained. So in September 2022, NIST called for additional digital signature proposals to be considered to diversify its post-quantum signature portfolio. Since two signature schemes based on structured lattices had already been standardized, NIST expressed particular interest in additional general-purpose signature schemes based on a security assumption that did not use structured lattices as well as signature schemes with short signatures and fast verification. Forty algorithms were evaluated in the first round and reduced to fourteen second-round candidates. Now, after 18 months of evaluation, NIST has selected nine candidates for the third round of the Additional Digital Signatures for the PQC standardisation process. The advancing digital signature algorithms are: FAEST HAWK MAYO MQOM QR-UOV SDitH SNOVA SQIsign UOV These third-round candidates will have the opportunity to submit tweaks to the specifications and implementations and this third phase of evaluation and review is expected to last approximately two years. However, AI has already reduced the safety of one of these algorithms, HAWK, and the existing AES encryption scheme. Researchers at AI developer Anthropic have discovered improved ways to attack HAWK, a digital signature scheme that was built for a post-quantum world. The second identifies a new way to attack round-reduced AES, the most widely used symmetric cipher. Anthropic’s Claude framework had previously found bugs in cryptographic libraries as the result of the incorrect implementation of the algorithms. Now, the same team has found that Claude’s successor, Mythos, is able to find mathematical flaws in the algorithms themselves. One paper details an improved attack against a digital signature scheme called HAWK, one of the third-round candidates under consideration from this call. Despite HAWK having survived two rounds of expert human review over a period of two years, Mythos was able to improve the best-known attack on it in just 60 hours of work—effectively cutting its key strength in half. The second result concerns the current Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) symmetric cipher adopted by NIST in 2001\. This has received more scrutiny than almost any other encryption algorithm, and weaker variations of the algorithm are regularly studied in cryptography research; Mythos found a way to break one such weaker version, and eliminated one of the guesses an attacker needs to make, improving the speed of the previous best attacks by 200 to 800x. Both results show the potential for frontier AI models to help discover flaws in important cryptographic algorithms, both before and after real-world deployment. This is cryptography research working as intended: stress-testing algorithms to build trust and ultimately make systems more secure. Mythos achieved these results mostly autonomously and mostly without human intervention. Each of the results cost roughly $100,000 in API costs to develop. The researchers also worked with academics at ETH Zurich, Tel Aviv University, and TU Berlin to build CryptanalysisBench, a benchmark that packages together many cryptographic ciphers and makes it easy for others to evaluate the capabilities of large language models (LLMs) on this important topic. The Five Eyes consortium of the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand is also highlighting the risks posed by AI to encryption technologies. “Adversaries are already using AI to move faster and more effectively. Defenders must do the same,” it said in June 2026\. “Organizations that integrate AI tools into their security operations can detect vulnerabilities earlier, improve software quality, monitor unusual behaviour, and respond faster to incidents – reducing both the cost and impact of incidents. Success will not come from having the most tools. It will come from getting the basics right, acting quickly, and integrating cyber security into core business strategy. The rapid pace of frontier AI development means cyber risk assumptions can become outdated in months, not years.” Quantum timeline Microsoft has acknowledged that the quantum-safe timeline has changed and these PQC algorithms will need to be fully implemented by 2030\. For years, planning for post-quantum cryptography (PQC) was framed as a future problem: important, inevitable, but distant. That perspective is evolving as technology advances and organizations prepare for the scale and complexity of the transition ahead. “At Microsoft, we are acting on this shift by bringing our quantum-safe timeline forward so organizations can begin the transition earlier and with greater confidence,” said Mark Russinovich, Chief Technology Officer for Microsoft Azure. “Advances in quantum research and development have shifted the risk horizon,” he said. “We believe cryptographically relevant quantum computers could arrive sooner than previously expected—and the work required to prepare is significant so organizations need to start now.” Recent government actions, including US and French guidance to adopt quantum-safe cryptography as early as 2030 in certain high-risk systems, reflect the same conclusion: preparing for this transition is already underway. “In response to these shifts, we are accelerating the Microsoft Quantum Safe Program (QSP) timeline, and the goal is to transition products and services to PQC by 2029,” he said. Accelerating the timeline means pulling forward key engineering work so new standards can be adopted earlier and modernization can begin well ahead of broad quantum impact. Modernizing network cryptography is a prerequisite for post-quantum adoption. As an example, adopting TLS 1.3 establishes a baseline that enables hybrid and post-quantum key exchange as standards mature. The ability to change cryptography without redesigning systems enables the safe, timely adoption of new cryptographic standards. This crypto-agility requires making cryptographic settings configurable outside of the application, standardizing key management and rotation, and eliminating hard-coded algorithms. The most complex work is securing the chains of trust that underpin software, devices, and services at scale. That includes code signing, certificate issuance, key protection, and update pipelines. This includes hardware-backed key protection, updated certificate lifetimes and policies, and auditable signing and issuance processes for critical trust anchors, with a transition to PQC algorithms as they become available. For most organizations, the hardest part isn’t selecting post-quantum algorithms. It’s understanding and updating where cryptography already exists across apps, services, networks, identities, certificates, and hardware. “Across industries and regions, organizations are already taking steps, with several consistent themes emerging,” he said. Building crypto‑agility into systems delivers long-term resilience so new cryptography standards can be adopted over time without redesigning systems. Long-lived, sensitive data requires earlier protection. Organizations are prioritizing data with long confidentiality lifetimes, recognising that encrypted data captured today could be exposed in the future (harvest now, decrypt later) as cryptographic capabilities evolve. Executive order This is reflected in the recent Executive Order from the US administration. Executive Order 14409 mandates the transition to post-quantum cryptography. Securing the Nation Against Advanced Cryptographic Attacks accelerates the transition from legacy cryptography and provides a sharp focus for federal agencies, critical infrastructure operators, and industry, supply chain and vendors. If you do business with the US government, compliance is no longer optional. This legally binding defence strategy aims to counteract the Harvest-Now-Decrypt-Later threat from foreign adversaries, and it marks a significant escalation in the US defence posture against quantum computing. It’s a fundamental shift, from encouraging quantum readiness to enforcing it, and it alters the timeline for PQC adoption, with hard deadlines replacing ‘best efforts’ and deploying the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (FAR) to force contractor compliance, according to Matthew Stubbs, an engineer at UK cryptography specialist PQShield. The order establishes explicit, legally binding compliance deadlines for key establishment by 2030, with another year for the implementation of digital signatures and identity verification. There is now a requirement for the Department of Commerce to complete an active PQC migration pilot by the end of 2027\. The aim is to provide an immediate blueprint for the rest of the ecosystem. The EO also tasks the State Department with the challenge of driving international adoption, and establishes NIST standards as the de facto standard for critical infrastructure. US agencies are now required to designate a dedicated PQC Migration Lead, and crypto-agility is now an explicit requirement for federal procurement and ongoing contracts, and is no longer a buzzword. Contractors will have to meet strict standards and vulnerability disclosure policies by the end of 2030\. This is reflected by timelines around the world. ANSSI, the French cybersecurity agency, will require quantum-resistant encryption from 2027 so that French businesses and government bodies purchase exclusively quantum-safe products by 2030\. The EU Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) has published the first draft of Version 3 of the Agreed Cryptographic Mechanisms (ACM) document. The draft marks a significant move by defining which cryptographic functions are accepted by all national cybersecurity certification authorities (NCCAs) for products undergoing European Cybersecurity Certifications. With quantum threats advancing, the lifespan of the algorithms needs rethinking. So ENISA is replacing legacy algorithms with a scheme that gives the newer algorithms a timeline, a date for when an algorithm should be deprecated. Version 3 has already removed a number of mechanisms, including SGA-224 and SHA-512\. AES key length Some commentators suggest the quantum threat requires an immediate doubling of symmetric key lengths (for example, using AES-256 rather than AES-128). However ENISA points out that key doubling is not strictly necessary for PQC use. The suggestion here is a key length longer than 192\. Appendix C of the draft also details how the document will adapt in the future, including the pipeline for new algorithms. To be included in future versions, candidate algorithms should be standardised and stable for a minimum of two years, as well as highly secure. They also need to be peer-reviewed for side-channel analysis and fault-attack testing, with public documentation. Consultation has just finished for Version 3 of ENISA’s document. This is not a minor update. It’s a structural realignment for the post-quantum era, and it’s likely to define the EUCC certification of cryptographic products of the future. This concept represents a deviation from the approach recommended by NIST and CNSA 2.0, where “Deprecated” and “Disallowed” mechanisms are all mandated to be phased out by no later than 2033 with no extensions proposed. “EO 14409 draws a line in the sand,” said Stubbs. “Quantum readiness is now an active compliance milestone, and the tightened timelines make PQC migration a priority that organizations cannot afford to delay. Increasingly, the overhaul of cryptographic systems is becoming a significant discussion at boardroom level, and the time to build strategic PQC roadmaps is now.” “There’s little doubt: this is a new age for cybersecurity, and the US is lighting the way, with aggressive timelines and PQC requirements, alongside rapidly advancing technology and shrinking implementation windows. The quantum era is here,” said Stubbs. The post Third round of PQC algorithms faces AI threat appeared first on eeNews Europe.eeNews Europe](https://www.eenewseurope.com/en/third-round-of-pqc-algorithms-faces-ai-threat/?ref=nupath.eu)
### EU explores alternatives to US card payment dominance
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-explores-alternatives-to-us-card-payment-dominance/
Last updated: 2026-08-14T05:19:43.000Z
The European Union examines options including the digital euro, private interoperability schemes and Brazil's PIX model to reduce reliance on US card payment networks. The initiative aims to secure payment autonomy both domestically and in cross-border transactions. **(EURONEWS)**
[Financial sovereignty, digital euro and payment roaming: EU seeks alternatives to US cards | EuronewsFrom the digital euro to private interoperability and Brazil's PIX, the race for sovereignty is on, but the real test is securing payment autonomy at home and abroad.euronews.com](https://www.euronews.com/business/2026/08/13/financial-sovereignty-digital-euro-and-payment-roaming-eu-seeks-alternatives-to-us-cards?ref=nupath.eu)
### Will open source save us all?
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/will-open-source-save-us-all/
Last updated: 2026-08-30T14:14:27.000Z
From a digital sovereignty perspective, the answer is: No, not right now, but maybe later. The real case for open-source software *today* is resilience and the freedom to act alone, but not sovereignty. The sovereignty case is in *the future*, and it is up to Europe to build it.
It's a common mistake to think that EU digital sovereignty requires switching to open source, particularly when debating public sector IT. But they are not the same thing. The current situation is that if governments want to switch to open source in general, that just means putting their dependency on a small group of enthusiasts distributed across Europe (or even across the world) maintaining a system. If they're purchasing open-source distributions from a commercial company, it can look like the same dependency as before, just with a different supplier, who might happen to reside in the EU.
You can watch this happen in the tender documents. "Open source" appears as a requirement, a box is ticked, and the sovereignty question is treated as closed. Nobody asks who maintains the thing, or where it will actually run, or what happens to the support contract when the supplier is acquired by a company headquartered somewhere else.
Open source *is* a long-term necessity for digital sovereignty. But in the short term, it could be argued that it is more of a virtue signal than something that makes you more sovereign. Open-source-ness doesn't rub off on your organisation, and at best it's sovereignty theatre; an arrangement that changes where the applications or data lives without changing who controls the keys to the building. The code may be open, but if you lack the capacity to maintain, secure, and evolve it, you've merely swapped one form of dependency for another. Open source was not created to solve the digital sovereignty problem, and it shows.
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### Berlin group files criminal complaint against Meta AI glasses
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/berlin-group-files-criminal-complaint-against-meta-ai-glasses/
Last updated: 2026-08-13T05:20:37.000Z
A Berlin-based non-profit has filed a criminal complaint against Meta’s AI-powered smart glasses, alleging they breach Germany’s privacy laws. The complaint targets Meta, Ray-Ban, Oakley and several retailers, citing covert filming risks. Germany’s regulator approved the devices in 2022, but HateAid demands stricter safeguards. **(POLITICO)**
[Meta AI glasses face criminal complaint in Germany](https://www.politico.eu/article/meta-ai-glasses-face-criminal-complaint-in-germany/?utm%5Fsource=RSS%5FFeed&utm%5Fmedium=RSS&utm%5Fcampaign=RSS%5FSyndication) (Politico)
### Poland threatens to cut Starlink funding over roaming restrictions
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/poland-threatens-to-cut-starlink-funding-over-roaming-restrictions/
Last updated: 2026-08-13T05:19:20.000Z
Poland’s foreign minister Radosław Sikorski threatened to reconsider Warsaw’s $50 million annual spending on Starlink after SpaceX excluded Poland from a shared European roaming zone. The new restrictions, which apply to new customers from July 14 2026 and existing users from August 17 2026, will require Polish users to meet extra requirements when traveling abroad. POLITICO reports. **(POLITICO)**
[Poland rekindles Musk feud over Starlink snub](https://www.politico.eu/article/poland-starlink-roaming-restrictions-radoslaw-sikorski-elon-musk/?utm%5Fsource=RSS%5FFeed&utm%5Fmedium=RSS&utm%5Fcampaign=RSS%5FSyndication) (Politico)
### Alice & Bob joins EU quantum error correction network
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/alice-bob-joins-eu-quantum-error-correction-network/
Last updated: 2026-08-13T05:18:53.000Z
The EU-funded QuBriC Doctoral Network adds Alice & Bob to its 16-university and seven-company consortium, training 15 doctoral researchers in quantum error correction. Backed by €4.6 million over 48 months through Horizon Europe’s MSCA programme, the initiative aims to bridge gaps between classical coding theory and quantum hardware. Alice & Bob contributes expertise in cat-qubit-based error correction. **(TECH.EU)**
[MSCA-backed QuBriC brings Alice & Bob into Europe’s quantum error correction pushToday sees the expansion of QuBriC, Europe's first Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Network dedicated to quantum error correction (QEC), with the addition of fault-tolerant quantum computing scaleup Alice & Bob. QuBriC brings together 16 universities and seven quantum companies across Europe, including ETH Zürich, TU Delft, UCL, INRIA, Riverlane and IQM, to recruit and train 15 doctoral researchers. Backed by €4.6 million in funding over 48 months through Horizon Europe's MSCA programme, the network will develop a new generation of researchers capable of tackling one of quantum computing's biggest technical challenges: quantum error correction. Quantum error correction is widely recognised as the key to building scalable, fault-tolerant quantum computers. Yet expertise remains fragmented, with researchers typically specialising in either classical coding theory or quantum physics. QuBriC aims to bridge that divide by training researchers across the full quantum error correction stack - from theory and algorithms to hardware implementation. As an industry partner, Alice & Bob will help shape the network's research and training while contributing expertise in cat-qubit-based error correction. For the company, QuBriC provides access to a pipeline of highly specialised talent and an academic network closely aligned on fault-tolerant quantum computing. The MSCA program is celebrating its 30th birthday, having advanced research and innovation for the last 30 years. It has supported over 150,000 researchers, including 23 Nobel Prize winners. The programme has been a cornerstone of European research by fostering mobility across disciplines, sectors, and countries and attracting and nurturing top talent within academia and businesses. Unlike traditional research grants, MSCA Doctoral Networks fund international consortia of universities, research organisations and industry partners to jointly recruit, train and supervise PhD researchers. Doctoral candidates undertake interdisciplinary research while working across academic and industrial environments, equipping them with the technical and transferable skills needed to address major scientific and technological challenges. "Quantum error correction sits at the heart of any fault-tolerant quantum computer, interacting with all aspects of it. As such, it requires expertise spanning seemingly separate disciplines," said Christophe Vuillot, Principal Research Scientist , QEC at Alice & Bob. "QuBriC brings together leading universities, research institutes and quantum companies to train researchers and bridge these gaps, combining expertise from quantum information, coding theory and hardware engineering. This next generation of researchers will be essential to accelerating the path to useful, fault-tolerant quantum computers." Advised by Nobel Prize-winning researchers, Alice & Bob specialises in cat qubits, a technology developed by the company’s founders. It aims to create the first universal, fault-tolerant quantum computer. Demonstrating the power of its cat architecture, Alice & Bob recently showed that it could reduce the hardware requirements for building a useful large-scale quantum computer up to 200 times compared with competing approaches. Founded in 2020, the company has raised €180 million in funding and employs more than 250 people. Tech.eu](https://tech.eu/2026/08/12/msca-backed-qubric-brings-alice-bob-into-europes-quantum-error-correction-push/?ref=nupath.eu)
### EU watchdogs urge stricter AI rules for financial sector resilience
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-watchdogs-urge-stricter-ai-rules-for-financial-sector-resilience/
Last updated: 2026-08-13T12:16:58.000Z
European supervisory authorities call for tighter controls on artificial intelligence in financial services to address systemic risks. The proposal aims to strengthen Europe's digital sovereignty by ensuring AI systems in critical infrastructure remain secure and resilient. The initiative follows broader EU efforts to regulate AI-driven technologies across sectors. **(BRUSSELS TIMES)**
[EU watchdogs demand AI risk crackdown to protect financial sector resilience - The Brussels TimesEU watchdogs demand AI risk crackdown to protect financial sector resilience The Brussels TimesBrussels Times](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixAFBVV95cUxNVUxYRURoRjRFaG5yVzdmc3pHME0yVWt5M1hsbVJONWlGMWt2a2JPOE1fdFYySjZudUpoT0ZrUXBJRFh5VWg2dFR0M3EzTlNCOXZVcDkybWVUalA3NnBfZHpaQm9ET09QMDREbU52eDhKRlhqVEl4ZThYd3dobjhnREoyeVpRd25NZTdOaGpWdHY3b3pYTXNXeklVWEJNWUJabDNNVDBpUHJEX1Rid0Y2Nng0cGM1X2pMUHJWWDRFa2V2c28t?oc=5&ref=nupath.eu)
### Anthropic watermarks Claude output globally for EU AI Act
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/anthropic-watermarks-claude-output-globally-for-eu-ai-act/
Last updated: 2026-08-12T04:15:29.000Z
Anthropic will invisibly watermark all text and file output from its Claude AI model starting 2 August to meet EU AI Act transparency requirements. The watermarking will apply worldwide, regardless of user location, demonstrating the EU's regulatory influence on global AI governance. **(EURONEWS)**
[EU compliance, delivered globally: Anthropic to watermark Claude's output worldwideAnthropic will invisibly watermark all of Claude's text and file output from 2 August to meet EU AI Act transparency rules, with the marking applied globally, whether or not the user is anywhere near Brussels.Euronews](http://www.euronews.com/next/2026/08/11/eu-compliance-delivered-globally-anthropic-to-watermark-claudes-output-worldwide?ref=nupath.eu)
### Kyndryl and Microsoft expand sovereign cloud services partnership
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/kyndryl-and-microsoft-expand-sovereign-cloud-services-partnership/
Last updated: 2026-08-11T04:54:21.000Z
Kyndryl and Microsoft expand their partnership to offer sovereign cloud capabilities, combining Kyndryl Sovereignty Solutioning with Microsoft’s Azure and Azure Local offerings. The collaboration aims to help organisations meet data residency, compliance and operational independence requirements under frameworks like GDPR, DORA and NIS2\. **(CYPRUS MAIL)**
[Kyndryl and Microsoft partner to expand sovereign cloud servicesEnterprise technology services provider Kyndryl has announced the expansion of its sovereignty solutioning through new capabilities and services developed with Microsoft. According to its statement, the collaboration combines Kyndryl Sovereignty Solutioning with Microsoft Sovereign Cloud capabilities, helping customers design, build and operate cloud architectures that align with evolving data residency and operational requirements while maintaining flexibility and innovation. In particular, the capabilities support the full spectrum of Microsoft’s sovereign cloud approach, including public cloud capabilities and private cloud solutions using Microsoft Azure Local. Together, Kyndryl and Microsoft will help organisations address sovereignty across data and operational domains, translating regulatory frameworks into practical, scalable architectures that support modernisation, AI-enabled use cases and long-term compliance. The expanded offering comes as governments and highly regulated industries navigate geopolitical uncertainty, growing data localisation preferences and increasingly complex IT environments. As sovereignty becomes a design principle for IT strategies, organisations need trusted partners capable of translating regulatory frameworks such as GDPR, DORA and NIS2 into practical architectures. The joint capabilities combine Kyndryl’s advisory, engineering and operational expertise with Microsoft’s sovereign cloud offerings. Giovanni Carraro, Global Strategic Alliances Leader at Kyndryl, said that “Kyndryl understands the reality of sovereignty through our firsthand experience with government expectations in Europe, and our strategic alliance with Microsoft brings together complementary strengths to help customers operationalize sovereignty in a practical, scalable way”. Moreover, he added that “By collaborating with Microsoft, we can help customers align their sovereignty goals with real-world architectures, thus balancing control, resilience and performance across hybrid and distributed environments.” Ihab Foudeh, EMEA Enterprise Partner Solutions General Manager at Microsoft, for his part, said that “Kyndryl’s deep expertise in designing and operating complex, regulated environments complements Microsoft’s comprehensive sovereign cloud capabilities, including controls designed to support data residency requirements, access governance and regulatory compliance”. At the same time, he noted that “Together, we are helping organizations adopt cloud services in ways that respect their local requirements while still enabling modernization and innovation.” As part of the offering, customers can use Kyndryl’s Sovereignty Readiness Assessment to evaluate their current position across data, operational and technical domains. The assessment will help organisations identify gaps and dependencies before developing a phased roadmap that reflects their individual sovereignty requirements. Kyndryl will then support implementation and ongoing operations through sovereignty-ready architectures incorporating Microsoft Sovereign Cloud capabilities. More specifically, these include public cloud solutions using Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365, alongside sovereign private cloud solutions using Azure Local. The latter can operate through connected and disconnected deployment models designed to support different levels of data residency, operational independence and jurisdictional control, depending on each organisation’s requirements. Furthermore, the complementary and unified approach supports sensitive and regulated workloads, including AI-enabled use cases, with a particular focus on data governance and model locality. Kyndryl also brings experience in managing mission-critical systems from end to end. Through the collaboration, the company can help customers integrate Microsoft’s sovereign public cloud capabilities alongside private cloud solutions, regional providers and on-premises infrastructure. Consequently, organisations will be able to maintain flexibility and choice while operating under sovereignty constraints with the appropriate controls and visibility. Governments and organisations operating in highly regulated industries, including financial services, can use the capabilities to support workloads requiring strict data residency, enhanced auditability and controlled operational access within national or regional boundaries. Cyprus Mail](https://cyprus-mail.com/2026/08/11/kyndryl-and-microsoft-partner-to-expand-sovereign-cloud-services?ref=nupath.eu)
### EU financial firms face DORA penalties as enforcement begins
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-financial-firms-face-dora-penalties-as-enforcement-begins/
Last updated: 2026-08-11T04:43:15.000Z
The enforcement era of the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) has started after the European Supervisory Authorities published the first incident overview on 3 June 2026\. National authorities are now cross-checking ICT risk management data and issuing penalties, with fines ranging up to 20 million euros or 10% of turnover depending on the member state. Only 50% of institutions expected to reach full compliance by end-2025, leaving documented gaps in Register of Information submissions for many firms. **(THERECURSIVE)**
[DORA Is No Longer a DeadlineJanuary 17, 2025 came and went. Most firms exhaled.They shouldn't have.On June 3, 2026, the European Supervisory Authorities published their first DORA incident overview. An oversight document based on actual incident data from regulated entities across the EU. That's the moment the enforcement era became real.National competent authorities are now cross-checking Register of Information data automatically and issuing the first compulsion payments. The informal tolerance that characterised 2025 supervision is finished.Here's what makes this uncomfortable: according to Deloitte research, only 50% of institutions expected to reach full compliance by end of 2025\. A further 38% pushed their target into 2026\. That means somewhere between a third and half of all regulated entities are entering active enforcement with documented gaps. And 60 to 70% of EU financial institutions described their Register of Information as a 'work in progress' at the January 2025 deadline.Work in progress doesn't cut it when supervisors are cross-checking your submissions automatically.What the penalties actually look like?The penalty framework varies by member state, which is itself part of the problem. Belgium allows fines up to 5 million euros or 10% of annual turnover. Italy up to 20 million euros or 10%. Ireland up to 10 million euros. Germany and the Netherlands up to 5 million euros. The Czech Republic sits at the lower end with a 2 million euro ceiling. Croatia has taken a different approach, capping penalties at 3% of total annual income.And then there are the laggards. In March 2025, the European Commission opened infringement procedures against Poland and Bulgaria, alongside 11 other member states, for failing to fully transpose DORA into national law. Both countries are still completing their legislative alignment. The irony is pointed: DORA's enforcement era has begun, but some of the regulators responsible for enforcing it are themselves still catching up.Individual executives face personal fines of up to 1 million euros in most jurisdictions, and in Germany and Italy up to 5 million euros.For critical ICT third-party providers, all of which were formally designated under DORA oversight in November 2025, including AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, the daily penalty structure is the most aggressive: up to 1% of average daily worldwide turnover for each day of continued non-compliance, for up to six months. For a firm the size of Amazon or Microsoft, that is not a rounding error.Beyond the fines: regulators can suspend or prohibit specific ICT services, require the appointment of a special manager, temporarily ban senior managers from exercising management functions, and issue public notices of violation. Reputational damage from a public enforcement notice typically exceeds the direct financial penalty. Rating agencies and institutional investors treat it as a governance signal.Where most firms are still exposed?The Register of Information problem is the most widespread and least solved. DORA requires firms to map, monitor, and contractually govern every ICT third-party relationship. Most fintechs built their technology stacks on layers of dependencies, cloud providers, payment processors, fraud detection tools, data vendors, without the governance infrastructure DORA now demands.The incident reporting timeline is another gap. Major ICT incidents require initial notification within 4 hours, an intermediate report within 72 hours, and a final report within one month. Most firms either don't have tested incident response procedures at all, or have procedures that exist on paper but have never been stress-tested against real timelines.And then there's the board question. DORA explicitly places responsibility for ICT risk management on the management body. If your board cannot speak to the firm's DORA compliance posture when a supervisor asks, and they are asking, that is a governance failure before it is a technical one.What comes next?The enforcement posture in 2026 is risk-based. Supervisors are prioritising institutions with the largest third-party exposures and the most significant gaps first. That means smaller fintechs and payment institutions may have a short window to close their gaps before supervisory attention reaches them.That window is not indefinite. The firms cross-checking your Register of Information data automatically are not waiting for your remediation plan. They are building their enforcement queue.The firms that treat this as an operational upgrade, not a compliance exercise, will come through this cycle stronger. Better vendor relationships, cleaner governance, more credible posture with banks and institutional partners. The firms that don't will learn the difference between a deadline and enforcement the hard way.The Recursive](https://www.therecursive.com/dora-is-no-longer-a-deadline-what-are-the-penalties/?ref=nupath.eu)
### OpenID launches certification for digital identity protocols
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/openid-launches-certification-for-digital-identity-protocols/
Last updated: 2026-08-11T04:38:28.000Z
The OpenID Foundation opens self-certification for OpenID4VP and OpenID4VCI protocols to validate implementations of digital identity issuance and verification. The move supports interoperability in the EU Digital Identity Wallet ecosystem and follows successful interoperability tests where OpenID4VP passed 98% and OpenID4VCI passed up to 82% of tests. The protocols are already used in over 30 jurisdictions, including all EU member states. **(BIOMETRICUPDATE)**
[OpenID opens certification for digital ID issuance, verification protocolsDigital wallet providers, digital identity and credential issuers, verifiers and government agencies can now use test suites developed by the OpenID Foundation for self-certification to common digital identity and verifiable credentials specifications. The Foundation opened self-certification conformance tests for OpenID for Verifiable Presentations (OpenID4VP)and OpenID for Verifiable Credential Issuance (OpenID4VCI) to give implementers a clear way to validate that they’ve followed the specifications correctly. OpenID4VP and OpenID4VCI are used with the High Assurance Interoperability Profile (HAIP), and OpenID anticipated the launch of the conformance test suites near the end of last year, calling it “a defining moment for global digital identity systems worldwide.” While slightly delayed from the original release schedule, that moment has arrived. “Until now, there has been no independent way for governments, regulators or ecosystem partners to verify that different implementations of OpenID for Verifiable Presentations and OpenID for Verifiable Credential Issuance would actually work together or meet the security requirements built into these specifications,” says OpenID Foundation Executive Director Gail Hodges. The organization notes that implementers around the world have carried out extensive real-word interoperability testing for the protocols. During the last of these, in November, OpenID4VP 1.0+ HAIP 1.0 passed 98 percent of tests and OpenID4VCI 1.0+HAIP 1.0 passed 73 percent in one configuration and 82 percent in another. The protocols are already implemented within the digital identity systems of more than 30 jurisdictions around the world, according to the announcement. Those include all EU member states, the UK, Switzerland, India, and California. Dozens more are considering joining them. “We want to support all our app and wallet developers to implement these standards correctly on our platform,” says Google Android Auth Identity and Payments Lead Lee Campbell. “With the release of these conformance tests, we now have a proven mechanism to ensure security, interoperability, and consistency across the Android ecosystem.” Validating implementations of OpenID4VCI for credential issuance and OpenID4VP for presentations and verification of credentials from wallets is therefore important and timely. The Foundation is also engaged in active talks around conformance requirements and support programs for local implementers with organizations within the EU Digital Identity Wallet ecosystem. "This is also a firm foundation from which individual jurisdictions can build and tailor their own conformance requirements to meet their specific needs,” Hodges adds. “We are calling on every implementer of OpenID4VP, OpenID4VCI and HAIP to self-certify now and be among the first publicly recognized for meeting this global standard." "The OpenID4VC test suite fills a critical gap in the ecosystem,” comments Hopae Head of Research Lukas Han in the announcement. “As implementers, we've long needed a way to validate conformance against the spec rather than against each other's interpretations of it. This is what makes interoperability real instead of aspirational." OIDF charges the same “modest” fees for submitting self-certification applications as for OpenID Connect certifications, and plans to call out early adopters over the first 14 days.Biometric Update](https://www.biometricupdate.com/202608/openid-opens-certification-for-digital-id-issuance-verification-protocols?ref=nupath.eu)
### Moody’s warns AI adoption risks banks’ reliance on tech giants
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/moodys-warns-ai-adoption-risks-banks-reliance-on-tech-giants/
Last updated: 2026-08-12T04:22:00.000Z
Moody’s warns that banks’ rapid adoption of AI increases their dependence on a small group of US tech firms, exposing them to systemic risks such as outages and price increases. The financial sector faces substantial investment needs while integrating AI into operations, according to the rating agency. **(GUARDIAN)**
[AI push is putting banks at mercy of tech firms, warns Moody’sFinance sector will gain from the tech but it will need substantial investment and create risks, says rating agencyThe rating agency Moody’s has said the race to adopt AI is putting big banks at the mercy of a small group of Silicon Valley firms, leaving them vulnerable to widespread outages and price gouging by profit-hungry tech bosses.The financial sector’s efforts to integrate AI into day-to-day operations will eventually cut costs and increase revenues across the City and Wall Street, Moody’s said. Continue reading...Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/aug/09/ai-push-banks-tech-firms-moodys-risks-financial-sector?ref=nupath.eu)
### Infomaniak CEO claims full European tech sovereignty achievable
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/infomaniak-ceo-claims-full-european-tech-sovereignty-achievable/
Last updated: 2026-08-10T06:02:39.000Z
Marc Oehler, CEO of Swiss cloud provider Infomaniak, argues Europe possesses the software required for total technological sovereignty, though long-term challenges remain in talent acquisition and hardware supply chains. The statement underscores ongoing debates on Europe's digital autonomy amid geopolitical tensions. **(CYBERNEWS)**
[Infomaniak CEO says total European tech sovereignty is possible | CybernewsMarch Oehler, CEO of Swiss-based cloud provider Infomaniak, says Europe has the necessary software for total tech sovereignty, but there are long-term challenges of talent and hardware.cybernews.com](https://cybernews.com/tech/infomaniak-marc-oehler/?utm%5Fsource=cn%5Ffacebook&utm%5Fmedium=social&utm%5Fcampaign=cybernews&utm%5Fcontent=post&source=cn%5Ffacebook&medium=social&campaign=cybernews&content=post&fbclid=IwVERFWATlT3JwZG9mBWZkaWQWUMIjq8e7DfhHrxNqcyi2WQJh9c8cj2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR6dmxiANiaC23yV2d71ofCB%5FeVgSlDDRYVA6U4j0rNJN7KRpBw6xJlgM5Fgnw%5Faem%5FOonTJkg4rQyDeyEntzZDKQ)
### European firms fear US cloud 'kill switch' more than ransomware
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/european-firms-fear-us-cloud-kill-switch-more-than-ransomware/
Last updated: 2026-09-07T05:36:16.000Z
A survey of 1,500 businesses in the UK, France and Germany found 74% fear a US government-imposed cloud 'kill switch' could disrupt operations. More than half said they could not operate for more than a day without cloud services, highlighting reliance on a small number of US providers. **(ITPRO)**
[US cloud 'kill switch' is as dangerous as ransomware, European businesses fearMore than half reckon they couldn't last more than a day without cloud serviceswww.itpro.com](https://www.itpro.com/cloud/cloud-computing/us-cloud-kill-switch-is-as-dangerous-as-ransomware-european-businesses-fear?ref=nupath.eu)
### UK launches GOV.UK business services overhaul with GDS and BIST
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/uk-launches-gov-uk-business-services-overhaul-with-gds-and-bist/
Last updated: 2026-08-09T04:56:24.000Z
The UK Government Digital Service (GDS) and the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) are collaborating to streamline business services on GOV.UK. The initiative aims to reduce administrative burdens on businesses by 25% (£5.6bn) by the end of parliament, aligning with broader regulatory simplification efforts. **(UK GDS)**
[GDS: delivering a better GOV.UK experience for businessGDS and BIST (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) are taking action to deliver government’s ambitions to drive growth into every postcode, reduce the costs of doing business and create a more productive and agile environment. Helping more businesses find the support and services available more quickly will unlock innovation, encourage investment and enable them to flourish. The government is already overhauling the regulatory landscape to reduce complexity and duplication. BIST recently published a Regulation Action Plan Progress Report, committing to reducing administrative burdens on business by 25% (£5.6bn) by the end of parliament. GDS and BIST are also partnering to deliver on commitments made in A blueprint for modern digital government to help businesses start and scale – delivering government services that work for businesses as well as they do for citizens. The challenges businesses face There are continuing efforts to make things simpler on GOV.UK. Government offers a wealth of resources and information to benefit businesses, but we see potential to make it simpler for people to find what they need. The State of digtial government review found that because information is often shared across different government services, this can lead to duplication. For example, to start a business today, people need to: find guidance on how to start a business register as a sole trader or incorporate a limited company set up financial accounts understand employment legislation such as IR35 comply with ongoing and sector specific compliance To achieve this, people have to find and look at multiple pieces of advice spread across numerous government organisations and website pages, using more than one logged-in account. We want to streamline this. GDS and BIST’s joint research has identified at least 160 services related to business, demonstrating just how complex the system can sometimes feel for people. Creating a better experience A more consistent way to access government services will help to make the experience more efficient, reduce the risk of duplication and help to counter fraudulent behaviour. To achieve this, we’re going to provide a single, proactive and personalised experience for business through GOV.UK and its channels, capabilities and components. This will ensure that businesses only have one place to transact with government, including knowing where to start and what to do next, finding funding opportunities and getting access to people, expertise or professional networks. We already know that when businesses access support it has a positive impact on growth, but information is often split across several different digital services or isn’t specific enough to meet people’s needs. What we’re improving To ensure we make progress quickly, a new team has been set up in GDS to lead the delivery of improved businesses interactions with government online. Building on discovery and testing to date, the team will undertake extensive research with business users and translate their findings into deliverable products and services, designed with and for businesses. Bringing together BIST’s strong relationships with HMRC, Companies House and business, as well as harnessing GDS’s expertise in digital transformation, the team will also be able to support early identification and delivery of priority improvements for GOV.UK. How we’ll test and learn It’s our intention to build a unified GOV.UK experience for business through phased delivery rather than a ‘big bang’ release, and we’ll co-design any solutions we put in place with businesses and government. We want everything we develop and implement to add value and, over time, take us closer to a full-service offering. We’ll be looking for quick wins too, like GOV.UK content improvements that will form the foundations for a better offer overall. We’ll also be collaborating with stakeholders to shape our plans, scope and priorities. So far, they have told us they’d like to see links to BIST’s own Smart Data agenda, fraud prevention and how we could benchmark against other international governments working in the same problem space. You’ll hear more from the team soon about our roadmap for delivery and opportunities to engage. Until then, what other issues do you think we need to address? We’d love to hear more from by email: gdsbusiness@dsit.gov.uk UK GDS](https://gds.blog.gov.uk/2026/08/06/gds-delivering-a-better-gov-uk-experience-for-business/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Netherlands blocks Kyndryl's Solvinity acquisition over digital sovereignty
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/netherlands-blocks-kyndryls-solvinity-acquisition-over-digital-sovereignty/
Last updated: 2026-08-09T04:52:24.000Z
The Netherlands has blocked U.S.-based Kyndryl's attempt to acquire Dutch cloud provider Solvinity, citing national security concerns. The decision reflects growing EU scrutiny over foreign control of digital identity infrastructure, including the deployment of EUDI Wallets, as biometrics consolidation accelerates. **(BIOMETRICUPDATE)**
[Biometrics consolidation reflects shift to continuous identityAI-driven fraud is reshaping the biometrics industry. This week's acquisitions, product launches and market developments all point toward the same destination: continuous identity, layered assurance and trust infrastructure spanning the entire customer lifecycle. Digital sovereignty, however, could limit consolidation in some markets. Deepfake dynamism Deepfake detection is in the midst of an adoption explosion that makes it a $3 billion market this year and growing fast, according to the report released by Biometric Update and Goode Intelligence late last week. “The Deepfake Fraud Detection Market 2026: Securing Identity the AI Era” includes expanded market analysis and an extensive buyer’s guide for enterprises looking for deepfake detection to defend biometric identity verification and authentication systems. The deepfake fraud attacks fueling the market just keep getting easier. Cybernews reports on an alarming side-hustle growing in popularity in China, in which people sell licenses to use their faces for AI-generated content. Prices range from $15 to $700\. The dynamism of the market’s supply side was on full display this week, with a trio of launches that each address different segments within it. A new platform from Secured Signing uses repeated face biometrics and deepfake detection checks to for continuous identity verification, while Scam.ai’s new software runs deepfake detection on user’s device and Fraunhofer’s prototype real-time video deepfake detection combines audio and visual analysis. New rules for social media are part of India’s response to a different aspect of the deepfake problem. The government is also supporting local deepfake detection research and trying to raise public awareness. The importance of dedicated deepfake detection is shown by a recent Reality Defender red team experiment. The team successfully enrolled two synthetic faces into Google’s new biometric account recovery system using camera-swapping and camera manipulation techniques. Consolidation toward continuous Payroll and HR firm Deel is acquiring Clarity to integrate its identity verification to protect against candidate fraud, another of the many areas where deepfakes have been weaponized. Clarity’s tech will be integrated with Deel IT to cover the full employment pipeline. The week kicked off with Visa’s massive $2.4 billion all-cash deal to acquire behavioral biometrics and intelligence pioneer BioCatch. The deal extends Visa’s fraud prevention capabilities further into the customer or user relationship lifecycle. The merger between Veridas and Fourthline also reflects the industry trend towards broader unified coverage across the identity lifecycle. Veridas CEO Eduardo Azanza tells the Biometric Update podcast that companies need more power and capabilities to fight “the fraud pandemic” powered by AI. Assa Abloy announced a deal to acquire Gunnebo Entrance Control, significantly expanding its portfolio of eGates and other access control technologies, many of them implemented with biometric authentication. Sovereignty and age assurance evidence The influence of national and regional sovereignty considerations on the digital identity market and an early dose of evidence about the impact of age assurance also made headlines this week. The Netherlands’ decision to block U.S.-based Kyndryl’s attempted acquisition of Solvinity stands out in the combined context of those above and the implications for the opportunity presented by the broader rollout of digital identity services, including EUDI Wallets, across Europe. Changes in international relations must inevitably affect who can be involved with digital identity infrastructure if it is considered a national security issue, and present a possible counter-force against consolidation. Social media account ownership dropped 10 percent in the first 3 months of Australia’s new age assurance regime, even though most kids haven’t been asked to confirm their age yet. The early evidence suggests that platform non-compliance is limiting the policy’s impact much more than circumvention or age check system errors. Please let us know if you hear any podcasts or read any reports or opinion pieces you think we should share with those in biometrics and the digital identity community in the comments below or through social media.Biometric Update](https://www.biometricupdate.com/202608/biometrics-consolidation-reflects-shift-to-continuous-identity?ref=nupath.eu)
### EU accelerates IRIS² satellite network expansion
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-accelerates-iris2-satellite-network-expansion/
Last updated: 2026-08-09T04:51:50.000Z
The EU is expanding its IRIS² secure satellite network by adding 66 new satellites to bolster Europe's security, resilience and digital sovereignty. The move aims to reduce reliance on non-European infrastructure and strengthen strategic autonomy in space-based services. **(EU\_PERSPECTIVES)**
[Europe just went all in on its own satellite network - EU PerspectivesThe EU is expanding and accelerating IRIS², its secure satellite network, adding 66 satellites to strengthen Europe's security, resilience and digital sovereignty.euperspectives.eu](https://euperspectives.eu/2026/08/europe-just-went-all-in-on-its-own-satellite-network/?fbclid=IwdGRleATjkC1wZG9mBWZkaWQWUMHToy1xMb6WDb0ae9UIwGAkZvoyzmV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR5fG3IG6VfL13o55AFQfRs%5FrHCZXZoP-FulU6T-k1inH9dNGOcaYV0fqy8XMg%5Faem%5F5u7GaaQ3nEf7Qg9U4v%5FZZg&ref=nupath.eu)
### Italy launches €900M Made in Italy Fund for strategic SMEs
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/italy-launches-eu900m-made-in-italy-fund-for-strategic-smes/
Last updated: 2026-08-08T06:25:43.000Z
Italy activates its €900 million National Made in Italy Fund (FNMI) on 22 July to invest public capital in SMEs operating in critical sectors such as clean energy, advanced manufacturing and semiconductors. The initiative aims to strengthen domestic industrial capabilities and reduce strategic dependencies, with a focus on processing, supply and recycling of critical raw materials. **(DECODE39)**
[Why Italy’s new Made in Italy Fund mattersItaly has activated on 22 July its new €900 million National Made in Italy Fund (FNMI), making available a new strategic investment tool for Italian industry. Public capital will be invested on market terms in SMEs operating in sectors considered critical for the country’s economic security. The FNMI deserves attention well beyond the extractive industry. Through its dedicated Business Fund, the initiative will invest directly and indirectly in Italian SMEs operating across strategic supply chains, with particular attention to companies involved in the processing, supply, reuse and recycling of critical raw materials. The Fund is designed to strengthen industrial capabilities that have become essential to the energy transition, digital development and national resilience. The announcement matters because of its financial scale and because it reflects a changing role for the Italian state. For years, industrial policy has appeared reactive, intervening only after strategic dependencies had already become visible. This initiative might reflect the growing recognition that, in this environment of technological competition, geopolitical fragmentation and economic coercion, waiting is itself a strategic choice. This is a small step in the right direction. Europe’s strategic autonomy ultimately depends on thousands of individual business decisions made every day by companies throughout the industrial base. Public capital can accelerate this process, but only if it encourages firms to think differently about how competitiveness is built. The Fund will introduce new expectations for participating companies. Some will inevitably view these as additional requirements or another layer of compliance. That would be a misconception, as political and strategic variables have become part of ordinary corporate decision-making alongside finance, engineering and market demand. This is particularly relevant for Italy’s industrial structure. Unlike larger economies, Italy’s competitive advantage does not primarily rest on a handful of national champions. Instead, it builds on thousands of highly specialized SMEs operating in precision engineering, industrial machinery, chemicals, advanced materials and manufacturing technologies, many of which already occupy critical positions within global supply chains without necessarily recognizing their own strategic importance. As governments begin to identify and support key industrial capabilities, these firms will steadily find themselves at the center of public policy as well as private markets. The companies best positioned to benefit from this environment will be those who anticipate them rather than the ones who will simply adapt. The first step is developing the ability to monitor political developments beyond the daily news cycle. For many firms, the most valuable signals will increasingly come from legislative proposals, public investment priorities, procurement programs and funding mechanisms. Understanding where public capital is flowing, which technologies are being prioritized and how eligibility criteria evolve often provides earlier insight into future market opportunities than traditional commercial indicators. The second step is developing a more structured dialogue with public institutions. Many firms still approach ministries, regulators and public agencies only when approvals become necessary or new rules create uncertainty. A more strategic approach recognizes institutions as long-term interlocutors capable of providing valuable indications about policy direction, implementation priorities and the broader rationale behind regulatory choices. The relationship should be continuous. Participating in public consultations, engaging through trade associations, contributing technical expertise and maintaining regular institutional dialogue allow companies to better understand how policy is evolving. Institutions, in turn, gain a more accurate understanding of industrial realities. Over time, this also changes the nature of the relationship itself. Rather than approaching institutions primarily as recipients of requests or exceptions, companies have an opportunity to become credible partners. Firms that understand national security priorities, explain how their industrial capabilities contribute to broader strategic objectives and demonstrate awareness of public policy constraints are likely to enjoy more constructive relationships with policymakers. Aligning commercial interests with national priorities does not require sacrificing competitiveness. Increasingly, it is becoming one of its sources. This also requires companies to become familiar with a new vocabulary. Concepts such as economic security, strategic autonomy, resilience, trusted supply chains and critical infrastructure are ever more shaping investment decisions, procurement criteria and industrial policy across Europe. They are becoming part of the lexicon through which governments identify strategic partners and allocate public resources. Companies capable of understanding these priorities and translating them into credible industrial proposals will be better positioned as this new policy environment continues to evolve. This evolution extends far beyond critical raw materials. Similar dynamics are emerging in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, cybersecurity and defense technologies. Across these sectors, industrial success increasingly depends on technological excellence and on the ability to understand how governments define priorities, allocate capital and shape markets. For investors, the lesson is equally relevant. Strategic industrial policy is becoming a permanent feature of advanced economies. Integrating political awareness into investment decisions will make them more resilient than those taken relying only on traditional market signals. The post Why Italy’s new Made in Italy Fund matters appeared first on Decode39.Decode39](https://decode39.com/16048/why-italys-new-made-in-italy-fund-matters/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Italy signs critical minerals pact with Western Australia
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/italy-signs-critical-minerals-pact-with-western-australia/
Last updated: 2026-08-08T06:25:20.000Z
Italy’s export credit agency SACE and Western Australia signed a declaration to deepen cooperation on critical minerals, clean-energy technology and strategic supply chains. The agreement aims to build resilient bilateral supply chains and open new investment opportunities between Italian and Australian companies, Decode39 reports. **(DECODE39)**
[Italy taps Western Australia to secure critical mineralSigned in Perth by SACE president Guglielmo Picchi and Western Australia’s Agent General Rebecca Tomkinson, the declaration commits both sides to a “stable dialogue” aimed at opening new investment and business opportunities between Italian and Australian companies. Decoding the news: Gianclaudio Torlizzi, adviser to Italy’s defence minister and a member of Picchi’s delegation, told Decode39 Western Australia laid out its leadership across the critical-minerals chain — from exploration and extraction through to processing — while SACE stressed its interest in backing “diversified and sustainable” supply sources for Italian investment in clean energy, advanced manufacturing and strategic industry. Why it matters: The declaration sketches out several priority areas, according to Torlizzi: Building resilient supply chains linking Western Australia and Italy; Sharing information on projects and investment opportunities; Promoting joint initiatives for companies, institutions and market operators. Both sides also flagged the need to knit together governments, financial institutions and industry to drive innovation, skills and growth in critical-minerals and energy-transition technologies. The bigger picture: The pact slots into a widening Rome-Canberra partnership on critical minerals and the energy transition. Only weeks earlier, Italian ambassador Nicola Lener and Australian minister Madeleine King held a bilateral meeting on the same theme, while two-way trade topped 900 million Australian dollars in the last financial year. Western Australia — rich in critical minerals and battery materials — is positioning itself as a dependable supplier as governments scramble to loosen dominant players’ grip on the inputs of the green transition. What it signals: For Rome, the agreement is another move to de-risk access to the raw materials underpinning Europe’s industrial and clean-energy shift. WA mining minister Daniel Pastorelli cast the state as a “reliable” investment destination capable of building “secure and resilient” supply chains, and pointed to closer work with Italy to unlock opportunities in critical minerals and batteries. The message from both capitals is unmistakable: securing the building blocks of the energy transition has become a strategic priority — and one increasingly pursued through partnerships that reach across hemispheres. The post Italy taps Western Australia to secure critical mineral appeared first on Decode39.Decode39](https://decode39.com/16085/italy-taps-western-australia-to-secure-critical-mineral/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Italy attracts €900M+ in defense tech investments
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/italy-attracts-eu900m-in-defense-tech-investments/
Last updated: 2026-08-08T06:25:02.000Z
Italy’s defense sector secures over €900 million in strategic investments within 48 hours, including Nuburu’s 70% stake in Tekne, Xenon’s acquisition of Deas, and Cdp Equity’s 85.5% stake in T-Defence. The deals, valued at €565 million for Tekne alone, signal growing European and American confidence in Italy’s defense technology, aligning with EU strategic autonomy goals. Decode39 reports. **(DECODE39)**
[A Capital Rush in Italy’s Defense Industry. The Cases of Tekne, Deas and T-DefenseIn forty-eight hours, three deals reshaped as many pieces of Italy’s defense supply chain. Palazzo Chigi authorized Nuburu to acquire 70% of Tekne, the Abruzzo-based company that makes anti-drone shields and electromagnetic pulse systems. Xenon Private Equity took over Deas, which specializes in cybersecurity for the public sector. Cdp Equity acquired 85.5% of T-Defence, the holding company that gathers the defense assets spun off from Tinexta. Taken together, these three announcements capture a phenomenon that goes beyond the individual deals: trusted capital — Italian, European and, above all, American — is recognizing in Italy’s defense industry a technological and industrial value that places it among the reference suppliers for the world’s major primes. Why the capital is arriving. It’s worth starting with what is actually inside these companies, rather than with the mechanism through which they change hands. Tekne isn’t on the market out of necessity: it brings genuine frontier technology. Its laser dazzling systems and EMP solutions sit inside a counter-UAS market that industry estimates already put above $4 billion, growing at double digits through the end of the decade. Nuburu intends to make Tekne the industrial hub of its platform for Nato markets, with a plan projecting cumulative revenues of €565 million between 2026 and 2030\. The veto imposed a year ago by Golden Power on the same deal, rather than blocking it for good, ended up producing a more solid and binding industrial project than the original one. Why it matters: A development that, according to Giovanni Soccodato, former managing director of MBDA Italia, also shows how instruments for protecting strategic assets can coexist with the entry of new investors. “These are three important deals because they involve companies with capabilities relevant to the country’s security and defense,” he tells Decode39\. “They can show how important a targeted and intelligent use of Golden Power is, capable on the one hand of protecting critical capabilities and on the other of allowing private or foreign capital to enter strategic companies.” Between the lines: A similar mechanism is at work in T-Defence. Cdp Equity isn’t entering national cybersecurity and space for contingent reasons: it is building a genuine aggregation platform around Defence Tech — the capabilities that develop and manage technologies for national cybersecurity and space — with two more deals reportedly already under study. Deas, even against a backdrop complicated by legal proceedings involving its previous ownership, remains an asset that an Italian fund considers central enough to public-sector cybersecurity to want to integrate it — under renewed management — into its own platform. It is precisely the combination of strategic public capital and private investment that, for Soccodato, represents one of the most significant elements of this phase. “Capital is starting to be mobilized into companies with strategic capabilities, whether from a technological standpoint or because they are part of the supply chain of the major primes,” he says. “This matters because it offers a growth path, including through private capital, to the small and medium-sized enterprises in the sector that today need to grow and scale.” Italy as a nursery for future primes. The clearest case sits outside the trio named in the headline. Magnaghi Aerospace, the Naples-based company that leads in landing gear with more than 20,000 units produced for major aeronautical programs worldwide, closed a €157 million financing deal with JP Morgan. The direction of the deal says more than the figure itself: it was JP Morgan that chose Magnaghi, turning down competing offers from private equity funds, for what its founder and CEO Paolo Graziano described as “long-term programs, a presence on critical platforms and industrial capabilities that are difficult to replicate.” Global finance looks at Italy’s defense industry as a supplier of capabilities that cannot be found elsewhere. The platform Investindustrial has built around Officina Stellare, merging it with Global Aerospace Technologies Group, arrives at the same conclusion by a different route. Andrea Bonomi chose to keep the group listed on Euronext Growth Milan rather than delist it, betting on a model he described as “American-style,” where the stock market is the starting point of industrial growth rather than the endpoint of a financial deal. Underpinning it is the optical and optomechanical know-how of a Vicenza-based SME that supplies Leonardo for the Iride satellite constellation — technological excellence that capital is choosing to scale up. National primes, too, are using the same logic to grow through external acquisitions. Fincantieri announced four acquisitions in the underwater segment — Next Geosolutions, WSense, Graal Tech and Defcomm — for an initial outlay of about €600 million, self-financed through the capital increase completed in February. The deal transforms the Trieste-based shipbuilder from a naval constructor into a systems integrator for surveillance and protection of underwater infrastructure, a dual-use segment that could exceed €1.1 billion in pro-forma revenues as early as 2026\. The growth-by-acquisition of the large groups and the entry of new capital into smaller companies are becoming two sides of the same process. “At this stage, growth needs to accelerate,” Soccodato notes. “Small companies need to be able to develop their technological, industrial and production potential by building critical mass, while the large ones need an ecosystem made up of more solid, fast and dynamic players able to support their growth.” Around these moves, a global defense finance industry is accelerating fast. Lockheed Martin has opened an office in London for its venture capital arm, committing at least $100 million to defense startups and technologies in the UK and Europe, within a fund that is growing from $400 million to $1 billion overall. It is the same kind of patient capital that chose Magnaghi: the world’s largest primes are looking for exactly the industrial capabilities that Italy’s defense supply chain keeps producing. The transfer of 81.15% of ALA – Advanced Logistics for Aerospace, the Naples-based aerospace and defense logistics group, to the US fund H.I.G. Capital should be read the same way, even though the announced outcome — a tender offer heading toward delisting — marks a different trajectory from that of Officina Stellare. A system that works. Taken as a whole, the picture tells a story more solid than the sum of the individual deals. From anti-drone systems to cybersecurity, from landing gear to optical instrumentation, all the way to underwater systems, a supply chain is emerging that Italian, European and American investors consider solid, technologically advanced and industrially reliable enough to deserve patient capital on an international scale. The bottom line: Italy’s authorization framework ensures that this capital enters alongside investors compatible with national interests. But what explains why trusted capital keeps arriving is the industrial value of the companies themselves. In a global defense finance market that now moves at venture-capital speed, Italy is confirming itself as a place where companies of prime-international caliber are born and grow. The post A Capital Rush in Italy’s Defense Industry. The Cases of Tekne, Deas and T-Defense appeared first on Decode39.Decode39](https://decode39.com/16090/a-capital-rush-in-italys-defense-industry-the-cases-of-tekne-deas-and-t-defense/?ref=nupath.eu)
### ENISA expands role in CVE Program with 20 CNAs
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/enisa-expands-role-in-cve-program-with-20-cnas/
Last updated: 2026-08-08T06:24:31.000Z
The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) now oversees 20 CVE Numbering Authorities (CNAs), including NATO’s NCIA and AI cybersecurity specialist AISLE, following its expanded role in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) Program. The move aims to strengthen Europe’s vulnerability management infrastructure and coordination, reducing reliance on non-European systems while ensuring consistent practices across the cybersecurity community. **(EENEWS EUROPE)**
[ENISA expands its role in the CVE ProgramThe European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) is expanding its role in the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) Program, adding the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) and AI cybersecurity specialist AISLE as CVE Numbering Authorities (CNAs). ENISA now oversees 20 CNAs, including eight transferred from the MITRE Root. For eeNews Europe readers, the move could improve how vulnerabilities affecting European electronics, software and infrastructure are identified and communicated. A broader CNA network should also help vendors and security teams coordinate responses using consistent CVE records. Building Europe’s CNA network CNAs are responsible for assigning CVE identifiers and publishing records for publicly disclosed cybersecurity vulnerabilities. ENISA said its growing role will support more timely identification, consistent practices and trusted coordination across the European and international cybersecurity community. “Recent developments in the global cybersecurity landscape, coupled with the emergence of Frontier AI models and their impact on vulnerability discovery and exploitation, have underscored the need to build strong vulnerability management infrastructure and capabilities. Through its role in the CVE Program, ENISA reinforces its operational support to the European and wider vulnerability management community and actively contributes to a more globally representative, resilient, and scalable vulnerability identification ecosystem,” said ENISA Chief Cybersecurity and Operations Officer Hans de Vries. The new CNAs span multiple sectors, including computer security incident response teams, technology vendors, suppliers, international alliances and security research organizations. Their addition is intended to broaden participation in the CVE Program, improve the quality of vulnerability records and increase operational capacity. European CVE coordination ENISA became a CVE Root for European entities in November 2025\. It serves as the central CVE Program contact for EU member states, EU authorities, members of the EU CSIRTs Network and other partners covered by the agency’s mandate. Working with the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and MITRE, ENISA recruits, trains, supports and manages CNAs within its scope. It also oversees the assignment of CVE IDs, publication of CVE records and compliance with the program’s rules and processes. NCIA and AISLE join the network under this structure, strengthening Europe’s representation in the global system used by governments, vendors, researchers and cybersecurity defenders. CVE Program takes the stage ENISA will also discuss the evolution of the CVE Program at Black Hat this week. Nuno Rodrigues Carvalho, ENISA’s head of sector for incident and vulnerability services, will appear with Lindsey Cerkovnik, CISA’s branch chief for vulnerability response and coordination. The session will cover the program’s priorities and joint initiatives designed to increase its global cybersecurity impact. The CVE Program maintains one standardized record for each cataloged vulnerability, helping security professionals identify, prioritize and address the same issue across organizations. The post ENISA expands its role in the CVE Program appeared first on eeNews Europe.eeNews Europe](https://www.eenewseurope.com/en/enisa-expands-its-role-in-the-cve-program/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Bulgaria to host Europe’s largest space and defense R&D hub
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/bulgaria-to-host-europes-largest-space-and-defense-r-d-hub/
Last updated: 2026-08-08T06:23:54.000Z
Bulgarian satellite company EnduroSat plans to develop Europe’s largest space and defense R&D centre at the former Dobroslavtsi airport. The project, announced with Prime Minister Rumen Radev, follows government approval of a memorandum with Starbase Europe EOOD, owned by EnduroSat’s founder. The initiative aims to bolster EU space autonomy. **(THE RECURSIVE)**
[CEE Startup & Tech Weekly: New Space and Defense R&D HubCEE and beyondPolish co-founded SAR satellite company ICEYE has secured the first investment from the European Commission's Scaleup Europe Fund. Managed by EQT, the fund co-led ICEYE's €1 billion Series F round, which included €450 million of primary investment at a valuation exceeding €10 billion. The company will use the capital to expand its SAR satellite constellation and defense and intelligence capabilities across Europe and beyond.Cyprus-based enterprise AI company Omilia has secured a €58.1M Series B round led by Expedition Growth Capital. Since its Series A, the company has grown its annual recurring revenue more than tenfold to over €52 million, with customers including Capital One, Taco Bell, and Discover. The new funding will support Omilia's expansion in North America, including the launch of its first US office, while accelerating the global rollout of its enterprise AI platform.MammoCheck, a Cyprus-based medical technology company and Frederick University spin-out, has been awarded a €500K grant under the SEED programme of the Research and Innovation Foundation (RIF). The project is co-funded by the European Union and the Republic of Cyprus under the Cohesion Policy Programme THALIA 2021-2027, with the Frederick Research Center participating as partner organisation. MammoCheck is developing an AI-powered adjunctive screening platform for breast cancer. Bulgarian startup Estel Technologies has secured €270K in pre-seed funding to expand its AI-native sales platform for the global tech staffing industry. The round was led by Vitosha Ventures, with participation from Austrian angel investor Kerem Basak, founder and CEO of FB Consulting. The platform is already live across the UK, DACH region, Poland, and Bulgaria. Estel currently serves three enterprise customers and has reached €24K in annual recurring revenue (ARR).New space and defense R&D hub in BulgariaBulgarian satellite technology and services company EnduroSat is planning to develop one of Europe’s largest space and defense R&D centers at the site of the former Dobroslavtsi airport. The plans were announced by the company’s founder, Raicho Raichev, during a visit to the site alongside Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev.The visit also marked the official launch of the Dobroslavtsi high-tech industrial park and space and defense R&D center. Earlier this week, the Council of Ministers approved a draft Memorandum of Understanding between the Bulgarian government and Starbase Europe EOOD, the company that will carry out the priority investment project. Starbase Europe is also owned by Raichev. Stay tuned to The Recursive for more updates next week!The Recursive](https://www.therecursive.com/cee-startup-tech-weekly-3/?ref=nupath.eu)
### EU Cyber Resilience Act makes transparency a CE requirement for connected products
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-cyber-resilience-act-makes-transparency-a-ce-requirement-for-connected-products/
Last updated: 2026-08-07T06:06:24.000Z
The EU Cyber Resilience Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/2847) will require connected product manufacturers to demonstrate full software and supply-chain transparency from 2027\. SBOMs, vulnerability tracking and lifecycle documentation become mandatory CE compliance elements, reshaping embedded and IoT development practices across Europe. **(EENEWS EUROPE)**
[Cyber Resilience Act, Part 3: Transparency becomes a product requirementWith the Cyber Resilience Act, SBOMs, open-source governance, and supply-chain visibility are becoming essential for compliance and market access. In a three-part article series, eeNews examines various aspects of the CRA and, in particular, how companies should now proceed. As outlined in the first installment of the article series, the EU’s Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), or Regulation (EU) 2024/2847, will make cybersecurity a mandatory CE requirement for connected products starting in 2027\. The second part focuses on why “Security by Design” and “Secure by Default” will become mandatory, and what this specifically means for embedded and IoT developers. Now this third part brings together compliance and supply chain aspects. By the way, eeNews, together with Lemberg Solutions, is also organizing the free webinar “Building CRA-ready IoT products: the practical side of compliance” on 10 September, 2026\. This webinar will show what a CRA-compliant SDLC looks like in practice. Registration for the webinar is now open. The new transparency requirement CRA is often discussed in the context of secure product design, vulnerability management, and software updates. However, one of its most significant implications lies elsewhere: transparency. Manufacturers will not only have to build secure products, they will also have to demonstrate that they understand exactly what is inside them, how security risks are managed, and how vulnerabilities are addressed throughout the product lifecycle. For embedded and IoT manufacturers, this represents a fundamental shift. Modern products are assembled from a complex mix of commercial software, open-source components, third-party libraries, cloud services, firmware modules, and increasingly sophisticated hardware platforms. Maintaining visibility across this ecosystem is becoming not merely a best practice, but a regulatory necessity. The CRA’s lifecycle approach means that security management does not end once a product reaches the market. Instead, manufacturers must continuously monitor vulnerabilities, maintain documentation, assess risks, and provide updates throughout a product’s supported lifetime. Why transparency matters The growing complexity of embedded systems has made it increasingly difficult to understand which components are present in a product and how they relate to one another. A modern industrial controller, for example, may contain: A real-time operating system (RTOS) Open-source networking libraries Cryptographic modules Third-party communication stacks Vendor firmware Cloud connectivity services Wireless modules and drivers When a critical vulnerability is disclosed, manufacturers must be able to quickly answer several of the following questions: Is the vulnerable component used in our product? Which product versions are affected? Is the vulnerability exploitable in our specific implementation? What mitigation or update is required? Without systematic component tracking, answering these questions becomes a time-consuming and error-prone exercise. The CRA effectively turns such visibility into a compliance requirement. The central role of the SBOM One of the most important tools for achieving CRA compliance is the Software Bill of Materials (SBOM). An SBOM is essentially an inventory of all software components contained within a product. It identifies software packages, component versions, dependencies, relationships between components, and licensing information. A well-maintained SBOM allows manufacturers to rapidly determine whether newly disclosed vulnerabilities affect their products. It also improves communication with customers, suppliers, auditors, and regulatory authorities. For embedded manufacturers, the SBOM provides a foundation for vulnerability management. Instead of manually investigating every security advisory, teams can quickly identify impacted products and prioritize remediation efforts. As security regulations mature, SBOMs are becoming a cornerstone of modern product cybersecurity programs. SPDX and CycloneDX: Different approaches to software transparency Several standardized SBOM formats are already widely available, with SPDX and CycloneDX emerging as the dominant approaches. SPDX (Software Package Data Exchange) originated within the open-source compliance community at Linux Foundation. Its primary goal is to provide transparency regarding software components and their associated licenses. SPDX helps organizations answer questions such as: Which open-source components are included in the product? Under which licenses are they distributed? Are there legal or intellectual-property obligations attached to their use? As a result, SPDX has become particularly valuable for compliance, legal, and procurement teams. CycloneDX emerged from the application security and DevSecOps community and focuses strongly on cybersecurity risk management. The OWASP Foundation and Ecma International Technical Committee for Software & System Transparency (TC54) drive the continued advancement of the specification. The format is designed to: Model software dependencies Track vulnerabilities Integrate with CI/CD pipelines Support automated security assessments CycloneDX allows organizations to connect software components directly to vulnerability information such as Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs), enabling continuous security monitoring throughout the product lifecycle. In practice, many organizations are expected to use both approaches. While SPDX provides legal and licensing transparency, CycloneDX supports operational vulnerability management. Together they offer a powerful framework for meeting emerging cybersecurity and regulatory requirements. Open source remains essential The CRA does not prohibit the use of open-source software. In fact, open source remains a critical part of modern embedded and IoT development. Operating systems, networking stacks, cryptographic libraries, middleware, and development frameworks frequently originate from open-source projects. These components often benefit from extensive peer review and broad community support. However, the CRA makes clear that manufacturers cannot treat open source as a black box. Organizations must know which open-source components are used, which versions are deployed, what security vulnerabilities exist, and how vulnerabilities are monitored and remediated. Responsibility ultimately rests with the product manufacturer, regardless of whether software was developed internally or obtained from external sources. The lesson is clear: open source remains fully viable, but it must be managed systematically. What about legacy products? Many products currently deployed in the field were developed long before the CRA was conceived. The regulation does not impose a universal requirement to redesign every existing product. Nevertheless, manufacturers are expected to perform risk-based assessments of legacy systems and determine whether reasonable security improvements can be introduced. Possible measures include: Retrospective security evaluations Additional monitoring capabilities Enhanced update mechanisms Extended vulnerability management processes Clearly defined maintenance and end-of-life policies Where technical limitations prevent meaningful improvements, transparency becomes particularly important. Manufacturers should document constraints, explain risks, and establish clear support expectations. The CRA recognizes that perfection is rarely achievable in long-lived embedded environments. What matters most is demonstrable due diligence and traceability. Looking beyond software: The need for hardware transparency Although the CRA does not explicitly require a Hardware Bill of Materials (HBOM), many embedded-system developers see hardware transparency becoming increasingly important. Cybersecurity vulnerabilities do not only exist in software. Microcontrollers, communication modules, secure elements, processors, and other hardware components can also introduce risks into a product. As organizations seek greater visibility across their supply chains, a broader view is emerging: HBOM + SBOM + VEX = future transparency framework What does it mean? HBOM documents hardware components: What hardware does the product contain? SBOM documents software components: What software runs on it? VEX (Vulnerability Exploitability eXchange) provides information about whether a known vulnerability is actually exploitable in a specific product Together, these tools can help manufacturers evaluate vulnerabilities more accurately while reducing unnecessary remediation efforts. It is precisely this combination that is likely to establish itself as the de facto standard for CRA-compliant embedded and IoT products. Conformity assessment and product categories Not every product will undergo the same compliance process. The CRA distinguishes between several product categories with different conformity-assessment requirements. Most products with digital functionality fall into the standard products category. Examples include connected consumer products, standard industrial devices, and typical IoT products. Manufacturers can generally perform internal conformity assessments themselves. Then there are important products with significant cybersecurity implications, such as operating systems, firewalls, password managers, and cryptographic libraries may require additional scrutiny. In some cases, self-assessment remains possible when harmonized standards are fully applied. Deviations from those standards may require external review. Highly sensitive products, including Hardware Security Modules (HSMs), root-of-trust components, and critical network infrastructure require mandatory assessment by a notified body. For affected manufacturers, these external evaluations may introduce additional cost and development effort, but are intended to provide a higher degree of assurance. The organizational challenge The biggest challenge of the CRA may not be technical. Many organizations already know how to implement secure boot, cryptographic functions, or signed updates. The more difficult task is building the processes needed to manage security over many years. Manufacturers must establish capabilities for: Secure development lifecycle management Vulnerability disclosure handling Patch management Security documentation Audit preparation Supply-chain transparency For many companies, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, this will require new skills, new tools, and closer cooperation between engineering, compliance, quality assurance, product management, and operations teams. The transition from project-based security to lifecycle-based security may prove to be the most significant transformation driven by the CRA. Compliance becomes an engineering discipline The Cyber Resilience Act represents more than another compliance obligation. It fundamentally changes how embedded and IoT products are developed, documented, maintained, and supported. Security alone will no longer be enough. Manufacturers must also demonstrate visibility into their software, hardware, dependencies, vulnerabilities, and supply chains. SBOMs, vulnerability management processes, transparency frameworks, and conformity assessments are becoming integral parts of product engineering. Organizations that embrace these practices early can turn compliance into a competitive advantage. Those that delay may face increasing costs, greater regulatory risk, and potentially restricted access to the European market. For the embedded and IoT industries, the message is clear: transparency is no longer optional. It is becoming a core requirement of product quality. Sources: Cyber Resilience Act – legal text FAQ – Cyber Resilience Act implementation (PDF) eeNews: Cyber Resilience Act, Part 1: The first deadlines are approaching eeNews: Cyber Resilience Act, Part 2: Security by Design becomes mandatory eeNews: What embedded developers need to know about the CRA Webinar: Building CRA-Ready IoT Products: The Practical Side of Compliance The post Cyber Resilience Act, Part 3: Transparency becomes a product requirement appeared first on eeNews Europe.eeNews Europe](https://www.eenewseurope.com/en/cyber-resilience-act-part-3/?ref=nupath.eu)
### NEO Semiconductor unveils NEO.AI memory platform for AI processors
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/neo-semiconductor-unveils-neo-ai-memory-platform-for-ai-processors/
Last updated: 2026-08-07T06:06:05.000Z
NEO Semiconductor launches NEO.AI, a memory platform combining X-SRAM and 3D X-DRAM to address AI processor bottlenecks. X-SRAM offers up to five times greater on-chip memory density, while 3D X-DRAM could increase high-bandwidth memory capacity tenfold. The platform aims to enhance AI hardware performance and reduce dependence on non-European memory suppliers, supporting Europe's digital autonomy goals. **(EENEWS EUROPE)**
[NEO Semiconductor launches NEO.AI memory platformNEO Semiconductor has launched NEO.AI, a memory platform combining new SRAM and DRAM architectures to tackle capacity bottlenecks in AI processors. The company claims its X-SRAM technology can provide up to five times greater on-chip memory density, while 3D X-DRAM could increase high-bandwidth memory (HBM) capacity by as much as tenfold. For eeNews Europe readers, the technologies offer a potentially significant route around the scaling limits affecting AI accelerators, advanced CMOS designs and future HBM systems. More memory inside AI processors AI processor performance increasingly depends on keeping data close to the compute engines. However, conventional SRAM scaling has slowed at advanced process nodes, limiting how much cache can be integrated alongside CPUs, GPUs and AI accelerators. NEO says X-SRAM delivers up to five times the density of conventional SRAM while retaining SRAM-class performance. The architecture is also designed to work with advanced nanosheet CMOS processes and provide a route toward monolithic 3D implementations. “Memory innovation is becoming critical for the future of artificial intelligence,” said Andy Hsu, Founder and CEO of NEO Semiconductor. “With NEO.AI, we are introducing breakthrough technologies that address AI’s two biggest memory bottlenecks. X-SRAM dramatically expands on-chip memory density, while 3D X-DRAM dramatically increases HBM capacity. Together, they provide a scalable memory foundation for the next generation of AI systems and represent an important step toward breaking the AI Memory Wall.” Higher-density on-chip memory could help reduce data movement and improve processor utilization, although NEO has not yet disclosed detailed performance, power or silicon-area comparisons. 3D X-DRAM targets larger HBM stacks The second part of the platform, 3D X-DRAM, applies established 3D NAND manufacturing techniques to DRAM. NEO claims the technology can deliver up to ten times the capacity of conventional DRAM, potentially allowing substantially larger HBM systems for training and running increasingly complex AI models. The company has completed proof-of-concept validation, which it says demonstrates the architecture’s potential as a scalable and manufacturable option for next-generation HBM. Commercial products and production schedules have not been announced. By combining X-SRAM and 3D X-DRAM, the NEO.AI platform is intended to address both sides of what the company calls the “AI Memory Wall”: insufficient cache capacity within processors and limited capacity in external HBM. Moving toward commercialization NEO presented the platform at FMS: The Future of Memory and Storage 2026 in Santa Clara, California. The San Jose-based company, founded in 2012, is now advancing its memory technologies toward commercialization. Its wider intellectual property portfolio includes X-HBM, X-NAND and 3D X-AI alongside the newly introduced NEO.AI platform. The post NEO Semiconductor launches NEO.AI memory platform appeared first on eeNews Europe.eeNews Europe](https://www.eenewseurope.com/en/neo-semiconductor-launches-neo-ai-memory-platform/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Italy’s COPASIR flags China’s influence as national security priority
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/italys-copasir-flags-chinas-influence-as-national-security-priority/
Last updated: 2026-08-07T06:04:26.000Z
Italy’s parliamentary intelligence watchdog COPASIR dedicates a dedicated section to China’s strategic influence in its 2026 annual report, framing it as a long-term national security issue. The report links Chinese influence to economic resilience, technology and critical infrastructure, signalling stronger oversight in these areas. **(DECODE39)**
[China’s strategic influence remains under Italy’s intelligence scrutinyWhile Russia dominates much of Europe’s immediate security debate, Italy’s parliamentary intelligence watchdog continues to devote dedicated attention to China. Why it matters: The annual report of the Parliamentary Committee for the Security of the Republic (COPASIR) includes a specific section on “national security issues connected to Chinese influence”, placing the topic within its chapter on domestic security rather than among the report’s international crises. That choice is revealing in itself: Beijing is examined not only as a global geopolitical actor, but also through the lens of its potential impact on Italy’s national security. Rather than describing specific incidents, the report confirms that monitoring Chinese influence remains a standing priority for parliamentary oversight. The big picture: The Committee’s approach reflects a broader understanding of security. Throughout the report, COPASIR increasingly links national security to economic resilience, technology, critical infrastructure, cybersecurity and foreign influence. China fits naturally within this framework because many of the issues associated with Beijing extend across these different domains. The report does not present new allegations or operational findings. Instead, it identifies Chinese influence as one of the strategic issues requiring continued attention from both the intelligence community and Parliament. Zoom in: Beyond traditional intelligence. Unlike the sections devoted to Russia’s war against Ukraine or instability in the Middle East, the chapter on China is framed around influence rather than military conflict. That distinction highlights an important evolution in the Committee’s priorities. The report suggests that intelligence oversight is increasingly concerned with long-term strategic dynamics that may affect Italy’s resilience, including economic relationships, technological developments and foreign influence activities. By giving China its own dedicated section, COPASIR signals that these issues deserve continuous monitoring rather than being treated as secondary aspects of broader geopolitical competition. Between the lines: The report offers relatively few details on the Committee’s assessment of Chinese activities. That restraint is consistent with the document’s overall approach, which is designed to report on parliamentary oversight rather than disclose intelligence assessments. Nevertheless, the inclusion of a standalone chapter indicates that China remains a distinct area of attention within Italy’s national security architecture. Rather than merging Beijing into wider discussions about geopolitical rivalry, COPASIR treats Chinese influence as a strategic issue with its own characteristics and implications. What we’re watching: The report provides no indication that scrutiny of Chinese influence will diminish. On the contrary, its placement alongside cybersecurity, economic security, artificial intelligence and critical infrastructure suggests that Parliament increasingly sees these issues as interconnected dimensions of national resilience. As Italy continues to navigate an increasingly competitive international environment, the Committee appears determined to maintain oversight of how foreign influence intersects with the country’s strategic interests. The bottom line: COPASIR’s annual report shows that China remains firmly on the radar of Italy’s parliamentary intelligence watchdog. Without resorting to alarmist language or operational disclosures, the Committee treats Chinese influence as a long-term strategic issue, reflecting a broader shift in how Italy defines national security in an era of technological competition, economic interdependence and geopolitical rivalry. The post China’s strategic influence remains under Italy’s intelligence scrutiny appeared first on Decode39.Decode39](https://decode39.com/16076/chinas-strategic-influence-remains-under-italys-intelligence-scrutiny/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Europe’s commercialisation gap risks losing spin-offs to US investors
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/europes-commercialisation-gap-risks-losing-spin-offs-to-us-investors/
Last updated: 2026-08-07T06:03:43.000Z
Europe spent €403 billion on R&D in 2024 and produced over 7,300 DeepTech and life-science spin-offs since 2015, yet US investors captured nearly €20 billion in value from European spin-offs since 2019\. Only 23% of EU university spin-offs operate in DeepTech, compared to over 60% in the US, highlighting a commercialisation gap that threatens digital sovereignty. **(EU-STARTUPS)**
[The chink in Europe’s innovation armourEurope’s strength arguably has been, and still is, innovation. However, there are other contenders on the block, and their ability to commercialise that research is attracting European-bred talent to different shores. Europe spent €403 billion on research and development in 2024\. It employed 2.21 million full-time-equivalent researchers, 47% more than a decade earlier. These are the foundations of a serious innovation economy. Yet spending on R&D still accounts for 2.24% of EU GDP, below the levels recorded in the United States, Japan and South Korea. Once the research leaves the laboratory, the problem becomes even more pronounced. DeepTech attracted 44% of European venture capital in 2023, but only 23% of EU university spin-offs operate in the sector. In the United States, more than 60% of VC-backed DeepTech companies are spin-offs. This goes on to show how Europe produces the science and trains the researchers, but fails to convert that base into companies with the capital and market access to scale. Funded twice, lost in between European research receives substantial public support. Startups can also raise from an established early-stage investment market. But when a research team must negotiate intellectual property, or prove that its technology works outside the lab and build a company before revenue is realistic, that’s when the chink in the armour shows. Europe provides 86% of the early-stage capital raised by its DeepTech and life-science spin-offs. Once those companies reach the late stage, nearly half of their funding comes from outside the continent, mainly from the US. Since 2019, American companies and investors have captured close to €20 billion in value from European spin-offs. And this is happening while the pipeline grows. European research institutions produced around 100 DeepTech and life-science spin-offs a year between 2000 and 2010\. Since 2015, the figure has exceeded 500 annually. More than 7,300 such companies now employ over 167,000 people and carry a combined valuation of €344 billion. A good case to illustrate this with is Oxford Ionics. Physicists Chris Ballance and Tom Harty founded the company in 2019 to commercialise trapped-ion quantum-computing research. By 2025, the team had grown to more than 80 people and raised over €35 million (£30 million). In September that year, US-listed IonQ completed its acquisition for €931 million ($1.075 billion). Oxford retained an important research operation, and the founders stayed with the company, but its ownership moved to an American parent. While being a strong exit for the founders and early investors, it was simultaneously the largest acquisition of an Oxford quantum-computing spin-off. The deal captures the tension at the centre of Europe’s commercialisation debate where success for one company can still mean strategic technology and future value being absorbed elsewhere. Research spin-offs start further from the market A software founder can often test a product with customers within months, whereas a university spin-off may spend years validating a material, running clinical studies or building specialised hardware. Before it can sell anything, the team may also need to negotiate a university licence, recruit commercial leadership and raise money for equipment. Europe’s funding architecture does not always account for that starting point. The EIC Accelerator has a €634 million budget for 2026 and can provide grants below €2.5 million alongside equity investment. Its funding covers technologies at Technology Readiness Levels 6 to 8\. A researcher working with a laboratory prototype at TRL 3 or 4 is still several steps away from eligibility. There are programmes aimed at earlier stages. The €100 million EIC Transition scheme supports the conversion of results from selected EU-funded projects into innovation opportunities, but eligibility is tied to specific research programmes. The new Advanced Innovation Challenges pilot has only €6 million for 2026, with initial grants of up to €300,000\. The stated focus is fields where Europe has extensive research but little commercial uptake, signalling that the EU has recognised the gap. Building around the scientific founder A small group of investors is starting earlier. Denmark-based PSV Hafnium closed an oversubscribed €60 million debut fund for Nordic DeepTech. University2Ventures is targeting the same amount for spin-offs from European technical universities. PSV Hafnium has already backed SisuSemi, a Finnish semiconductor startup built on a decade of research at the University of Turku. These funds are designed around the realities of research-led companies. They can invest before revenue, help assemble commercial teams and work through technical validation with founders. Yet two €60 million funds remain small beside the €20 billion ($24 billion) in spin-off value captured by US investors and acquirers since 2019\. It isn’t entirely a money problem either. Scientific founders need clear university equity terms, experienced operators and first customers willing to test unproven technology. A research comparison of European and US technology-transfer offices found that European offices did not complete fewer licences after researchers controlled for institutional differences. They did, however, earn significantly less licensing income. The gap was linked partly to the industry experience available inside the transfer offices. Commercialisation is now an industrial question In 2025, 76 European DeepTech and life-science spin-offs had reached either a €867 million ($1 billion) valuation or €86.65 million ($100 million) in annual revenue (including companies like ICEYE, IQM, Isar Aerospace, Synthesia and Tekever). Spin-offs raised an estimated €8 billion during the year even as overall European venture funding remained well below its 2021 peak. These companies work in quantum computing, space, BioTech, robotics and AI. Areas that will shape industrial capacity and startup returns. Going forth, Europe needs to reckon with a couple of questions. Can a researcher with a promising laboratory result secure the intellectual property, validation funding, commercial expertise and first pilot needed to form a viable company within a year? Today, the answer depends heavily on the university, region and programme involved. Europe has already financed much of the discovery. That has been its armour. Closing the commercialisation chink means supporting the difficult years that follow, and keeping enough capital and market access on the continent when those companies begin to scale. The post The chink in Europe’s innovation armour appeared first on EU-Startups.EU-Startups](https://www.eu-startups.com/2026/08/the-chink-in-europes-innovation-armour/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Portugal’s Neuraspace raises €15.6m for AI space domain awareness
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/portugals-neuraspace-raises-eu15-6m-for-ai-space-domain-awareness/
Last updated: 2026-08-06T05:17:54.000Z
Portugal-based Neuraspace secures €15.6 million in new financing to expand AI-enabled Space Domain Awareness and Space Traffic Management solutions. The funding combines private investment from Lince Capital, Explorer Investments and Armilar Venture Partners with Portugal’s Recovery and Resilience Plan support. Neuraspace monitors over 600 satellites and reports 350% revenue growth over the past year. **(EU-STARTUPS)**
[Portugal’s Neuraspace lands €15.6 million to protect satellites and bolster Europe’s space domain awarenessNeuraspace, a Coimbra-based space and defence company providing AI-enabled Space Domain Awareness (SDA) and Space Traffic Management (STM) solutions, today announced €15.6 million in new financing. The funding comprises strategic private investment from Lince Capital, Explorer Investments and Armilar Venture Partners together with funding awarded under Portugal’s Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRRP). Chiara Manfletti, CEO of Neuraspace, said, “When Neuraspace was founded, our mission was to make space safer. That mission has evolved with the operational reality. Today, protecting satellites means addressing both accidental risks and intentional threats. Safety and security are no longer separate challenges—they are two sides of the same operational problem. “This investment marks the beginning of Neuraspace’s next phase of growth. We are expanding Europe’s sovereign capabilities in Space Domain Awareness while delivering the AI-enabled operational services that the next generation of commercial, institutional and defence missions will require.” Founded in 2020, Neuraspace provides AI-enabled Space Domain Awareness (SDA) and Space Traffic Management (STM) solutions to commercial, institutional and governmental customers worldwide. According to the company, the space environment is becoming increasingly congested, contested and competitive. Alongside rapidly growing collision risks, Neuraspace also highlighted that satellite operators now face cyber attacks, radio-frequency interference, GNSS spoofing and jamming, and increasingly sophisticated counterspace activities that require continuous operational awareness and rapid decision support. The company states that its platform combines data from commercial and sovereign sensors with high-precision driven orbit determination, AI-enabled risk and threat assessment and autonomous decision support. Thereby enabling commercial operators, government agencies, and defence organisations to detect, assess and respond more rapidly to both routine operational events and emerging threats. Neuraspace also claims to contribute to Europe’s technological sovereignty while reducing dependence on external surveillance capabilities by combining sovereign sensing infrastructure with AI-enabled data fusion and operational automation. The company reported revenue growth of more than 350% over the past year. Currently, it monitors more than 600 satellites operated by commercial and institutional customers, including Spire Global, GEOSAT, NanoAvionics, Sidus Space, U-Space and the European Space Agency, helping operators prevent collisions, improve operational resilience and safely conduct increasingly autonomous missions. It has also secured contracts with the Portuguese Air Force and NATO, and was recently selected as prime contractor by the European MoD. In October 2022, Neuraspace announced that it had raised €25 million in funding with the support of PRRP and NextGeneration EU Funds. Vasco Pereira Coutinho, CEO of Lince Capital, said, “Neuraspace has established itself as one of Europe’s most promising space technology companies, combining outstanding technical execution with growing commercial traction in a market of increasing strategic importance. We believe Neuraspace is well positioned to become one of Europe’s leading providers of AI-enabled Space Domain Awareness and Space Traffic Management solutions.” The company plans to use this capital to accelerate the expansion of its commercial and defence capabilities in autonomous space operations, sovereign sensing infrastructure and AI. The funding will be used to expand its AI platform, accelerate autonomous mission operations, increase its proprietary optical sensing infrastructure, and further develop NeuraspaceDEF, the company’s dual-use capability supporting governmental and defence users with resilient Space Domain Awareness services. The post Portugal’s Neuraspace lands €15.6 million to protect satellites and bolster Europe’s space domain awareness appeared first on EU-Startups.EU-Startups](https://www.eu-startups.com/2026/08/portugals-neuraspace-lands-e15-6-million-to-protect-satellites-and-bolster-europes-space-domain-awareness/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Scaleup Europe Fund co-leads ICEYE’s €1bn Series F round
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/scaleup-europe-fund-co-leads-iceyes-eu1bn-series-f-round/
Last updated: 2026-08-10T06:06:22.000Z
The Scaleup Europe Fund, backed by the European Commission and managed by EQT, co-led ICEYE’s €1 billion Series F funding round. The Finnish SpaceTech company, specialising in sovereign radar satellite intelligence, will use the funds to expand its dual-use capabilities across Europe and beyond. The investment marks the fund’s first deployment since its establishment. **(EU-STARTUPS)**
[Scaleup Europe Fund makes debut investment by co-leading ICEYE’s €1 billion Series F roundEQT today announced that the Scaleup Europe Fund has completed its first investment by co-leading Espoo-based SpaceTech company ICEYE’s recently announced €1 billion Series F funding round. The funding round included €450 million of primary investment at a valuation exceeding €10 billion. In May 2026, ICEYE announced that it has secured a €300 million 3-year committed revolving credit facility (RCF). The Scaleup Europe Fund was established by the European Commission alongside a group of European investors and managed by EQT. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said, “When Europe invests in its innovators, Europe invests in its future. This is the goal of our Scaleup Europe Fund: it will ensure our scale-ups can find what they need right here in Europe to grow into world-leading companies. To turn European innovation into our competitive edge.” Founded in 2015, ICEYE delivers persistent monitoring capabilities to detect and respond to changes in any location on Earth. It owns the world’s largest and most advanced SAR (synthetic aperture radar) satellite constellation. It delivers high-quality intelligence to its customers with low latency and quick revisit times, regardless of weather or time of day. For governments operating the company’s own constellations, it offers this capability as a sovereign system. ICEYE-built constellations serve customers in defence and intelligence, environmental monitoring, insurance and emergency management. “Europe has the talent, technology and ambition to build globally leading companies in strategically important industries. Our own journey reflects that. My co-founder Pekka Laurila and I met as students on an Erasmus exchange, received our first funding through Horizon 2020, and we are grateful for the European Commission’s role in initiating the Scaleup Europe Fund. We are pleased to welcome EQT as a long-term partner through the fund, as we continue to expand our sovereign intelligence capabilities from Europe for customers across Europe and globally,” said Rafał Modrzewski, co-founder and CEO, ICEYE. Today’s Series F follows a period of significant momentum for ICEYE. In 2025, ICEYE crossed over €250 million in revenue, and over €100 million in EBITDA, with a contracted backlog of over €1.5 billion. The company has built a strong European footprint, with significant operations in Finland, Poland, Spain and Greece, and has recently expanded further with the establishment of new European entities in Germany and Portugal. This month, ICEYE strengthened its UAE presence with the appointment of Christos Kolimenakis as Chief Executive Officer of ICEYE UAE and last month, it announced the formal establishment of ICEYE’s German entity, based out of Berlin and Munich, and the appointment of Philipp Herkelmann as CEO of ICEYE Germany. In July, the company also revealed the establishment of ICEYE Portugal, the opening of a centre of excellence in Lisbon, and appointed Rui Costa as CEO of ICEYE Portugal. Last month, the SpaceTech firm also launched and deployed four new SAR satellites into orbit. Integrated via Exolaunch, the satellites lifted off on July 7, 2026, aboard the Transporter-17 rideshare mission with SpaceX from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. In June 2026, ICEYE announced that CTI Aeroespacial, a joint venture between the Portuguese Air Force and CEiiA, signed a contract to procure two additional synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite systems to be operated by the Portuguese Air Force (Força Aérea Portuguesa, FAP). In June, the company also announced the appointment of Eric Jensen as global Chief Operating Officer, and that Business Finland, Finland’s public innovation agency, had approved a €28.3 million continuation grant, the final tranche of a previously announced major R&D investment decision. In May 2026, the company officially handed over MikroSAR, Poland’s sovereign radar satellite reconnaissance system, to the Polish Armed Forces less than 12 months after contract signing. In March 2026, ICEYE launched and deployed six new 25 cm resolution SAR satellites into orbit. The satellites were integrated by Exolaunch and successfully launched on March 30, 2026, aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-16 rideshare mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, USA. ICEYE operates globally with over 1,000 employees. The Scaleup Europe Fund’s strategy included partnering with Europe’s most promising technology companies in sectors spanning artificial intelligence, quantum computing, dual-use technologies, clean energy, space technology, BioTech and medical innovation. The fund was established to help address Europe’s long-standing growth capital gap by supporting companies developing strategically important technologies and enabling them to scale globally while remaining anchored in Europe. “Our first investment reflects exactly what the Scaleup Europe Fund was created to support: ambitious European founders building globally competitive companies in strategically important technologies. ICEYE has already established itself as a category leader, and we’re excited to partner with Rafał and the team as they continue scaling from Europe to the world,” commented Victor Englesson, Partner at EQT and co-Head of the Scaleup Europe Fund. The post Scaleup Europe Fund makes debut investment by co-leading ICEYE’s €1 billion Series F round appeared first on EU-Startups.EU-Startups](https://www.eu-startups.com/2026/08/scaleup-europe-fund-makes-debut-investment-by-co-leading-iceyes-e1-billion-series-f-round/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Portugal commits €200m to AI gigafactory as compute buyer
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/portugal-commits-eu200m-to-ai-gigafactory-as-compute-buyer/
Last updated: 2026-08-06T05:15:04.000Z
Portugal will contribute €200 million to a planned AI gigafactory by purchasing computing capacity rather than taking an equity stake, the Ministry for State Reform confirms. The funds would be used alongside €200 million in EU support if the Iberian bid with Spain is selected by November 2026\. The project in Sines aims to host a large-scale facility with over 60 companies already involved. **(ECO NEWS)**
[Portugal to back AI gigafactory as customer, not ownerPortugal does not plan to take a direct equity stake in the entity that would run a future AI gigafactory, with the state instead using its €200 million commitment to buy computing capacity. According to an official source at the Ministry for State Reform, the Portuguese contribution would take the form of contracting part of the computing capacity made available by a gigafactory built in Portugal. That capacity could then be used by companies, startups, universities, research centres and public administration bodies developing advanced artificial intelligence tools. The ministry said this was therefore neither direct financing of the construction nor, by itself, a state capital participation. The government told ECOnews that Portugal still wants to submit an Iberian bid with Spain, and that political and technical contacts between the two countries have continued. The final structure of the application is still being prepared for submission by November 12, 2026\. If selected, the project in Sines would combine €200 million in Portuguese funds with €200 million in European funding, for total support of €400 million. The ministry also said more than 60 national and international companies are already involved in AI Gigafactory Portugal, with private investors expected to fund the infrastructure directly. Portugal’s side of the private consortium has been coordinated by Banco Português de Fomento, the state-owned development bank, while the government says it remains focused on hosting a large-scale AI gigafactory in Portugal rather than a smaller associated centre. Originally published at Eco.ptECO News](https://econews.pt/2026/08/05/portugal-to-back-ai-gigafactory-as-customer-not-owner/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Italy fast-tracks AI data centres as strategic assets
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/italy-fast-tracks-ai-data-centres-as-strategic-assets/
Last updated: 2026-08-06T05:13:55.000Z
Italy’s government has declared seven large-scale AI data centre projects of national strategic interest, totalling over €25 billion in planned investment. The projects include Equinix’s €4 billion Milan expansion and a €4 billion hyperscale campus in Piedmont, aiming to position Italy as a European AI infrastructure hub while balancing regulatory ambition with investment attractiveness. **(DECODE39)**
[AI data centres: Italy bets on infrastructureItaly is beginning to treat AI infrastructure as a strategic national asset, marking a shift from a policy centred largely on regulation towards one increasingly focused on computing capacity, data centres and energy. Until recently, Italy’s approach to artificial intelligence revolved primarily around governance: legislation, oversight, ethical safeguards and regulatory compliance. Today, however, Rome is beginning to place equal emphasis on a different layer of the AI stack — the physical infrastructure that makes artificial intelligence possible. The timing is hardly accidental. Across Europe and the United States, governments are increasingly treating computing infrastructure as a strategic capability, reflecting a growing recognition that leadership in artificial intelligence will depend not only on algorithms but also on access to compute, energy and advanced digital infrastructure. As competition increasingly moves beyond algorithms towards the control of computing power, electricity, semiconductor supply chains and digital infrastructure — what recent strategic analyses have described as the era of Tokenpolitik — AI leadership is becoming as much about hyperscale campuses and power grids as it is about frontier models. Italy’s recent decisions, together with its participation in the U.S.-led Pax Silica initiative, suggest that Rome intends to position itself within this emerging geopolitical landscape. Data centres become strategic assets. The clearest indication of this shift has come through Tuesday’s Council of Ministers meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Over the past few months, the government has progressively declared seven large-scale data centre programmes to be of pre-eminent national strategic interest, using a fast-track procedure normally reserved for investments considered critical to the country’s economic and industrial development. Collectively, these projects represent more than €25 billion in planned investment, transforming data centres from conventional digital infrastructure into assets of strategic national relevance. The projects. Together, these investments illustrate the government’s attempt to build an ecosystem that combines hyperscalers, carrier-neutral infrastructure operators, engineering companies and energy assets rather than relying on a single category of investor. Among the most significant is Equinix’s €4 billion programme to develop seven new data centres across the Milan metropolitan area between 2026 and 2033\. Designed to support the growing demand for AI workloads and cloud services, the investment further consolidates Milan’s position as one of Southern Europe’s emerging digital infrastructure hubs. Alongside it stands the Cavour Hyperscale Campus in Trino, Piedmont, a €4 billion project that will convert the former Enel Galileo Ferraris power plant into a hyperscale campus expected to reach between 300 and 400 megawatts of computing capacity. Developed by Italian engineering and construction group Techbau, the initiative also reflects a broader industrial strategy: repurposing existing energy infrastructure to support next-generation computing. The latest approvals further expand this strategy. K2 Strategic Infrastructure Italy, backed by Singapore’s Kuok Group, plans to invest €5.3 billion in a hyperscale campus south of Milan. In Sardinia, U.S.-based Energy Vault will develop the Digital Vault Sulcis project, combining an Edge AI data centre with renewable energy generation and storage. Earlier strategic approvals already included programmes promoted by Vantage Data Centers, EdgeConneX and Amazon Web Services, underscoring the government’s willingness to attract a diversified ecosystem of global infrastructure operators. Building an AI infrastructure platform. These decisions did not emerge in isolation. Over the past two years, Rome has progressively assembled the institutional foundations of an infrastructure strategy. In parallel, the government has launched a national strategy to attract foreign investment into data centres, bringing together the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, the Ministry for the Environment, the Ministry of Universities and Research and the Department for Digital Transformation. The strategic rationale is becoming increasingly apparent. As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly compute-intensive, competitive advantage will depend not only on research capabilities but also on access to electricity, land, fibre connectivity and large-scale computing facilities. Rather than focusing exclusively on AI applications, Italy is beginning to position itself as a location where the physical infrastructure underpinning those applications can be built. Its geography reinforces that ambition. Positioned at the intersection of emerging Indo-Mediterranean connectivity corridors and supported by expanding digital infrastructure, Italy increasingly presents itself as a gateway linking continental Europe with North Africa and the Middle East, while Milan continues to emerge as one of Europe’s fastest-growing data centre markets. The balancing act ahead. There is, however, an emerging tension at the heart of Rome’s AI strategy. The government is positioning Italy as a destination for hyperscale infrastructure while, at the same time, layering additional national liability provisions on top of the EU AI Act. The long-term challenge will be to ensure that regulatory ambition strengthens rather than inadvertently dampens the investment momentum the country is now seeking to build in one of the world’s fastest-moving strategic industries. The post AI data centres: Italy bets on infrastructure appeared first on Decode39.Decode39](https://decode39.com/16022/ai-data-centres-italy-bets-on-infrastructure/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Italy adds criminal liability for AI safety failures under EU Act
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/italy-adds-criminal-liability-for-ai-safety-failures-under-eu-act/
Last updated: 2026-08-06T05:13:03.000Z
Italy’s government approves decrees implementing the EU AI Act while adding criminal liability for failures in AI safety and human oversight. The new provisions, approved by the Council of Ministers on Tuesday, create stricter legal risks for companies developing high-risk AI systems in the country. Industry observers note the move could influence broader European compliance approaches. **(DECODE39)**
[AI, Italy goes criminalROME — Italy’s government has approved the final legislative decrees implementing the European Union’s AI Act, but Rome is doing more than simply transposing the bloc’s landmark regulation. The package, approved Tuesday by the Council of Ministers — the cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni — introduces new national rules on the use of artificial intelligence in policing, education and, most notably, civil and criminal liability. The result is a distinctly Italian layer of regulation that industry observers say could reshape the legal risk facing companies developing or deploying high-risk AI systems in the country. Why it matters: Italy is among the first EU countries to accompany the AI Act with new criminal provisions targeting failures in AI safety and human oversight. The move creates a liability framework that goes beyond the EU regulation, adding a national legal layer for companies operating in Italy. Technology companies are closely watching the Italian approach as governments across Europe begin implementing the AI Act. The debate comes as Italy is simultaneously trying to position itself as a destination for AI infrastructure and data-center investments. The big picture: The EU AI Act establishes a common regulatory framework across the European Union. But while the regulation is directly applicable, member states retain room to legislate in specific areas. Italy has chosen to use that space extensively. Rather than limiting itself to implementing the European framework, Rome has built on its own national AI law (Law No. 132/2025), promoted by Undersecretary for Innovation Alessio Butti, creating an additional domestic regulatory architecture alongside the EU rules. For international companies, that means compliance in Italy could involve not only meeting EU requirements but also navigating country-specific criminal and civil provisions. Zoom in: Article 12\. The provision attracting the greatest attention is Article 12 of the implementing decree. It introduces a new offence into Italy’s criminal code covering the failure to adopt technical safety measures or adequate human oversight for high-risk AI systems when such omissions create a danger to life or public safety. It also establishes criminal liability for unlawful alterations of high-risk AI systems and extends liability, under certain conditions, to cases of gross negligence. According to a source familiar with the dossier, the real issue is not the AI Act itself but Italy’s decision to embed AI governance within its traditionally broad criminal liability framework. “The real issue is Article 12,” a source said. ”Italy has a culture where criminal liability is everywhere.” Between the lines: The concerns emerging around the decree are less about whether AI should be regulated than about legal certainty. Industry observers argue that companies may face criminal exposure before technical standards and practical guidance under the AI Act are fully consolidated. That, they say, could make Italy an outlier within the European single market by exposing developers, executives and compliance officers to risks not found elsewhere in the EU. Several large technology companies are already closely monitoring the Italian implementation, according to people familiar with the discussions, viewing it as an early test of how far individual member states may go beyond the common European framework. The effect: Some legal observers point to a broader characteristic of the Italian legal system: a tendency to extend personal liability up the corporate chain when safety failures are involved. That perception has been reinforced by high-profile cases, including the final conviction of former Ferrovie dello Stato CEO Mauro Moretti over the 2009 Viareggio rail disaster, where senior executives were held personally accountable for systemic safety shortcomings. While the case is unrelated to artificial intelligence, a source familiar with the AI debate said international technology executives are likely to factor this broader legal culture into their assessment of potential exposure in Italy. Follow the money: The timing highlights an apparent tension in Rome’s AI strategy. In the same cabinet meeting that approved the AI liability framework, the government also advanced measures aimed at supporting AI infrastructure, including data-centers development. The juxtaposition reflects Italy’s current balancing act: promoting itself as a hub for AI investment while simultaneously expanding the legal responsibilities associated with developing and deploying AI technologies. Flashback: Remember the privacy! This is not the first time Italy has taken a more interventionist approach to AI than most of its international peers. In March 2023, shortly after ChatGPT went mainstream, Italy’s data protection authority became the first regulator to react at national level, temporarily blocking the service over concerns about the collection of personal data, age verification for minors and the lack of sufficiently clear information provided to users. OpenAI made a series of changes requested by the regulator, and ChatGPT returned to the Italian market a few weeks later. For some industry observers, that episode has become an early example of a broader regulatory approach in which Italian authorities are willing to move ahead of other jurisdictions, even if the practical outcome ultimately proves more limited than the initial intervention suggested. What we’re watching: Italy’s approach could become an early test case for how much room EU member states have to add national rules on top of the AI Act. If other governments follow Rome’s lead, Italy may emerge as the standard-bearer of a more expansive interpretation of AI regulation — one that relies more heavily on criminal liability than the EU rulebook itself and that many technology companies are likely to scrutinize closely. If, instead, Italy remains an outlier, the country could face questions over whether a more burdensome liability regime makes it a less attractive destination for AI investment and the deployment of advanced AI systems than other parts of the European market. Code. Meeting with U.S. Ambassador to the EU Andrew Puzder earlier this morning, Undersecretary of State Jacob Helberg discussed the “burdensome and overly restrictive Digital Markets Act and its broader impact on stifling innovation and investment,” he said. “We share the same vision: deregulation fuels growth, strengthens our economies, and builds shared prosperity.” The bottom line: Italy’s implementation of the AI Act is becoming more than a technical exercise in European compliance. It is emerging as an early test of how far national governments are willing to extend liability beyond the EU rulebook. For companies deciding where to develop, deploy or invest in AI, the Italian question may increasingly be not only whether they can comply with the AI Act, but whether they are prepared for a legal environment that goes further than Brussels requires. The post AI, Italy goes criminal appeared first on Decode39.Decode39](https://decode39.com/16012/ai-italy-goes-criminal/?ref=nupath.eu)
### US think tank proposes Tokenpolitik strategy for AI infrastructure race
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/us-think-tank-proposes-tokenpolitik-strategy-for-ai-infrastructure-race/
Last updated: 2026-08-10T06:06:37.000Z
A new strategic concept called Tokenpolitik is proposed by the Center for Strategic and International Studies to coordinate US agencies, allies and private firms in building global AI infrastructure. The framework aims to counter China’s integrated AI ecosystem spanning semiconductors, cloud services and open-weight models. Italy recently joined the US-led Pax Silica initiative, aligning with the proposed strategy. **(DECODE39)**
[Tokenpolitik: The new geopolitics of artificial intelligenceA new term is likely to enter not only the vocabulary of artificial intelligence but also that of international relations, where AI is becoming an increasingly central factor: Tokenpolitik. The concept appears in an analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), authored by Benjamin Jensen, Director of the Futures Lab and Senior Fellow in the Defense and Security Department, and Yasir Atalan, Deputy Director and Data Fellow at the same lab. A New Strategic Concept. Their argument is straightforward: the United States needs a new grand strategic vision capable of coordinating government agencies, allies and the private sector to compete with China in building the global AI infrastructure. “As the authors write, “The United States needs tokenpolitik: a grand strategy connecting State, Commerce, Treasury, DFC, EXIM, allied governments, and private firms to make secure, affordable AI capacity available to strategic partners.” Why Tokens Matter. The underlying idea is not entirely new. At its core lies the concept of an ecosystem, applied to AI in its broadest sense. It all begins with a technical but fundamental element: tokens. Tokens are the basic units through which artificial intelligence models process information. Every prompt submitted to a chatbot, every generated text and every analysed image is broken down into tokens, which are converted into mathematical representations that neural networks can process. The faster and more efficiently a system can generate and process tokens, the lower its cost per token and the greater its competitiveness. Today’s leading AI models compete not only on the quality of their outputs, but also on inference costs and their ability to scale across billions of requests. Beyond Algorithms: The Infrastructure Race. Behind those tokens, however, lies far more than software. Advanced semiconductors, data centres, electricity grids, computing capacity, cloud infrastructure, cooling systems and increasingly sophisticated models all form part of the equation. This supply chain constitutes the real strategic infrastructure of the twenty-first century. Throughout the twentieth century, control over trade routes, maritime chokepoints and telecommunications networks shaped the balance of power. Those assets remain essential today, but they are increasingly being complemented by another strategic capability: the ability to generate and distribute tokens on a global scale. China’s Full-Stack Strategy. Viewed through this lens, China’s strategy takes on a different significance. Beijing is not merely supporting a handful of national champions; it is building an integrated ecosystem across the entire AI technology stack. Investment spans semiconductor manufacturing, computing infrastructure, open-weight models, cloud services and telecommunications networks, with Huawei emerging as one of the principal vehicles for exporting this technological architecture abroad. Exporting technology is paired with a broader strategic objective: establishing long-term economic and technological relationships, particularly across the Global South, by offering comprehensive packages that combine hardware, software, training and technical support. Washington’s Answer: Tokenpolitik. This assessment leads the authors to argue that Washington should move beyond an approach centred primarily on export controls or isolated industrial initiatives. In their view, Tokenpolitik should evolve into a genuine foreign policy doctrine. The State Department, the Department of Commerce, the Treasury, the Development Finance Corporation (DFC), the Export-Import Bank (EXIM), allied governments and private companies should all operate within a single strategic framework aimed at providing trusted and affordable AI infrastructure to America’s strategic partners, while countering the expansion of China’s Digital Silk Road. The Link with Pax Silica. Within this framework, the authors also point to Pax Silica, the U.S. initiative designed to build a secure, resilient and innovation-driven technology ecosystem alongside allied countries. The authors argue that Tokenpolitik should become its natural evolution, transforming a series of bilateral initiatives into a coherent long-term strategy. The reference carries particular significance for Italy, which officially joined the Pax Silica initiative only a few days ago, albeit later than several other partners. Redefining Great Power Competition. The real novelty of Tokenpolitik lies in its attempt to redefine how international competition is understood. The rivalry between the United States and China is no longer limited to leadership in AI models or the production of advanced semiconductors. Increasingly, the core of the competition revolves around building the infrastructure that will enable the deployment of what is arguably the most transformative technology of the coming decades. This perspective extends well beyond the contest between the two superpowers. Decisions over who finances the next generation of data centres, who builds the energy networks that power them, which technological standards prevail and which countries emerge as providers of computing capacity will have lasting implications for economic competitiveness, technological sovereignty and access to digital services. A New Grammar of Power. For this reason, Tokenpolitik is more than a theoretical concept developed by a think tank. It represents an attempt to describe an emerging phase in which international power depends less on owning a single breakthrough technology and increasingly on the ability to build, finance and govern the infrastructure that powers artificial intelligence. The post Tokenpolitik: The new geopolitics of artificial intelligence appeared first on Decode39.Decode39](https://decode39.com/16003/tokenpolitik-the-new-geopolitics-of-artificial-intelligence/?ref=nupath.eu)
### EU launches €5 billion tech fund for critical innovations
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-launches-eu5-billion-tech-fund-for-critical-innovations/
Last updated: 2026-08-05T05:52:52.000Z
The European Commission launches a €5 billion fund to invest in AI, semiconductors and quantum technologies. The initiative aims to strengthen Europe's digital sovereignty by reducing dependence on non-European tech infrastructure. The fund is part of broader EU efforts to secure strategic autonomy in critical digital domains. **(BRUSSELS TIMES)**
[EU launches €5b tech fund to compete globally on critical innovations - The Brussels TimesEU launches €5b tech fund to compete globally on critical innovations The Brussels TimesBrussels Times](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiugFBVV95cUxQOExURi1FbWlybU9NakRkWmkyWlhPeGt5UW1uWUN2OVZKOTFEdEJjaU1iS2hjaGR5Q0FkNy1NdDZCSUNPTmd6SlpyTnNjZFoxZU1zQjJxOGxhb21vcWlvTXNjYXdESHd4ajdGSHdYNTBBUmsyV1o2X01BS1BuQzdHM3J5aHRGdFlFcDM4WXhwV0Y2Ri1RczluRlIxUVlyTVg1TmlSVDBHSDFJN2RZNjdTRTRxZU5LUXM0MXc?oc=5&ref=nupath.eu)
### Italy formalises national military cyber domain
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/italy-formalises-national-military-cyber-domain/
Last updated: 2026-08-05T05:51:21.000Z
Italy prepares draft legislation to establish a national military cyber domain, clarifying roles between civilian and military cyber responsibilities. The proposal allocates a dedicated cyber mandate to the Defence Ministry and creates a Joint Cyber Intelligence Command, with an initial €10 million annual fund for military cyber research from 2026\. Decode39 reports. **(DECODE39)**
[Italy moves to define a national military cyber domainROME — Italy is preparing a new legal framework to formally establish a national military cyber domain, marking a significant step in the country’s effort to adapt its defense architecture to an increasingly digital security environment. The draft legislation, expected to be examined by the government, draws a clearer line between civilian and military cyber responsibilities while strengthening the armed forces’ ability to plan and conduct defensive cyber operations. Why it matters: Italy is giving cyber a more defined role within its national defense structure. The proposal aims to eliminate institutional overlap by clearly allocating responsibilities among military, civilian and intelligence authorities. The reform reflects Rome’s broader effort to modernize its defense posture against cyber and hybrid threats. The initiative also links operational capabilities with investments in military technology and research. The big picture: The proposed legislation creates what Italian authorities define as a “cyber space of national interest” for defense and military security. The concept encompasses the digital infrastructure embedded in military platforms, systems and equipment, formally recognizing cyberspace as an operational domain requiring dedicated governance. Rather than reshuffling the entire national cybersecurity architecture, the bill focuses on clarifying roles. Existing responsibilities assigned to Italy’s National Cybersecurity Agency (ACN), the Interior Ministry, the Postal Police and the intelligence community remain unchanged, while the Defense Ministry receives a clearly delineated military cyber mandate. Zoom in: The proposal. Under the proposal, Italy’s Chief of Defense would become the ministry’s designated cyber authority, responsible for planning and directing defensive cyber operations both domestically and abroad, including during peacetime. The measure also reorganizes military intelligence by transforming the current Information and Security Department into a Joint Cyber Intelligence Command, a move intended to better integrate cyber capabilities into the armed forces’ operational structure. Another key element is the establishment of a joint training center dedicated to preparing military personnel to counter cyber and hybrid threats. Investing in future capabilities. Beyond organizational reforms, the legislation introduces measures to support emerging defense technologies. The draft includes provisions governing the operational use of unmanned military systems and establishes a dedicated fund for military scientific and technological research, with an initial annual allocation of €10 million starting in 2026\. Taken together, the operational, organizational and financial measures suggest a long-term effort to strengthen Italy’s cyber resilience while fostering indigenous technological capabilities. The bottom line: The proposed legislation signals Italy’s intention to place cyber capabilities on a firmer institutional footing. By defining responsibilities, strengthening military command structures and investing in future technologies, Rome is seeking to build a more coherent and resilient defense posture for the digital age. The post Italy moves to define a national military cyber domain appeared first on Decode39.Decode39](https://decode39.com/15995/italy-moves-to-define-a-national-military-cyber-domain/?ref=nupath.eu)
### EU urged to strengthen drone defences amid rising airspace threats
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-urged-to-strengthen-drone-defences-amid-rising-airspace-threats/
Last updated: 2026-08-05T05:50:50.000Z
The Brussels Times reports the EU is being urged to enhance drone defences as threats to European airspace increase. The call highlights risks to critical infrastructure, military assets and civilian safety, underscoring the need for a coordinated EU response to protect digital and physical sovereignty. **(BRUSSELS TIMES)**
[EU urged to bolster drone defences as threats to airspace rise - The Brussels TimesEU urged to bolster drone defences as threats to airspace rise The Brussels TimesBrussels Times](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisAFBVV95cUxQUDdXOHIwQ2tYX0JlWWl5MWxoQmh5bVgyQVBGTThQRUxiRDhMLWo2eEhWeXp0djFsMTRGVGk3RVZ5aDdkdUt0UXJ3akNCeTJSMFFkTTMwd3d4RE4tazJCUGpEblpqYUwwV01KbUFWUkx1UHNqeC1nVTJYSlJaNGlEYXhjbVFtYWphaVBwMnJxaEIyU2g1dnI0a0dzTlFCQ1IxQm9EZGM0X0RlSmkyZW5jOA?oc=5&ref=nupath.eu)
### France and Germany move to replace Palantir in sensitive systems
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/france-and-germany-move-to-replace-palantir-in-sensitive-systems/
Last updated: 2026-08-04T05:49:45.000Z
France and Germany’s intelligence agencies selected French firm ChapsVision over Palantir for a key data analytics platform, Politico reports. Spain has instructed state-backed companies to block Palantir from future public contracts, while the UK faces a 2027 decision on a £330 million NHS data platform contract. **(POLITICO)**
[Europe wants to kick its Palantir habit](https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-wants-to-kick-its-palantir-habit/?utm%5Fsource=RSS%5FFeed&utm%5Fmedium=RSS&utm%5Fcampaign=RSS%5FSyndication) (Politico)
### EU Commission lists Apple’s acquisition of Czech firm under DMA cases
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-commission-lists-apples-acquisition-of-czech-firm-under-dma-cases/
Last updated: 2026-08-04T04:57:27.000Z
The European Commission’s Digital Markets Act case portal lists Apple’s planned acquisition of Czech materials science company PlasmaSolve s.r.o. as an active case under the DMA framework. The transaction involves Apple’s subsidiary acquiring all shares and key employees of the Czech firm. **(DIGITAL-MARKETS-ACT-CASES)**
[Competition case searchSearches for published decisions can be carried out under policy area, case number, title and date.digital-markets-act-cases.ec.europa.eu](https://digital-markets-act-cases.ec.europa.eu/acquisitions?ref=nupath.eu)
### Zuckerberg predicts AI agents for billions within five years
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/zuckerberg-predicts-ai-agents-for-billions-within-five-years/
Last updated: 2026-08-04T04:56:28.000Z
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg told investors on 29 July that within five years billions of people will each have a personal AI agent. The prediction was made during Meta’s second-quarter earnings call, signalling a shift toward AI-driven personal assistants. **(THENEXTWEB)**
[Mark Zuckerberg says billions will have a personal AI agent within five yearsMark Zuckerberg thinks almost everyone will soon have an AI that works for them. On Meta’s second-quarter earnings call on 29 July, he predicted that within five years “billions of people” will each have “a personal agent that underthenextweb.com](https://thenextweb.com/news/mark-zuckerberg-billions-personal-ai-agents-five-years?fbclid=IwdGRleATdyqxwZG9mAWZkaWQWULwMLUi9W1w9C7dBpMIw6%5FmL8VXUG2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR6iqPqJRJR0-C8bfQz4B5rTtgW0bs6zcBF3xffvuCYaHVXDSkf1OX%5FL-wCwWw%5Faem%5FjZAisJCvAGAqCadCjwIjTw&ref=nupath.eu)
### EU enforces transparency rules on AI-generated content
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-enforces-transparency-rules-on-ai-generated-content/
Last updated: 2026-08-04T04:55:31.000Z
The European Union starts enforcing new transparency obligations for AI-generated content and deepfakes under existing digital services rules. The move aims to enhance accountability in digital communications and address disinformation risks across the bloc. **(BRUSSELS TIMES)**
[EU begins enforcing transparency rules on deepfakes and AI-generated content - The Brussels TimesEU begins enforcing transparency rules on deepfakes and AI-generated content The Brussels TimesBrussels Times](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitAFBVV95cUxQMU81dTJ3OEFxSTR4RERqV21DWm1tbjBlamRxb1k0UTl0bVlmLU1VS2t3TUNBN3RWeHlYVDQ1YlhkQWxLMXVYX3RxRUlVNzZxelluRy1DQ1VWekQ1U3pXUmM3U1doWC0xVFNISkFzQTVVT3hTeE52bjZxUjAwTzZqMkJyMks5eEQxTE9oTWJ1LTlxOXF6TjR2VGRnU0V1M1hmQk8yd1J2RUJDNUtZWlBqWE9pTHI?oc=5&ref=nupath.eu)
### UK AI chip startup OLIX raises €270.5M at €2.8B valuation
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/uk-ai-chip-startup-olix-raises-eu270-5m-at-eu2-8b-valuation/
Last updated: 2026-08-04T04:54:54.000Z
London-based AI chip startup OLIX secures a €270.5 million Series B round at a €2.8 billion valuation, two years after its founding. The funding, led by Fundomo, Arm and Hudson River Trading, aims to scale its X-1 platform and DX-1 decode accelerator for frontier AI inference by H2 2027\. **(EU-STARTUPS)**
[UK AI chip startup OLIX raises €270.5 million at €2.8 billion valuation just two years after its foundingOLIX, a London-based AI chip startup building the infrastructure for frontier AI inference, today announced a €270.5 million ($312 million) Series B financing round at a €2.8 billion ($3.3 billion) valuation, two years after it was founded. The round included Fundomo, Arm and Hudson River Trading, alongside angel investors including Reed Hastings, the co-founder of Netflix, with existing investors all increasing their commitments. Alongside the round, OLIX has appointed Professor Nick McKeown to its board of directors. He is Professor Emeritus of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at Stanford University and winner of the 2025 Marconi Prize. The company has also appointed former Wise executive Matt Briers as Chief Financial Officer. Founded in London in 2024, OLIX designs every part of its systems: the chips, the lasers and the network that connects them. OLIX believes the industry’s approach to building AI inference hardware is reaching its efficiency limits. “A datacenter is a factory whose product is the token. Producing a single token takes hundreds of operations, each placing different demands on hardware. Any other factory would give each stage a machine built for it. Instead, the token factory runs every stage on the same general-purpose chip. Each new chip generation has improved by pushing single-chip specifications higher: an even better generalist but never a specialist,” the startup explained. The company claims that its systems are built on the belief that using specialised chips for each stage of the token production process will unlock a step change in AI performance and cost. It states that in OLIX’s X-1 platform, models are fully unrolled across a large number of chips, creating a production line which allows each chip to focus on a single part of the model. As AI model architectures are rapidly evolving, each chip retains a flexible compute fabric and does not hard-code or bake-in a particular model’s architecture. The company highlighted that the system is built around a novel “slow and wide” optical interconnect that moves data directly between chips using light instead of copper, at ultra-low latency and energy cost. This is made possible by rack-scale codesign across every part of the link. Workloads are scheduled across racks by a fully deterministic compiler. OLIX believes this will make existing frontier AI more affordable and abundant, and more importantly, unlock the deployment of far more powerful models in the future. DX-1 is the first chip OLIX is developing within the X-1 platform, its decode accelerator, designed for the stage where a model reasons and generates its output. The company reports that for 100B parameter size models, DX-1 can achieve Pareto-optimal inference performance, delivering simultaneously over 10,000 Tokens per second per user. It achieves this at higher output token throughput per watt than general-purpose chips running large batch sizes. The architecture scales performantly to models 10 trillion parameters and above in size thanks to OLIX’s multi-rack scale-up domain architecture. DX-1 holds a model in fast on-chip memory, SRAM, for higher energy efficiency and lower latency. The design uses no advanced packaging and no high-bandwidth memory, the components the industry is in the shortest supply of, and is designed to be able to scale volumes in spite of the supply chain shortages across the industry. The company plans to use this funding to deliver DX-1 to OLIX’s first customers by H2 2027, and the build-out of the wider custom silicon platform behind it, together with the manufacturing and supply chain commitments that scaling frontier inference hardware requires. OLIX is hiring across silicon, photonics, compiler and systems engineering in London, Bristol, Austin, Toronto and San Francisco. The post UK AI chip startup OLIX raises €270.5 million at €2.8 billion valuation just two years after its founding appeared first on EU-Startups.EU-Startups](https://www.eu-startups.com/2026/08/uk-ai-chip-startup-olix-raises-e270-5-million-at-e2-8-billion-valuation-just-two-years-after-its-founding/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Aiforia secures €20M EIB financing for AI cancer diagnostics
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/aiforia-secures-eu20m-eib-financing-for-ai-cancer-diagnostics/
Last updated: 2026-08-04T04:54:01.000Z
Helsinki-based Aiforia, a deep learning AI company for pathology, secured €20 million in venture debt from the European Investment Bank. The financing, supported under the Commission’s InvestEU programme, will accelerate product development and commercial expansion for AI-powered cancer diagnostics. Aiforia states its CE-IVD marked solutions are used in EU and EEA countries. **(EU-STARTUPS)**
[Helsinki-based Aiforia secures €20 million EIB financing to advance AI-powered cancer diagnosticsAiforia, a Helsinki-based life-science company providing deep learning AI solutions for pathology, has secured €20 million in venture debt financing from the European Investment Bank (EIB). Supported under the European Commission’s InvestEU programme, the financing will accelerate Aiforia’s product development and boost its commercial operations. The financing is divided into three tranches, with a first tranche of €5 million. Drawing each tranche requires meeting the revenue and other interim targets set out in the financing agreement. Aiforia and the EIB have also agreed on a synthetic warrant arrangement, which does not cause immediate share dilution for Aiforia’s existing shareholders. “We are pleased that the negotiations have led to the signing of a binding financing agreement. The EIB venture debt financing strengthens Aiforia’s financial position and supports the implementation of our strategy. With this financing, we can accelerate product development, expand our commercial operations internationally, and advance our goal of improving patient care through AI-powered image analysis solutions,” said Jukka Tapaninen, CEO of Aiforia. Founded in 2013 as a spin-off from the University of Helsinki, Aiforia is a publicly traded company operating internationally with thousands of platform users across the globe. The company states that it delivers software solutions that elevate diagnostic capabilities in image analysis, enabling medical discoveries. It equips pathologists and scientists in preclinical and clinical labs with deep learning AI software for translating images into discoveries, decisions, and diagnoses. Aiforia claims that over 1 million images have been analysed and thousands of AI models have already been developed on the Aiforia platform for research use, and several diagnostic solutions have been deployed. Selected Aiforia® Clinical AI models and the Aiforia® Clinical Suite Viewer are CE-IVD marked for diagnostic use in EU and EEA countries. Aiforia is a publicly traded company operating internationally with thousands of platform users across the globe. Headquartered in Helsinki, the company also operates subsidiaries in the United States and France, and maintains a network of local representatives across Europe and North America. Aiforia’s team includes AI and software developers, pathologists, medical scientists, and a commercial team. “Our continent is working to remain competitive, and we need to support the companies that make that possible. From healthcare to digital life sciences, Europe must have the best technologies developed in-house to protect and care for its citizens. The solutions developed by Aiforia strengthen Europe’s competitiveness, while giving an innovative EU company the opportunity to succeed on the global stage,” said EIB Vice-President Karl Nehammer. The funding will support the further development of the company’s AI-powered platform, designed to support pathologists in digital tissue analysis (digital pathology), notably for the detection of tumours, as well as to boost its commercial operations. The post Helsinki-based Aiforia secures €20 million EIB financing to advance AI-powered cancer diagnostics appeared first on EU-Startups.EU-Startups](https://www.eu-startups.com/2026/08/helsinki-based-aiforia-secures-e20-million-eib-financing-to-advance-ai-powered-cancer-diagnostics/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Ecosia and Qwant launch German web index for EU search sovereignty
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/ecosia-and-qwant-launch-german-web-index-for-eu-search-sovereignty/
Last updated: 2026-08-06T05:19:45.000Z
Ecosia and Qwant expand their European Search Perspective (EUSP) joint venture to Germany, following a prior rollout in France. The initiative aims to reduce reliance on non-EU web search providers as part of broader digital sovereignty efforts. **(ECOSIA)**
[EUSP search results are now live in GermanyWe’re now delivering EUSP search results to users in Germany, continuing our move towards digital sovereignty.blog.ecosia.org](https://blog.ecosia.org/eusp-germany-rollout/?ref=nupath.eu)
### EU adopts landmark AI Act with strict controls on high-risk systems
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-adopts-landmark-ai-act-with-strict-controls-on-high-risk-systems/
Last updated: 2026-08-01T06:05:46.000Z
The European Union formally begins enforcing the AI Act, introducing sweeping controls on high-risk AI applications and major tech firms, but also general transparency about generative AI usage. Users must now be informed when content has been exclusively generated by artificial intelligence. **(BRUSSELS TIMES)**
[EU's landmark AI Act imposes sweeping controls on tech giants and high-risk AI - The Brussels TimesEU's landmark AI Act imposes sweeping controls on tech giants and high-risk AI The Brussels TimesBrussels Times](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMitgFBVV95cUxOaEdXdTd2dFdSaW4wWVdKSEphbml5ZlQ4QTFvS3BZN2k2WnlYRmtLNHZCdUJDcEpidkNQc2o2aUp0NDdRZGhWY0dmQzlIWjBLQU4yTmdnU05rUjdfYmxCNjJTR29QLS1XcE1IczdhTWpvWjl5emt3US1hbFBQRFVOTlMxcWRFM3U1NG91Vjdhb3J0cFJzZS01Rk03U0hhd0Y0aXZRMmxKUmZwRE8wZzlTQk40TE9Rdw?oc=5&ref=nupath.eu)
### Commission expands AI Office staff to enforce new rules
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/commission-expands-ai-office-staff-to-enforce-new-rules/
Last updated: 2026-08-01T05:58:22.000Z
The European Commission is hiring 40 contract agents for its AI Office to enforce the EU AI Act, raising its combined staff to 111\. The units will police compliance and model risks, with full powers to impose fines or ban non-compliant AI systems from Sunday. The move addresses concerns over the office's capacity to regulate major AI models, Politico reports. **(POLITICO)**
[Commission launches major hiring push for AI Office](https://www.politico.eu/article/commission-launches-major-hiring-push-for-ai-office/?utm%5Fsource=RSS%5FFeed&utm%5Fmedium=RSS&utm%5Fcampaign=RSS%5FSyndication) (Politico)
### EU launches €30 billion plan to build seven AI gigafactories
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-launches-eu30-billion-plan-to-build-seven-ai-gigafactories/
Last updated: 2026-07-31T05:16:16.000Z
The European Commission opens bidding for seven AI data centres, four smaller and three larger, with public funding capped at €2 billion per project. Consortia must secure national backing from Germany, Greece, Portugal, Italy or Spain for larger hubs, or Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France and Poland for smaller ones. The initiative aims to mobilise up to €30 billion in total investment by 2027, POLITICO reports. **(POLITICO)**
[EU launches €30B push to build 7 massive AI data centers](https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-launches-e30-billion-push-build-7-giga-ai-compute-hubs/?utm%5Fsource=RSS%5FFeed&utm%5Fmedium=RSS&utm%5Fcampaign=RSS%5FSyndication) (Politico)
### Italy signs U.S.-led Pax Silica AI initiative in Brindisi
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/italy-signs-u-s-led-pax-silica-ai-initiative-in-brindisi/
Last updated: 2026-07-31T05:14:37.000Z
Italy will formally join the U.S.-led Pax Silica initiative on Friday in Brindisi, aligning its AI and semiconductor ecosystems with a transatlantic framework. The move follows Rome's participation in related U.S. initiatives on 6G and critical minerals. Italy's Foreign Ministry highlights semiconductors, AI and critical minerals as key focus areas. **(DECODE39)**
[Italy picks a side on AI. Rome joins the U.S.-led Pax Silica“Italy’s decision to join Pax Silica is strategically important.” That’s the assessment from Martijn Rasser, Vice President for Tech Leadership at the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), framing with Decode39 the significance of the signing Italy carries out Friday in Brindisi. Why it matters: This isn’t ceremonial. It’s a choice of sides within the architecture of technology alliances the United States is building around the value chain that ties together semiconductors, artificial intelligence and critical minerals — just as the center of gravity in AI competition shifts from the capabilities of individual models to control over the ecosystems that sustain them. The details: Signing the Pax Silica Declaration will be Ambassador Armando Varricchio, Special Envoy for Innovation and New Technologies to Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, and U.S. Ambassador to Italy Tilman Fertitta, with Puglia’s regional institutions in attendance. The move follows Varricchio’s own signature on the Joint Statement on AI Opportunity, presented at last month’s Pax Silica summit in Washington. It comes shortly after Italy joined the Call to Action for 6G Leadership and Security, the U.S.-led coalition on sixth-generation network security. And it follows Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani’s participation, in early February, in the first Critical Minerals Summit hosted in Washington by Secretary of State Marco Rubio — where Italy announced its intention to join “at Minister Tajani’s initiative,” per the Foreign Ministry. Between the lines: These are formally separate initiatives, but they run on the same logic — trusted supply chains, shared standards, coordination among aligned partners before the market sets the rules on its own. The European Commission has already signed the declaration for matters within EU competence. What the Foreign Ministry says: the area of focus is “in particular semiconductors, artificial intelligence and the critical minerals needed for their development,” with the goal of “promoting an ecosystem favorable to the advancement of these sectors and reducing dependence on individual exporting countries.” Against that backdrop, the dialogue on “Trusted Technologies” that Italy and the U.S. have been running takes on added significance. It’s promoted by the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy and the SERICS Foundation, and organized by Roberto Baldoni, now Senior Advisor on Technology and Cybersecurity Policy to Italy’s ambassador in Washington — a concrete example of tech diplomacy aimed at building shared, rather than self-sufficient, supply chains. The big picture: Launched by the State Department in late 2025 and expanded at the second Washington summit last June, Pax Silica now brings together more than 20 countries — Japan and India in the Indo-Pacific, Germany and the EU, plus partners from the Gulf and Latin America — around the concept of “innovation sovereignty” laid out by the initiative’s architect, Under Secretary Jacob Helberg. Technological sovereignty, in this framing, doesn’t come from replicating the entire AI stack within one’s own borders, but from contributing complementary pieces to a shared architecture among trusted allies: one country brings semiconductor manufacturing, another critical minerals, another research capacity or advanced manufacturing. Early operational tools: the Joint Statement on AI Opportunity, signed at June’s summit by nearly 30 countries; a pilot project with Panama on digital credentialing for the secure movement of semiconductors and minerals; and a Foundry School launched with Stanford. The other side: It’s an alternative model, and a direct rival, to the one Beijing is pushing. In July, China used the World AI Conference in Shanghai to launch the World AI Cooperation Organization (WAICO), signed by 29 countries. Xi Jinping laid out four priorities — openness and cooperation, equitable access, AI safety under human control, UN-centered coordination — paired with a package of initiatives: 5,000 training slots, application-cooperation centers, and the MAZU weather-monitoring system rolled out across 30 countries. It’s a strategy of “selective shaping”: Beijing isn’t trying to rewrite global AI governance wholesale, but to concentrate on the areas — technical standards, capacity-building, open-weight ecosystems — where it can exert real influence, offering access and infrastructure to developing countries while gradually embedding its own standards. The crux: The difference between the two architectures isn’t just one of method. Washington gates access by trust tier; Beijing ties it to its own technology offer while presenting that as openness — but it’s openness to the spread of Chinese capabilities, not equal access to infrastructure, markets and governance. For a country like Italy, with a semiconductor and advanced-manufacturing industry already exposed to state-backed Chinese competition, there is no viable third way: hedging between the two would still mean ending up inside someone else’s supply chain — likely the one offering more attractive terms in the short run, i.e. China’s — without any say over the standards governing it in the long run. What Rasser is saying: “The initiative \[Pax Silica\] remains nascent, and the test will be whether its members translate political alignment into coordinated action. But the underlying logic is sound: no country can secure the AI value chain on its own,” said Rasser. The collective capacity — technological, industrial and financial — of the United States and its allies “is an unmatched strategic advantage. Italy’s participation strengthens that network and reinforces the durability of transatlantic technology cooperation.” The SCSP vice president, among the world’s leading experts on tech competition, adds a note for Rome on execution: “Italy is moving in the right direction, but much more remains to be done. De-risking should not mean indiscriminate decoupling from China. It should mean identifying unacceptable dependencies, protecting critical technologies and know-how, diversifying supply chains, and investing in domestic capacity.” For Rasser, Italy has significant strengths in semiconductors and advanced manufacturing, “but those capabilities face growing pressure from Chinese state-backed competition. The window for action is closing.” Bottom line: This isn’t an ideological stance — it’s a bet that staying inside the U.S.-led network buys more room to maneuver, industrially and diplomatically, now and in the future, than standing outside it. As Tajani said: “With its accession to Pax Silica, Italy confirms the political will to work with the United States and other partners to advance the development of production technologies. A collaboration that will have a strong positive impact on our businesses and will strengthen our security and the unity of the West.” The post Italy picks a side on AI. Rome joins the U.S.-led Pax Silica appeared first on Decode39.Decode39](https://decode39.com/15937/italy-picks-a-side-on-ai-rome-joins-the-u-s-led-pax-silica/?ref=nupath.eu)
### AI inference chips see surge in new architectures and European entrants
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/ai-inference-chips-see-surge-in-new-architectures-and-european-entrants/
Last updated: 2026-07-31T05:13:54.000Z
New AI inference chips from OpenAI, Intel and startups like Fractile and Graphcore are set to launch in 2026, reshaping datacentre and edge AI compute. European efforts such as Fractile’s RISC-V-based architecture and Graphcore’s Izanagi chip aim to bolster digital sovereignty amid HBM memory shortages. The shift targets higher performance per watt and reduced dependence on non-EU silicon. **(EENEWS)**
[AI inference at the crossroadsThe autumn of 2026 is set to see significant changes in AI inference. As inference becomes the dominant AI workload, success depends not only on powerful chips but also on system-level innovation from new architectures and memory designs. Several new chips are coming to the AI datacentre, from OpenAI’s Jalapeneo and Intel’s Crescent Island GPU to start up unicorn Fractile. Other start ups such as Taalus and Tensordyne have been developing dedicated chips for AI inference in the datacentre rather than programmable graphics processors (GPUs). The edge AI market is also changing in the next few months, with Hailo being bought by Microchip and Nvidia going head-to-head with Apple with desktop machines. At the same time AMD is to combine its fifth-generation AMD GPU, the MI455X, with the wafer-scale inference engine developed by Cerebras. Then there is also a chiplet technology called Titania being developed by Axelera in the Netherlands and a new chip by Graphcore in the UK, again for datacentre applications later this year. Other established companies such as SambaNova and Tenstorrent are also pitching their chips for AI inference, with cloud providers starting to adopt these technologies. However, with datacentres hoovering up the supply of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) stacks and even DRAM, the memory architecture and support is increasingly important. Jalapeño OpenAI’s Jalapeño inference chip is built from the ground up for current and future LLMs from the company and was developed from design to production in nine months, with Broadcom using OpenAI’s models to speed up the chip design. This will be deployed at gigawatt scale with datacentre partners over multiple generations, says Broadcom, and starts deploying by the end of 2026\. Engineering samples of the Jalapeño chip are running ML workloads in the lab at production target frequency and power, including GPT-5.3-Codex-Spark. OpenAI designed the chip from scratch around its deep understanding of LLM fundamentals, informed by its roadmap of models, kernels, serving systems, and product needs, with partners Broadcom and Celestica, helping industrialize the platform through chip implementation, board, rack system integration, high-performance networking, and scalable production systems. Jalapeño is designed with flexibility to work with all LLMs. The architecture reduces data movement and balances compute, memory, and networking resources to achieve realized utilization much closer to theoretical peak performance. Broadcom’s silicon implementation and networking technologies, including Tomahawk networking silicon, help bring the platform to large-scale production. While a detailed technical report is still to be published, OpenAI says early testing shows that Jalapeño will deliver performance per watt substantially better than current state-of-the-art chips. A detailed technical report on performance will be presented in the coming months. “The world is moving to a compute-powered economy,” said Greg Brockman, President and Co-Founder, OpenAI. “Jalapeño is part of our long-term full-stack infrastructure strategy to make compute more abundant, resulting in AI which is faster, more reliable, more affordable for people and businesses, and can be used to solve more important problems. By designing more of the stack ourselves, we can serve more intelligence with greater efficiency and keep pushing advanced AI toward broader access.” “Jalapeño was designed from the ground up for LLM inference using detailed insights from our close collaboration with OpenAI researchers,” said Richard Ho, who leads OpenAI’s hardware program. “We optimized the architecture around the kernels, memory movement, networking, and serving patterns that matter most for frontier AI models. Based on early testing, Jalapeño will efficiently execute our most important workloads close to the hardware’s theoretical limits.” “Our collaboration with OpenAI represents a fundamental commitment to scaling the physical infrastructure required for the next decade of AI,” said Hock Tan, President and CEO, Broadcom. “This is just the beginning of a multi-generation roadmap. By co-developing our industry-leading silicon directly with OpenAI, we are enabling the deployment of gigawatt scale data centers with Microsoft and other partners beginning in 2026.” Crescent Island Intel is returning to the GPU market with a datacentre device code-named Crescent Island for AI inference workloads with high memory capacity and energy-efficient performance. “AI is shifting from static training to real-time, everywhere inference—driven by agentic AI,” said Sachin Katti, CTO of Intel. “Scaling these complex workloads requires heterogeneous systems that match the right silicon to the right task, powered by an open software stack. Intel’s Xe architecture datacentre GPU will provide the efficient headroom customers need—and more value—as token volumes surge.” Intel worked with datacentre standards group the Open Compute Project (OCP) on the design, which is optimised for air-cooled enterprise servers and incorporates large amounts of memory capacity and bandwidth for inference workflows. The chip is based on the Xe3P microarchitecture that is used in the coming Nova Lake-S and -H CPUs with optimised performance per watt and support for 160GB of low-power LPDDR5X memory. There is also support for a broad range of data types for “tokens-as-a-service” providers and inference. Intel’s software stack for heterogeneous AI systems is currently being developed and tested on Arc Pro B-Series GPUs to enable early optimisation, and customer samples are due in the second half of 2026\. Maia 200 Meanwhile, hyperscalers are developing their own chips. Microsoft has developed the Maia 200, launched in January, with a redesigned architecture that focuses on memory throughput. The 750W chip is built on TSMC’s 3nm process technology and uses a hierarchical micro-architecture with a series of tiles. Each tile integrates two complementary execution engines: a Tile Tensor Unit (TTU) for high-throughput matrix multiply and convolution, and a Tile Vector Processor (TVP) as a highly programmable SIMD engine. These engines are fed by multi-banked Tile SRAM (TSRAM) and a tile-level DMA subsystem for moving data into and out of that SRAM without stalling the compute pipeline. A lightweight Tile Control Processor (TCP) runs the low-level code emitted by the software stack and orchestrates TTU and DMA work issuance, while hardware semaphores provide fine-grained synchronization between data movement and compute. All of this means the chip has 272 GB of SRAM on the die and links to 216 GB of HBM3e memory that can scale up to 6144 devices in a cluster. It is already deployed in datacentres in Iowa and Arizona, with plans to expand to Italy, Australia, and South Korea later this year. AI inference sovereignty UK-based startup Fractile is highlighting the need for a European source for inference chips. Backed by the NATO Investment Fund and a recent $212m funding round, the company is valued at over $1bn for its RISC-V-based compute-in-memory architecture. It plans to release its first chip in the second half of 2026\. CEO interview: Walter Goodwin, Fractile Another UK chip designer, although owned by SoftBank of Japan, is Graphcore. Back in 2020, it developed the second generation of its Colossus chip, the GC200, that integrated 1472 cores and 900Mbits of SRAM memory. This ran software developed by the company before the advent of LLMs, and the company also had to develop its own boards and racks. The company has key expertise in memory integration and compute-in-memory and is expanding its design teams in Bristol and Cambridge in the UK as well as a 500-strong team in Bengaluru in India. These teams are developing the Izanagi chip which is also planned for later this year. This is likely to take advantage of the wafer-to-wafer bonding technology that Graphcore has already demonstrated to link the processor to very large amounts of SRAM memory. This would boost performance while avoiding the current problems of sourcing HBM memory stacks and even LPDDR memories. Other inference AI chips There are several inference AI chips under development. Taalus is taking specific AI models and creating custom hardware for them to keep power consumption down while boosting performance. The Taalas HC1 Technology Demonstrator is built in a 6nm process at TSMC and runs the Llama 3.1 8B AI model in a 2.5kW server. The challenge is choosing the right model to turn into hardware. Another startup is Tensordyne, which started out in 2017 as Recogni with a focus on automotive vision AI. The shift to datacentre inference uses a logarithmic number system (LNS) instead of conventional floating-point maths. Its 3nm Napier inference AI processor converts complex matrix multiplications into simple additions, shrinking compute logic area to optimise the performance per watt. The processor has 48 compute nodes optimised for transformer AI models and links to 144 GB of HBM memory. It is packaged into an air-cooled pod with a 72-chip chassis delivering 76.7 petaflops of FP16 equivalent compute at 30 kW, a third of other leading-edge systems. Edge AI inference Nvidia fired the gun on edge AI devices with its Project Digits design, now shipping as the DGX Spark. This is based on the standalone GB10 Grace Blackwell superchip developed with Mediatek and integrates 20 ARM cores (10 Cortex-X925 and 10 Cortex-A725) with 6144 CUDA cores in the Nvidia Blackwell architecture. With 128 GB of LPDDR5x coherent unified system memory, this delivers up to 1 PetaFLOP at FP4 4bit precision or 1,000 AI TOPS. Power consumption is one of the other key criteria for inference chips, whether in a rack or in a box, and the GB10 has a thermal envelope of 140W and the DGX Spark box needs a 240W power supply. This can run leading-edge AI models such as Kimi-K2 Thinking, DeepSeek-V3.2, Mistral Large 3, Meta Llama 4 Maverick, Qwen3 and OpenAI gpt-oss-120b. “The Nvidia GB300 is typically deployed as a rack-scale system,” said Kaichao You, core maintainer of vLLM. “This makes it difficult for projects like vLLM to test and develop directly on the powerful GB300 superchip. DGX Station changes this dynamic. By delivering GB300 in a compact, single-system form factor deskside, DGX Station enables vLLM to test and develop GB300-specific features at a significantly lower cost. This accelerates development cycles and makes it easy for vLLM to continuously validate and optimize against GB300.” “DGX Station brings data-centre-class GPU capability directly into my room,” said Jerry Zhou, community contributor to SGLang. “It is powerful enough to serve very large models like Qwen3-235B, test training frameworks with large model configurations and develop CUDA kernels with extremely large matrix sizes, all locally without relying on cloud racks. This dramatically shortens the iteration loop for systems and framework development.” A range of manufacturers have developed their own versions of the DGX Station, with systems starting to ship from Asus, Boxx, Dell Technologies, Gigabyte, HP Inc, MSI and Supermicro. Mediatek has also helped Nvidia with a similar version of the GB10 for PCs running Windows 11 to use AI agent frameworks such as OpenClaw. The RTX Spark chip has the same 128 GB of unified memory as the GB10 and is aimed at AI laptops shipping later this year, and has a power envelope of 80 to 110W. “We are strong supporters of deploying agents like OpenClaw securely into the Windows ecosystem,” said Vincent Koc, chief architect at the OpenClaw Foundation. “Running solutions like OpenShell and the Microsoft security primitives on RTX Spark will enable users to leverage a fully integrated stack for private, personal agents running on device.” Metis Axelera points to a developer running millions of tokens a day on two mini PCs, ditching cloud APIs entirely to cut costs. This is a key shift. As AI becomes more capable and more embedded in daily operations, the case for running it locally, on in-house hardware, grows stronger. Open-weight models have matured and the mini AI PC has evolved into a serious computing platform capable of replacing traditional desktops across a wide range of workloads. So the Axelera Mini PC is powered by its first generation Metis chip on a PCI M.2 card for edge AI. Axelera plans datacentre inference AI push For AI vision, that shift is particularly significant. A factory line running continuous defect inspection generates too much data to route to the cloud efficiently. Over 40% of manufacturing plants globally are projected to use edge-enabled computer vision systems by 2027, according to analysts Market Mind Partners. The Axelera AI mini PC based on the Metis M.2 card Bringing AI vision in-house means processing data where it’s generated, scaling deployments for actual operational needs rather than being constrained by cloud architecture, says Axelera. This also allows systems to remain fully functional regardless of network conditions or API pricing changes. Apple M5 Ultra While Nvidia has been benchmarking its DGX Station against the two-year-old Apple M4 Max processor, a new chip is set to provide more performance for AI inference. The M5 Ultra is set for launch later this year and is expected to combine two M5 dies. These dies have up to 10 custom ARM cores with up to 10 GPU cores that are optimised for AI. The M5 Max combines two of these dies, so the specification of the M5 Ultra is expected to include more memory to support larger AI models. Hailo Microchip Technology is to acquire Israeli chip developer Hailo in the next two months for an undisclosed sum. This will provide a significant boost for Microchip’s edge AI, adding the Hailo-8, Hailo-10 and Hailo-15 chips for computer vision, while adding advanced camera, ISP, DSP, video encoding and AI video stream processing capabilities for intelligent edge systems. This follows the acquisition of Neuronix AI Labs, which added neural network optimization technology for AI/ML workloads on FPGAs and system-on-chip devices. “The acquisition of Hailo accelerates Microchip’s expansion into high-performance edge AI processing,” said Mark Reiten, Senior Corporate Vice President. “Hailo’s AI acceleration, advanced vision processing and software ecosystem directly complement Microchip’s embedded processing, FPGA, connectivity, security, power and analog portfolio. Together, we can help customers build more capable intelligent edge systems with the right balance of performance, power efficiency, reliability and system cost.” “Joining Microchip would give Hailo the opportunity to scale our accelerated edge AI technology through a global embedded systems leader,” said Orr Danon, CEO of Hailo. “Microchip’s customer reach, channel scale and broad technology portfolio would create a strong platform for bringing advanced vision processing and AI acceleration to a broader range of intelligent edge applications.” The boom in AI- is driving new chip architectures and memory designs, with the technology this year driving down from the datacentre to the desktop. A wide range of chip technologies are emerging over the next few months which are set to boost productivity in edge AI deployments but also change the economics of AI inference. The post AI inference at the crossroads appeared first on eeNews Europe.eeNews Europe](https://www.eenewseurope.com/en/ai-inference-at-the-crossroads/?ref=nupath.eu)
### FCC bans foreign-made advanced robots over security risks
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/fcc-bans-foreign-made-advanced-robots-over-security-risks/
Last updated: 2026-07-30T08:03:09.000Z
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission has added foreign-produced advanced robots, including humanoids and quadrupeds, to its Covered List of technologies deemed a national security risk. The ban applies to all foreign-made robots, regardless of origin, meaning EU manufacturers are also affected. According to the FCC, the mobility, connectivity, and data-collection capabilities of these devices could pose risks to U.S. critical infrastructure. Exemptions may be granted through a Conditional Approval process. The ban underscores the growing geopolitical tensions around advanced robotics and their global supply chains.
[Why the United States’ FCC now considers advanced robots a national security riskThe US government has taken one of its most significant steps yet to regulate advanced robotics, adding foreign-produced humanoids, quadrupeds and other mobile robots to the Federal Communications …Robotics & Automation NewsDavid Edwards](https://roboticsandautomationnews.com/2026/07/29/why-the-united-states-fcc-now-considers-advanced-robots-a-national-security-risk/103663/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Hamburg assesses move from Microsoft to open-source software
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/hamburg-assesses-move-from-microsoft-to-open-source-software/
Last updated: 2026-07-30T07:08:05.000Z
The Hamburg government approved a motion to evaluate replacing Microsoft software with the open-source openDesk platform for administrative workstations. The assessment aims to reduce dependence on proprietary software and enhance digital sovereignty, Cybernews reports. **(CYBERNEWS)**
[Hamburg wants to cut its dependence on Microsoft | CybernewsThe Hamburg government passed a motion to assess the feasibility of moving the city’s administrative workstations from Microsoft software to the open-source openDesk.cybernews.com](https://cybernews.com/tech/hamburg-microsoft-opendesk/?utm%5Fsource=cn%5Ffacebook&utm%5Fmedium=social&utm%5Fcampaign=cybernews&utm%5Fcontent=post&source=cn%5Ffacebook&medium=social&campaign=cybernews&content=post)
### Cyprus expands €308.4 million innovation scheme to include cybersecurity
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/cyprus-expands-eu308-4-million-innovation-scheme-to-include-cybersecurity/
Last updated: 2026-07-30T06:47:11.000Z
Cyprus’s State Aid Control Commissioner approves an expanded €308.4 million innovation funding scheme, adding a Fast Track Innovation (FTI) programme focused on cybersecurity. The measure continues existing research and development support while prioritising digital resilience under the Restart 2016–2020 programmes. **(CYPRUSMAIL)**
[Cyprus approves expanded €308.4 million innovation funding schemeState Aid Control Commissioner Stella Michaelidou has approved an expanded research and innovation support measure, allowing the continuation of the Restart 2016–2020 programmes with an increased budget and the addition of a new cybersecurity innovation initiative. The updated scheme includes several amendments, including the addition of the Fast Track Innovation (FTI) programme for the rapid development of innovative products and services in the cybersecurity sector.Cyprus Mail](https://cyprus-mail.com/2026/07/30/cyprus-approves-expanded-e308-4-million-innovation-funding-scheme?ref=nupath.eu)
### EuroHPC launches EUMaster4HPC to train HPC experts until 2032
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eurohpc-launches-eumaster4hpc-to-train-hpc-experts-until-2032/
Last updated: 2026-07-30T06:45:34.000Z
The EuroHPC Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) extends the EUMaster4HPC programme to 2032 to address Europe’s shortage of High Performance Computing professionals. Funded by the EuroHPC JU, the initiative aims to bolster Europe’s digital sovereignty by training the next generation of HPC experts. **(EUROHPC JU)**
[EUMaster4HPC Programme continues advancing HPC Skills in Europe with new phase (2026–2032)Funded by the EuroHPC JU, the EUMaster4HPC will address the growing demand for highly skilled professionals in High Performance Computing, a domain that remains central to Europe’s digital sovereignty and technological leadership.EuroHPC JU](https://www.eurohpc-ju.europa.eu/eumaster4hpc-programme-continues-advancing-hpc-skills-europe-new-phase-2026-2032-2026-07-29%5Fen?ref=nupath.eu)
### Bi-weekly: the last two weeks in European digital sovereignty
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/bi-weekly-the-last-two-weeks-in-european-digital-sovereignty-2/
Last updated: 2026-07-29T10:14:39.000Z
### The last two weeks in European digital sovereignty
---
### News
▸ [EU AI Office gains powers to police frontier models](https://www.nupath.eu/eu-ai-office-gains-powers-to-police-frontier-models/)
▸ [DFINITY launches decentralised sovereign cloud platform](https://www.nupath.eu/dfinity-launches-decentralised-sovereign-cloud-platform/)
▸ [Portugal’s Meo and Thales bid to host EU IRIS² gateways](https://www.nupath.eu/portugals-meo-and-thales-bid-to-host-eu-iris2-gateways/)
▸ [Italy joins US-led 6G coalition to shape standards](https://www.nupath.eu/italy-joins-us-led-6g-coalition-to-shape-standards/)
▸ [eeNews and Lemberg host CRA-ready IoT webinar ahead of deadline](https://www.nupath.eu/eenews-and-lemberg-host-cra-ready-iot-webinar-ahead-of-deadline/)
▸ [Ireland delays €1 billion Microsoft procurement over sovereignty](https://www.nupath.eu/ireland-delays-eu1-billion-microsoft-procurement-over-sovereignty/)
▸ [Bancomat, EPI and SIBS-MB WAY complete QR payment interoperability PoC](https://www.nupath.eu/bancomat-epi-and-sibs-mb-way-complete-qr-payment-interoperability-poc/)
▸ [US diplomats told to counter European sovereign AI plans](https://www.nupath.eu/us-diplomats-told-to-counter-european-sovereign-ai-plans/)
▸ [UK urged to address public sector cloud dependency risks](https://www.nupath.eu/uk-urged-to-address-public-sector-cloud-dependency-risks/)
▸ [Vienna University adopts Linux and LibreOffice for digital sovereignty](https://www.nupath.eu/vienna-university-adopts-linux-and-libreoffice-for-digital-sovereignty/)
▸ [German agencies test open-source Microsoft 365 alternative](https://www.nupath.eu/german-agencies-test-open-source-microsoft-365-alternative/)
▸ [EU’s Cyber Resilience Act sets first binding deadlines](https://www.nupath.eu/eus-cyber-resilience-act-sets-first-binding-deadlines/)
▸ [EU lawmaker warns of US tech 'kill switch' risk](https://www.nupath.eu/eu-lawmaker-warns-of-us-tech-kill-switch-risk/)
▸ [EU digital chief warns foreign AI dependence risks political leverage](https://www.nupath.eu/eu-digital-chief-warns-foreign-ai-dependence-risks-political-leverage/)
▸ [Poland introduces Sovereignty Test for government IT procurement](https://www.nupath.eu/poland-introduces-sovereignty-test-for-government-it-procurement/)
▸ [EU telecoms face €40 billion cost to replace Huawei](https://www.nupath.eu/eu-telecoms-face-eu40-billion-cost-to-replace-huawei/)
▸ [EuroHPC JU signs contract for Luxembourg’s MeluXina-AI supercomputer](https://www.nupath.eu/eurohpc-ju-signs-contract-for-luxembourgs-meluxina-ai-supercomputer/)
▸ [US warns Italy over Chinese AI partnerships](https://www.nupath.eu/us-warns-italy-over-chinese-ai-partnerships/)
▸ [Ukraine launches €50M fund for defense tech founders](https://www.nupath.eu/ukraine-launches-eu50m-fund-for-defense-tech-founders/)
▸ [EU leaders to hold first dedicated AI summit](https://www.nupath.eu/eu-leaders-to-hold-first-dedicated-ai-summit/)
▸ [EU approves €659m for German semiconductor projects](https://www.nupath.eu/eu-approves-eu659m-for-german-semiconductor-projects/)
▸ [Italy’s digital agency faces questions over China AI conference trip](https://www.nupath.eu/italys-digital-agency-faces-questions-over-china-ai-conference-trip/)
▸ [UK Sovereign AI Fund invests in Cambridge AI startup CuspAI](https://www.nupath.eu/uk-sovereign-ai-fund-invests-in-cambridge-ai-startup-cuspai/)
▸ [EU Commission finalises US border data access deal](https://www.nupath.eu/eu-commission-finalises-us-border-data-access-deal/)
▸ [EU fines AliExpress €550M under Digital Services Act](https://www.nupath.eu/eu-fines-aliexpress-eu550m-under-digital-services-act/)
▸ [Italy’s AgID chief attends China’s WAIC amid Pax Silica alignment](https://www.nupath.eu/italys-agid-chief-attends-chinas-waic-amid-pax-silica-alignment/)
▸ [U.S. to push UN free speech declaration targeting EU tech rules](https://www.nupath.eu/u-s-to-push-un-free-speech-declaration-targeting-eu-tech-rules/)
▸ [European Parliament launches internal AI platform EPGenAI Hub](https://www.nupath.eu/european-parliament-launches-internal-ai-platform-epgenai-hub/)
▸ [Intel begins using ASML’s $400M High-NA EUV machine](https://www.nupath.eu/intel-begins-using-asmls-400m-high-na-euv-machine/)
▸ [Germany allows open source in public tenders](https://www.nupath.eu/germany-allows-open-source-in-public-tenders/)
▸ [EU orders Google to open Android and share search data](https://www.nupath.eu/eu-orders-google-to-open-android-and-share-search-data/)
▸ [France and Germany to develop Palantir alternative for military software](https://www.nupath.eu/france-and-germany-to-develop-palantir-alternative-for-military-software/)
▸ [EU launches electrification plan to boost competitiveness](https://www.nupath.eu/eu-launches-electrification-plan-to-boost-competitiveness/)
▸ [US judge pauses visa restrictions on Thierry Breton](https://www.nupath.eu/us-judge-pauses-visa-restrictions-on-thierry-breton/)
▸ [Macron and Merz pledge to strengthen Europe's tech and defence autonomy](https://www.nupath.eu/macron-and-merz-pledge-to-strengthen-europes-tech-and-defence-autonomy/)
▸ [Mecklenburg-Vorpommern to phase out Microsoft Office](https://www.nupath.eu/mecklenburg-vorpommern-to-phase-out-microsoft-office/)
▸ [Airbus migrates 70 critical apps from AWS to France's Scaleway to retain European control](https://www.nupath.eu/airbus-migrates-70-critical-apps-from-aws-to-frances-scaleway-in-digital-sovereignty-push/)
▸ [UK banks warned over cybersecurity risks from restricted AI access](https://www.nupath.eu/uk-banks-warned-over-cybersecurity-risks-from-restricted-ai-access/)
▸ [EDRi urges EU to reassess US data adequacy after Trump v. Slaughter ruling](https://www.nupath.eu/edri-urges-eu-to-reassess-us-data-adequacy-after-trump-v-slaughter-ruling/)
▸ [EU exempts wearable tech from battery rules after US pressure](https://www.nupath.eu/eu-exempts-wearable-tech-from-battery-rules-after-us-pressure/)
▸ [Anthropic sends junior staffer to EU Parliament AI hearing](https://www.nupath.eu/anthropic-sends-junior-staffer-to-eu-parliament-ai-hearing/)
Read everything at [nupath.eu](https://www.nupath.eu/)
### EU AI Office gains powers to police frontier models
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-ai-office-gains-powers-to-police-frontier-models/
Last updated: 2026-07-29T07:53:22.000Z
The European Commission’s AI Office will enforce the EU AI Act with new powers to demand evaluations and access to advanced AI models from top companies, including non-European firms. The regime, effective from the AI Act’s second anniversary, introduces potential fines for non-compliance, aiming to address Europe’s strategic dependence on foreign AI technologies. **(POLITICO)**
[Can Europe’s new AI safety regime tame US rogue agents — and Chinese ambitions?](https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-ai-artificial-intelligence-safety-us-china/?utm%5Fsource=RSS%5FFeed&utm%5Fmedium=RSS&utm%5Fcampaign=RSS%5FSyndication) (Politico)
### DFINITY launches decentralised sovereign cloud platform
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/dfinity-launches-decentralised-sovereign-cloud-platform/
Last updated: 2026-07-29T07:50:21.000Z
DFINITY has developed a decentralised computing platform enabling governments and enterprises to retain control over infrastructure, data governance and vendor lock-in. The Swiss Subnet, launched at Davos, operates on 13 independent node providers within Switzerland, demonstrating the platform's viability for sovereign deployments. **(TECH.EU)**
[Beyond the hyperscale cloud: DFINITY's vision for sovereign computingDFINITY has spent more than a decade building an alternative to the traditional cloud: a decentralised computing platform designed to let governments and enterprises retain control over where their applications run, who operates the infrastructure and how data is governed. The concept moved beyond theory earlier this year. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, DFINITY launched the Swiss Subnet, a sovereign cloud deployment running entirely on 13 independent node providers located within Switzerland.Tech.eu](https://tech.eu/2026/07/27/beyond-the-hyperscale-cloud-dfinity-s-vision-for-sovereign-computing/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Portugal’s Meo and Thales bid to host EU IRIS² gateways
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/portugals-meo-and-thales-bid-to-host-eu-iris2-gateways/
Last updated: 2026-07-29T07:43:47.000Z
Portugal’s Meo and Thales will submit a joint bid by the end of July to host satellite gateway services for the EU’s IRIS² constellation. The bid proposes Alfouvar as the main teleport and Santa Maria in the Azores as the secondary site, managed through the Portuguese Space Agency. The move aims to strengthen EU digital sovereignty in secure communications. **(ECO NEWS)**
[Meo and Thales seek role in EU IRIS2 satellite networkPortugal’s Meo and Thales will submit a joint bid this month, through the Portuguese Space Agency, to become a satellite gateway supplier for the consortium developing IRIS2, the European satellite constellation designed to provide a secure regional alternative to non-European networks. The two companies want to provide gateway services from the teleport facilities they manage in Alfouvar, near Sintra, and in Santa Maria, in the Azores. Ana Carla Sousa, senior director at Meo Wholesale Solutions, told ECO/eRadar that Alfouvar would be the main teleport and Santa Maria the secondary one, adding that the application would be delivered to the Portuguese Space Agency by the end of this week for the national submission.ECO News](https://econews.pt/2026/07/28/meo-and-thales-seek-role-in-eu-iris2-satellite-network/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Italy joins US-led 6G coalition to shape standards
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/italy-joins-us-led-6g-coalition-to-shape-standards/
Last updated: 2026-07-29T07:39:59.000Z
Italy has joined the US-led Call to Action for 6G Leadership and Security initiative, led by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The partnership aims to accelerate secure 6G development and curb non-European influence over standards. The coalition includes over twenty governments, including France, Germany, Japan and South Korea. **(DECODE39)**
[Italy joins US-led 6G coalition. Why it mattersItaly has joined the global partnership unveiled by the Trump administration to accelerate the development of secure 6G wireless networks, adding Rome to Washington’s latest effort to build a coalition around the technologies expected to underpin the next phase of digital competition. The initiative, known as the Call to Action for 6G Leadership and Security and led by National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) at the U.S. Department of Commerce, brings together more than twenty governments across Europe, the Indo-Pacific and the Western Hemisphere, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Canada and Sweden.Decode39](https://decode39.com/15884/italy-joins-us-led-6g-coalition-why-it-matters/?ref=nupath.eu)
### eeNews and Lemberg host CRA-ready IoT webinar ahead of deadline
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eenews-and-lemberg-host-cra-ready-iot-webinar-ahead-of-deadline/
Last updated: 2026-07-29T07:38:14.000Z
eeNews Europe and Lemberg Solutions will host a free webinar on 10 September 2026 on practical steps for building IoT products compliant with the EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA). The session precedes the first binding reporting duties under the CRA, which apply from 11 September 2026\. **(EENEWS)**
[CRA-ready IoT products webinar from eeNews and LembergeeNews Europe and Lemberg Solutions will host a free online webinar on Thursday, 10 September 2026, examining the practical work involved in building CRA-ready IoT products. The session, Building CRA-Ready IoT Products: The Practical Side of Compliance, will be presented by Nazar Kohut, programme manager at Lemberg Solutions. The timing is deliberate: the first binding reporting duties under the EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) apply from Friday, 11 September 2026, one day after the webinar.eeNews Europe](https://www.eenewseurope.com/en/cra-ready-iot-products-webinar/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Ireland delays €1 billion Microsoft procurement over sovereignty
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/ireland-delays-eu1-billion-microsoft-procurement-over-sovereignty/
Last updated: 2026-08-05T05:58:05.000Z
Ireland pauses a €1 billion Microsoft procurement to assess digital sovereignty concerns, despite plans to proceed with a single-vendor tender. The move follows calls to consider European alternatives to US providers, The Register reports. **(THEREGISTER)**
[Ireland stalls €1B Microsoft tender amid digital sovereignty questionsGovernment plans another Redmond-only procurement despite calls to consider European rivalswww.theregister.com](https://www.theregister.com/public-sector/2026/07/22/ireland-stalls-1b-microsoft-tender-amid-digital-sovereignty-questions/5276149?ref=nupath.eu)
### Bancomat, EPI and SIBS-MB WAY complete QR payment interoperability PoC
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/bancomat-epi-and-sibs-mb-way-complete-qr-payment-interoperability-poc/
Last updated: 2026-07-26T05:44:51.000Z
Bancomat, EPI and SIBS-MB WAY have validated cross-border QR-code mobile payment interoperability for in-store transactions. The proof of concept involved users from Italy, Portugal and other markets completing payments in each other's networks. The initiative builds on a February 2026 MoU and targets broader interoperability by 2027\. **(THEPAYPERS)**
[Bancomat, EPI, SIBS-MB WAY finalise European QR payment interoperability PoC | The PaypersBancomat, EPI, and SIBS-MB WAY have completed a proof of concept validating cross-border QR-based mobile payment interoperability for in-store retail transactions across Europe.thepaypers.com](https://thepaypers.com/payments/news/bancomat-epi-sibs-mb-way-complete-cross-border-qr-payment-interoperability-poc?ref=nupath.eu)
### US diplomats told to counter European sovereign AI plans
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/us-diplomats-told-to-counter-european-sovereign-ai-plans/
Last updated: 2026-08-01T06:12:51.000Z
A leaked US State Department cable instructs diplomats worldwide to challenge European sovereign AI initiatives and reassure partners over fears of a US technology 'kill switch'. The move follows White House restrictions on foreign access to advanced AI models, highlighting a transatlantic dispute over digital sovereignty and strategic technology control. EUTODAY reports. **(EUTODAY)**
[Rubio Cable Reveals US Campaign Against European Sovereign AI - https://eutoday.netUS Secretary of State Marco Rubio has instructed American diplomats to push back against foreign fears that Washington could cut access to US technology andeutoday.net](https://eutoday.net/us-campaign-against-european-sovereign-ai/?ref=nupath.eu)
### UK urged to address public sector cloud dependency risks
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/uk-urged-to-address-public-sector-cloud-dependency-risks/
Last updated: 2026-07-26T05:39:01.000Z
A digital sovereignty expert urges UK public sector organisations to identify critical technology dependencies and establish sovereignty guardrails. Angela Bishop of Zühlke highlights geopolitical tensions and evolving regulation as drivers of this shift to board-level priority. **(THINKDIGITALPARTNERS)**
[Digital sovereignty expert urges governments to address cloud dependency risksA digital sovereignty expert argues that governments must tackle cloud dependency as a strategic risk, framing it as a technical problem that can be overcome with targeted policy measures.www.thinkdigitalpartners.com](https://www.thinkdigitalpartners.com/news/2026/07/23/government-must-tackle-cloud-dependencies-says-digital-sovereignty-expert/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Vienna University adopts Linux and LibreOffice for digital sovereignty
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/vienna-university-adopts-linux-and-libreoffice-for-digital-sovereignty/
Last updated: 2026-07-26T05:36:00.000Z
Vienna University of Technology's Data Protection and Document Management Department replaced Windows with Linux and Microsoft Office with LibreOffice to regain control over its data. The pilot project is now set to serve as a model for other departments. **(TU WIEN)**
[A penguin as the emblem of the Data Protection and Document Management DepartmentThe Department of Data Protection and Document Management decided to replace Windows with Linux and Microsoft Office with LibreOffice. The aim was to regain control over its own data. The resulting pilot project on ‘digital sovereignty’ is now set to serve as a model for other departments.www.tuwien.at](https://www.tuwien.at/en/tu-wien/news/news-articles/news/ein-pinguin-als-wappentier-der-datenschutz-und-dokumentenmanagementabteilung?ref=nupath.eu)
### German agencies test open-source Microsoft 365 alternative
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/german-agencies-test-open-source-microsoft-365-alternative/
Last updated: 2026-07-26T05:35:27.000Z
Germany's Federal Employment Agency and National Pension Insurance have trialled openDesk, an open-source alternative to Microsoft 365, and deemed it suitable for emergency use in critical infrastructure contexts. The trial follows efforts to reduce reliance on proprietary software for digital sovereignty. **(HEISE)**
[Microsoft alternative: Social insurers trial OpenDesk for emergencies - heise onlineGermany's Federal Employment Agency and National Pension Insurance tested openDesk, an open-source alternative to Microsoft 365, and deemed it suitable for emergency use in critical infrastructure contexts.heise online](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisAFBVV95cUxQQ19lV0VGVXNTbWlxVmIwUmVMYlNSNmtlSHVON0Z6X1JocW9mSjZVZ3A1SWZsSmRBX19wNWhKZm9qQUw4bklJV2xNckJaTE1TNnJ6MjhFSDVJdnNOWmt6bDJTQ2RPLTlNWW5NS05XS1p3bll1ZE43NGd1ZWwxUlZFS3FNbTZFc2dzT2JGV1dfUnRQSkp4ZFN3eVJxd3h5NHk2TFMyMnRHSEdUQ2hQaXUzag?oc=5&ref=nupath.eu)
### EU’s Cyber Resilience Act sets first binding deadlines
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eus-cyber-resilience-act-sets-first-binding-deadlines/
Last updated: 2026-07-24T04:17:38.000Z
The EU’s Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) introduces binding cybersecurity rules for digital products, with the first reporting deadlines for serious incidents and vulnerabilities set for September 2026\. Full compliance is required by December 2027, marking a shift from cybersecurity as an IT issue to a verifiable product characteristic under Regulation (EU) 2024/2847\. **(EENEWS EUROPE)**
[Cyber Resilience Act, Part 1: The first deadlines are approachingWith the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), or Regulation (EU) 2024/2847, the EU is establishing a binding legal framework for the cybersecurity of products with digital elements for the first time. For manufacturers, importers, and distributors, this represents a fundamental shift: cybersecurity will no longer be merely an IT issue but a verifiable product characteristic – comparable to functional safety, EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility), or electrical safety.eeNews Europe](https://www.eenewseurope.com/en/cyber-resilience-act-part-1/?ref=nupath.eu)
### EU lawmaker warns of US tech 'kill switch' risk
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-lawmaker-warns-of-us-tech-kill-switch-risk/
Last updated: 2026-07-23T05:14:42.000Z
Aura Salla, an EPP member of the European Parliament, warns that Europe cannot rely on technologies that could be cut off by a foreign government. The statement highlights concerns over US control of essential digital infrastructure. **(REUTERS)**
[EU lawmaker warns of US tech 'kill switch' over European digital infrastructureA European Parliament member from the EPP warns that Europe cannot build its tech stack on access that can be cut off by a foreign government, highlighting risks of US tech dependence.www.reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/marco-rubio-tells-diplomats-play-down-talk-american-tech-kill-switch-2026-07-22/?ref=nupath.eu)
### EU digital chief warns foreign AI dependence risks political leverage
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-digital-chief-warns-foreign-ai-dependence-risks-political-leverage/
Last updated: 2026-07-23T04:38:06.000Z
EU digital chief Henna Virkkunen warns that reliance on foreign AI systems could give foreign governments or companies political leverage over Europe. The warning follows the US decision in June 2026 to impose temporary export controls on leading AI models, highlighting vulnerabilities in Europe's digital sovereignty agenda. **(EUTODAY)**
[EU Digital Chief Warns Foreign AI Dependence Could Become Political Leverage - https://eutoday.netEurope’s concern is shifting from competitiveness to control: whether foreign governments or companies could restrict access to AI systems that public services and firms rely on.eutoday.net](https://eutoday.net/eu-ai-dependence-political-leverage-risk/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Poland introduces Sovereignty Test for government IT procurement
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/poland-introduces-sovereignty-test-for-government-it-procurement/
Last updated: 2026-07-29T10:32:36.000Z
Poland has implemented a Sovereignty Test to assess IT procurement decisions, aiming to reduce reliance on foreign technology and strengthen digital autonomy. The policy targets government contracts to prioritise domestic or EU-based solutions. **(CYBERNEWS)**
[Poland implements Sovereignty Test for IT procurementPoland has introduced a Sovereignty Test to evaluate IT procurement decisions, aiming to reduce dependence on foreign technology and enhance digital autonomy.cybernews.com](https://cybernews.com/tech/poland-tech-sovereignty/?ref=nupath.eu)
### EU telecoms face €40 billion cost to replace Huawei
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-telecoms-face-eu40-billion-cost-to-replace-huawei/
Last updated: 2026-07-23T04:34:46.000Z
The EU’s plan to remove Huawei and ZTE from telecom networks could cost €30 to €40 billion, according to industry body GSMA. This exceeds the European Commission’s estimate of €10 to €13 billion over three years, highlighting Europe’s reliance on non-EU suppliers for critical infrastructure. **(POLITICO)**
[Huawei ban to cost the EU up to €40 billion, says industry](https://www.politico.eu/article/telecom-industry-estimates-huawei-ban-cost-europe-40-billion/?utm%5Fsource=RSS%5FFeed&utm%5Fmedium=RSS&utm%5Fcampaign=RSS%5FSyndication) (Politico)
### EuroHPC JU signs contract for Luxembourg’s MeluXina-AI supercomputer
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eurohpc-ju-signs-contract-for-luxembourgs-meluxina-ai-supercomputer/
Last updated: 2026-07-23T04:31:46.000Z
The EuroHPC Joint Undertaking awards a contract to E4 Computer Engineering for MeluXina-AI, an AI-optimised supercomputer to be installed in Luxembourg’s AI Factory. The system will expand Europe’s sovereign AI compute capacity under the EuroHPC initiative. **(EUROHPC)**
[EuroHPC JU signs contract for MeluXina-AI, a new AI-optimised supercomputer for the Luxembourg AI FactoryThe EuroHPC JU signed a procurement contract with E4 Computer Engineering, the selected contractor, for the acquisition, delivery, installation and maintenance of MeluXina-AI, a new AI-optimised supercomputer for the EuroHPC AIF in Luxembourg.EuroHPC JU](https://www.eurohpc-ju.europa.eu/eurohpc-ju-signs-contract-meluxina-ai-new-ai-optimised-supercomputer-luxembourg-ai-factory-2026-07-22%5Fen?ref=nupath.eu)
### US warns Italy over Chinese AI partnerships
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/us-warns-italy-over-chinese-ai-partnerships/
Last updated: 2026-07-23T04:29:49.000Z
Washington is concerned that private-sector deals around China’s AI ecosystem could expand Chinese artificial intelligence in Europe, including Italy, through commercial incentives rather than government policy. **(DECODE39)**
[Washington’s warning to Rome: The private AI deals raising concern over China’s ecosystemThe U.S. State Department is increasingly concerned not only with the political dimension of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, but also with the network of commercial agreements, industrial partnerships and technology collaborations emerging around the event. Washington’s attention is focused on the possibility that Chinese artificial intelligence could expand across Europe not through explicit political decisions, but through private-sector choices driven by commercial incentives.Decode39](https://decode39.com/15792/washingtons-warning-to-rome-the-private-ai-deals-raising-concern-over-chinas-ecosystem/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Ukraine launches €50M fund for defense tech founders
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/ukraine-launches-eu50m-fund-for-defense-tech-founders/
Last updated: 2026-07-22T06:32:28.000Z
Ukrainian defense tech platform Resist.UA has launched Resist 2.0, a €50 million fund to support Ukrainian and European companies with Ukrainian roots developing battlefield-validated technologies. The fund, established in Estonia, aims to connect international investors with Ukraine's defense and dual-use sector, focusing on founders over products to build globally competitive companies. **(THE RECURSIVE)**
[New €50M Fund Bets on Ukraine's Defense Tech FoundersUkrainian defense tech investment platform Resist.UA has launched Resist 2.0, a new European investment fund targeting up to €50 million in commitments to connect international investors with Ukraine's growing defense and dual-use technology sector. The fund is designed to support Ukrainian and European companies with Ukrainian roots developing technologies shaped by frontline requirements and validated in combat.The Recursive](https://www.therecursive.com/new-eur50m-fund-bets-on-ukraines-defense-tech-founders/?ref=nupath.eu)
### EU leaders to hold first dedicated AI summit
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-leaders-to-hold-first-dedicated-ai-summit/
Last updated: 2026-07-26T05:46:16.000Z
The European Council will schedule its first dedicated discussion on artificial intelligence among the 27 member states before the end of the year. European Council President António Costa intends to include the debate at one of the EU’s remaining summits in 2024\. The move reflects a shift from regulatory focus to strategic autonomy in AI governance. **(POLITICO)**
[Europe’s 27 leaders to take on AI — finally](https://www.politico.eu/article/europes-27-leaders-to-take-on-ai-finally/?utm%5Fsource=RSS%5FFeed&utm%5Fmedium=RSS&utm%5Fcampaign=RSS%5FSyndication) (Politico)
### EU approves €659m for German semiconductor projects
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-approves-eu659m-for-german-semiconductor-projects/
Last updated: 2026-07-22T06:28:16.000Z
The European Commission approves €659 million in State aid for four German semiconductor manufacturing projects. The funding targets first-of-a-kind facilities in power semiconductors, silicon carbide, manufacturing equipment and detector chips, advancing the EU Chips Act's goal of reducing strategic dependencies in chip supply chains. **(EENEWS EUROPE)**
[EU approves €659m for German semiconductor projectsThe European Commission has approved €659 million in German State aid for four new semiconductor manufacturing projects, marking another step in the EU’s drive to strengthen its domestic chip supply chain and reduce dependence on overseas production. The funding will support first-of-a-kind facilities spanning power semiconductors, silicon carbide materials, semiconductor manufacturing equipment and specialist detector chips.eeNews Europe](https://www.eenewseurope.com/en/eu-approves-e659m-for-german-semiconductor-projects/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Italy’s digital agency faces questions over China AI conference trip
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/italys-digital-agency-faces-questions-over-china-ai-conference-trip/
Last updated: 2026-07-22T06:27:45.000Z
Italy’s Agency for Digital Italy (AgID) has not clarified whether its Director General’s participation in China’s World AI Conference (WAIC) reflected official policy, following media requests for comment. The episode raises strategic questions amid Italy’s alignment with Western partners on AI governance. AgID and the Undersecretary for Digital Transition have not responded to inquiries, Decode39 reports. **(DECODE39)**
[Italy with China on AI? The ambiguity remainsThe case of the Chinese trip taken by the Director General of Italy’s Agency for Digital Italy (AgID) cannot be reduced to an individual matter. The central question is whether the Shanghai appearance reflected an institutional initiative consistent with the Italian government’s strategic direction or an individual initiative that does not represent official policy.Decode39](https://decode39.com/15769/italy-with-china-on-ai-the-ambiguity-remains/?ref=nupath.eu)
### UK Sovereign AI Fund invests in Cambridge AI startup CuspAI
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/uk-sovereign-ai-fund-invests-in-cambridge-ai-startup-cuspai/
Last updated: 2026-07-21T05:59:22.000Z
The UK’s Sovereign AI Fund, backed by Jeff Bezos, co-led a $450m Series B round for Cambridge-based AI startup CuspAI. The investment values CuspAI at $2.6bn, five times its valuation from September 2025\. CuspAI develops AI systems for materials discovery in clean energy and semiconductors, with partners including Nvidia, Meta and Samsung. **(TECH.EU)**
[Jeff Bezos and Sovereign AI back CuspAI in $450M raiseJeff Bezos and the UK government-backed VC fund backing domestic AI startups have invested in a UK startup developing AI systems to discover and design new materials for clean energy and chipmaking in a $450m raise. The $450m Series B funding round in Cambridge-based CuspAI values the startup at $2.6bn, which is a five-fold jump from its valuation in September last year when it raised $100m at a valuation of $520m. In total, the two-year-old startup has now raised more than $670m. CuspAI today has confirmed details of the Series B round, some of which had previously been reported by the media. The round was co-led by US VCs Kleiner Perkins and NEA with “significant participation” from Bezos Expeditions, the Amazon founder's family office. Additional new investors in the round include Glade Brook Capital Partners, Lux Capital, AMDVentures, Tru Arrow Partners, StepStone and the UK’s Sovereign AI Fund, the UK government-backed VC fund backing domestic AI startups. Sovereign AI, which publicly launched this year, invests between £5m and £10m in UK AI startups. Existing investors in CuspAI, including Temasek, Basis Set Ventures, Giant Ventures, Phoenix Court and Northzone, also participated. CuspAI, which counts AI bigwigs Yann LeCun and Geoffrey Hinton as advisers, is using its technology to discover how to develop new physical materials for industries such as clean energy, the semiconductor industry, manufacturing, water treatment, and carbon capture. It works as a kind of search engine, whereby its customers,&which include ASML and Meta,&indicate the properties they need, whether it be a semiconductor with a particular property or a material that captures carbon dioxide efficiently. CuspAI says it will use the funding to help power its expansion across the US, APAC and Europe, including its new "AI Materials Foundry".It describes the “AI Materials Foundry” as a global network of data, labs, compute and scientific expertise for the design of new materials.Founding partners of the network, which aims to build software that helps researchers develop new materials quicker and cheaper, include Nvidia, Meta, Samsung and Hyundai, along with more than 40 other companies.Tech.eu](https://tech.eu/2026/07/20/jeff-bezos-and-sovereign-ai-back-cuspai-in-450m-raise/?ref=nupath.eu)
### EU Commission finalises US border data access deal
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-commission-finalises-us-border-data-access-deal/
Last updated: 2026-07-21T05:59:09.000Z
The European Commission is finalising an Enhanced Border Security Partnership (EBSP) Framework Agreement with the US, allowing border authorities to screen travellers against biometric databases. The leaked draft suggests the Commission conceded to US demands for unfettered data access, raising concerns over fundamental rights and digital sovereignty. Negotiations began in 2022, with the Council granting the mandate in December 2025\. **(EDRI)**
[The EU is about to sell our most sensitive data to the US for visa-free travelThe European Commission is currently finalising negotiations with the Trump administration to conclude an “Enhanced Border Security Partnership” (EBSP) Framework Agreement allowing border control authorities to screen travellers against biometric databases and profile them for security concerns. The leaked draft text suggests that the Commission significantly caved in to US’s excessive demands for unfettered information access, exacerbating travel surveillance and putting our fundamental rights at risk.The post The EU is about to sell our most sensitive data to the US for visa-free travel appeared first on European Digital Rights (EDRi).EDRi](https://edri.org/our-work/the-eu-is-about-to-sell-our-most-sensitive-data-to-the-us-for-visa-free-travel/?ref=nupath.eu)
### EU fines AliExpress €550M under Digital Services Act
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-fines-aliexpress-eu550m-under-digital-services-act/
Last updated: 2026-07-21T05:58:32.000Z
The European Commission imposed a record €550 million fine on China’s AliExpress for systemic failures in moderating illegal products under the Digital Services Act. The penalty follows a probe into risks posed by counterfeit goods, unsafe toys and dangerous cosmetics on the platform. AliExpress plans to appeal the decision. **(POLITICO)**
[EU hits China’s Alibaba with €550M record fine over illegal products](https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-hits-chinas-alibaba-with-record-fine-of-e550m-over-illegal-products/?utm%5Fsource=RSS%5FFeed&utm%5Fmedium=RSS&utm%5Fcampaign=RSS%5FSyndication) (Politico)
### Italy’s AgID chief attends China’s WAIC amid Pax Silica alignment
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/italys-agid-chief-attends-chinas-waic-amid-pax-silica-alignment/
Last updated: 2026-07-21T05:58:05.000Z
Mario Nobile, head of Italy’s Agency for Digital Italy (AgID), attended China’s World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai from 17 to 20 July 2026, where Xi Jinping outlined Beijing’s AI vision. The visit followed Italy’s signing of the U.S.-led Pax Silica initiative two weeks earlier, raising questions about Rome’s strategic coherence in AI governance. Decode39 reports. **(DECODE39)**
[AI, does Italy stand with China? The case of the attendance at WAICMario Nobile, director-general of Italy’s Agency for Digital Italy (AgID), attended the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, the flagship event through which Xi Jinping’s government builds international support for a China-centric model of AI governance. Nobile documented his own presence there, posting on LinkedIn from the conference opening — where Xi Jinping himself delivered the keynote address, his first in-person appearance at the event since the event was inaugurated in 2018, and used it to set out China’s AI vision, ”with Chinese Characteristics,” in unusually direct terms.Taken in isolation, this would be an institutional visit. It is not. Only two weeks earlier, Italy had signed the Joint Statement on AI Opportunity, the political declaration underpinning “Pax Silica,” the U.S.-led initiative to build a shared AI ecosystem among Washington and its allies.Why it matters: The United States and China are engaged in a contentious competition over artificial intelligence, and there is no third way left in the Washington-Beijing contest over AI.What WAIC is, and why Xi’s presence changed its weight. The 2026 World AI Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance ran in Shanghai from July 17 to 20.Xi had previously left the event to his premier; this year he broke that pattern, using the opening ceremony to position Beijing as the leader of an alternative global AI order and to directly contest Washington’s influence over the rules governing the sector, urging countries to seize what he called the historic opportunity of open-source AI and pledging support for developing nations building their own AI capabilities.The speech, delivered a day after 29 countries signed the agreement establishing the new Shanghai-headquartered World AI Cooperation Organization (WAICO), was widely read as pitching a China-led coalition as a direct rival to Pax Silica.Chinese state media has increasingly portrayed Beijing’s AI strategy as a response to what it calls a U.S.-led attempt to erect an “AI Iron Curtain.”Why AgID’s role matters. Nobile’s presence at that particular stage is not a trivial detail. AgID is not a peripheral technical body: it sits at the center of Italy’s digital governance architecture, tasked with steering the country’s digital transformation agenda, supporting the rollout of the EU AI Act within the public administration, drafting the technical guidelines public bodies will use to deploy AI systems, and shaping the institutional framework through which artificial intelligence will be adopted across the Italian state.Because of that role, the public positioning of its leadership carries political weight that a lower-profile agency’s would not — particularly at a moment when AI governance has become one of the most strategically contested domains between Washington and Beijing.What he said: According to Chinese state media outlet CGTN, Nobile said on the sidelines of WAIC:“This conference is a high-level international event of great significance.””I fully share the position expressed by President Xi Jinping: the development of artificial intelligence should serve the common good. AI offers enormous opportunities for development, but it is essential that all countries work together to build an effective governance system.”The contradiction with Rome’s own stated line. Two weeks before Nobile’s trip to Shanghai, Ambassador Armando Varricchio — the special envoy for innovation and new technologies appointed by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani — signed the Joint Statement on AI Opportunity on Italy’s behalf at the Pax Silica summit in Washington.Rome is reportedly weighing formal accession to the initiative in the coming weeks, when Under Secretary of State Jacob Helberg, “the architect of Pax Silica,” is expected in Italy for what could be the occasion on which Rome signs on in full.Does Nobile’s appearance in Shanghai complicate that timeline and put the credibility of Italy’s commitment into question?Pax Silica and WAIC are not neutral, parallel venues — they are competing platforms for writing the rules that will govern AI standards, certification, data flows and supply chains. A country cannot help build one ecosystem while lending legitimacy to its rival, and doing both within the same fortnight is not a diplomatic nuance — it is a strategic contradiction.A test of Meloni’s own China policy. The episode is also difficult to square with the broader trajectory Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government has followed since taking office.Rome formally ended its participation in China’s Belt and Road Initiative, withdrawing the only G7 country’s membership in Xi Jinping’s signature geopolitical, infrastructure project.The government has also made increasing use of its so-called “Golden Power” authority to contain Chinese influence over strategic assets.Rome has separately pushed back on the presence of alleged unauthorized Chinese “police stations” operating on Italian soil, and it has launched initiatives such as Buy Transatlantic to steer technology procurement toward trusted partners.None of this suggests the government’s strategic orientation toward China has shifted.What Formiche is asking for. In an editorial, Formiche.net, Decode39’s sister publication, has argued that the government should not settle for a routine diplomatic clarification.Rome, the editorial argues, needs to formally distance itself from Nobile’s participation in WAIC and assess whether he can continue to lead AgID — warning that the resulting friction with Washington risks cutting deeper than the Sigonella-Iran episode (in which Italy had technical reasons to support its choices).The underlying argument is that Italy’s credibility is on the line precisely as the rules of AI governance are being written, in what is likely to be the defining technological competition of the next three decades — and that on this terrain, a country cannot stand with Washington and with Xi at the same time.The post AI, does Italy stand with China? The case of the attendance at WAIC appeared first on Decode39.Decode39](https://decode39.com/15754/ai-china-us-no-third-ways-for-italy/?ref=nupath.eu)
### U.S. to push UN free speech declaration targeting EU tech rules
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/u-s-to-push-un-free-speech-declaration-targeting-eu-tech-rules/
Last updated: 2026-07-20T06:40:42.000Z
The Trump administration plans to introduce a UN declaration on 'freedom of expression' at the upcoming General Assembly, which European officials argue targets EU tech regulations like the Digital Services Act. The draft text criticises 'new laws' and 'regulatory frameworks' that allegedly endanger free speech, seen as an effort to shield major tech platforms from obligations such as proactive content moderation. **(POLITICO)**
[Trump administration will push ‘free speech’ declaration at UN that takes aim at European tech regulation](https://www.politico.eu/article/trump-administration-will-push-un-free-speech-declaration-that-takes-aim-at-european-tech-regulation/?utm%5Fsource=RSS%5FFeed&utm%5Fmedium=RSS&utm%5Fcampaign=RSS%5FSyndication) (Politico)
### European Parliament launches internal AI platform EPGenAI Hub
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/european-parliament-launches-internal-ai-platform-epgenai-hub/
Last updated: 2026-07-20T06:38:27.000Z
The European Parliament is deploying an internal AI platform, EPGenAI Hub, using models from OpenAI, Meta, Anthropic and Mistral to regulate AI-generated content for MEPs and staff. The project aims to address concerns over AI-generated parliamentary material while raising questions about the Parliament’s digital sovereignty goals. **(POLITICO)**
[The European Parliament’s answer to its AI worries: More AI](https://www.politico.eu/article/the-european-parliaments-answer-to-its-ai-worries-more-ai/?utm%5Fsource=RSS%5FFeed&utm%5Fmedium=RSS&utm%5Fcampaign=RSS%5FSyndication) (Politico)
### Intel begins using ASML’s $400M High-NA EUV machine
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/intel-begins-using-asmls-400m-high-na-euv-machine/
Last updated: 2026-07-20T06:30:31.000Z
Intel has started deploying ASML’s next-generation High-NA extreme ultraviolet lithography machine, costing $400 million, to produce portions of its Panther Lake processors. The tool, twice the price of standard EUV machines, is technically demanding but essential for future chip scaling, reinforcing ASML’s dominance in advanced chipmaking equipment. **(CYPRUS MAIL)**
[Intel deploys ASML’s $400 million next-gen machine for flagship chip productionIntel has begun using ASML’s next-generation High-NA extreme ultraviolet (EUV) machines to produce portions of its Panther Lake processors. The $400M tool, twice the cost of standard EUV machines, is technically challenging but essential for future chip scaling. The deployment highlights ASML’s pivotal role in the semiconductor supply chain and Europe’s strategic leverage in advanced chipmaking.Cyprus Mail](https://cyprus-mail.com/2026/07/20/intel-deploys-asmls-400-million-next-gen-machine-for-flagship-chip-production?ref=nupath.eu)
### Germany allows open source in public tenders
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/germany-allows-open-source-in-public-tenders/
Last updated: 2026-07-23T04:36:32.000Z
German public authorities can now legally specify open-source software in procurement tenders under certain conditions, according to a Bundestag report. The move aims to strengthen digital sovereignty and reduce vendor lock-in in the public sector. **(OPENSOURCEFORU)**
[Germany's Procurement Rules Open More Doors For Open Source Software - Open Source For YouA Bundestag report says German public authorities can legally specify open-source software in tenders under certain conditions, strengthening digital sovereignty while helping prevent vendor lock-in.www.opensourceforu.com](https://www.opensourceforu.com/2026/07/germanys-procurement-rules-open-more-doors-for-open-source-software/?ref=nupath.eu)
### EU orders Google to open Android and share search data
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-orders-google-to-open-android-and-share-search-data/
Last updated: 2026-07-19T04:16:27.000Z
The European Commission has ordered Google to open its Android ecosystem and share search data, marking a significant step in addressing Europe's dependence on non-EU tech giants. The decision aims to advance digital sovereignty goals by reducing strategic reliance on foreign technology platforms. **(THE BRUSSELS TIMES)**
[EU orders Google to open Android, share search data in major shakeupEU orders Google to open Android, share search data in major shakeupThe Brussels Times](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqAFBVV95cUxQT2RxTDdMdktHQ1B3aEpFRy1EdWZjdlBFVmpmOGFZTXZRa1BTX0NxcnZTSjRCLUFWbFpoOFZ2MlIySEpQbU56R2tVeTdFSmtPd0gwYzd4OUp4dEFuUmtQWnhBN0EyS01Hc1pqeGdHdkxsUEhoc1dYZ0hlNTMxU2NQYldYWlNFQTZCWVZaQjdBcWJwQVZfZE1zX202cVJXMDZ4RlBDTUc0dHQ?oc=5&ref=nupath.eu)
### Greece ranks second in EU for Starlink use
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/greece-ranks-second-in-eu-for-starlink-use/
Last updated: 2026-08-07T06:02:33.000Z
Greece has the second-highest adoption of Starlink satellite internet among EU member states, according to local media. The development highlights Greece's growing reliance on non-EU broadband solutions, eKathimerini reports. **(E-KATHIMERINI)**
[Greece ranks second in EU in the use of Starlink | eKathimerini.comElon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet is gradually becoming one of the most important players in the broadband access market.ekathimerini.com](https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1309962/greece-ranks-second-in-eu-in-the-use-of-starlink/?ref=nupath.eu)
### France and Germany to develop Palantir alternative for military software
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/france-and-germany-to-develop-palantir-alternative-for-military-software/
Last updated: 2026-07-18T04:21:20.000Z
France and Germany announced plans to explore a European alternative to U.S. company Palantir's military software. The initiative aims to enhance data sovereignty and reduce reliance on non-European tech providers in defense systems. The pledge follows France's decision to end its contract with Palantir and Germany's selection of a French alternative for its spy agency. **(POLITICO)**
[France, Germany vow to develop Palantir rival](https://www.politico.eu/article/france-germany-want-to-develop-a-palantir-rival/?utm%5Fsource=RSS%5FFeed&utm%5Fmedium=RSS&utm%5Fcampaign=RSS%5FSyndication) (Politico)
### EU launches electrification plan to boost competitiveness
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-launches-electrification-plan-to-boost-competitiveness/
Last updated: 2026-07-22T06:29:41.000Z
The European Union unveils a plan to accelerate electrification, aiming to reduce fossil fuel dependence, reform the Emissions Trading System and increase investment in clean energy technologies. The initiative targets enhanced industrial competitiveness across Europe. **(EENEWS)**
[Europe unveils electrification plan to drive competitivenessEurope unveils electrification plan to cut fossil fuel use, reform ETS and boost investment in clean energy.eenewseurope.com](https://www.eenewseurope.com/en/europe-unveils-electrification-plan-to-drive-competitiveness/?ref=nupath.eu)
### US judge pauses visa restrictions on Thierry Breton
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/us-judge-pauses-visa-restrictions-on-thierry-breton/
Last updated: 2026-07-17T04:28:18.000Z
A US judge has ordered a pause in the Trump administration’s visa restriction policy targeting disinformation researchers and platform regulators, including former European Commissioner Thierry Breton. The decision temporarily lifts sanctions that raised concerns over Europe’s digital sovereignty and external dependencies in tech regulation. **(POLITICO)**
[US judge halts sanctions policy that hit ex-EU commissioner Breton](https://www.politico.eu/article/us-judge-pauses-visa-restrictions-thierry-breton-disinformation-researchers/?utm%5Fsource=RSS%5FFeed&utm%5Fmedium=RSS&utm%5Fcampaign=RSS%5FSyndication) (Politico)
### Macron and Merz pledge to strengthen Europe's tech and defence autonomy
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/macron-and-merz-pledge-to-strengthen-europes-tech-and-defence-autonomy/
Last updated: 2026-07-17T04:26:01.000Z
France and Germany agree to boost Europe's military, industrial and technological power during talks in Berlin. The pledge aims to demonstrate the Franco-German partnership's continued relevance amid political shifts in both countries. **(POLITICO)**
[As Le Pen looms, Macron and Merz bid to show Franco-German engine still has clout](https://www.politico.eu/article/france-germany-talks-emmanuel-macron-friedrich-merz-pledge-momentum/?utm%5Fsource=RSS%5FFeed&utm%5Fmedium=RSS&utm%5Fcampaign=RSS%5FSyndication) (Politico)
### Mecklenburg-Vorpommern to phase out Microsoft Office
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/mecklenburg-vorpommern-to-phase-out-microsoft-office/
Last updated: 2026-07-19T15:19:58.000Z
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern will phase out Microsoft Office in favour of LibreOffice, following Schleswig-Holstein. The state is rolling out a Nextcloud-based collaboration platform for over 50,000 public sector employees as part of its digital sovereignty and open source strategy.
Sources:
**[(Cybernews)](https://cybernews.com/tech/germany-microsoft-open-source/?ref=nupath.eu), [(Tech.eu)](https://tech.eu/2026/07/03/mecklenburg-vorpommern-expands-open-source-strategy-with-statewide-nextcloud-rollout/?ref=nupath.eu)**
### Airbus migrates 70 critical apps from AWS to France's Scaleway to retain European control
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/airbus-migrates-70-critical-apps-from-aws-to-frances-scaleway-in-digital-sovereignty-push/
Last updated: 2026-07-19T08:02:23.000Z
Airbus is migrating 70 critical applications for sensitive workloads from Amazon Web Services (AWS) to French cloud provider Scaleway, part of a broader European drive for digital sovereignty. The move, announced by Catherine Jestin, Airbus's head of digital, aims to shield critical data from US jurisdiction, particularly the CLOUD Act, which allows US authorities to request data from US firms even in overseas data centers. Scaleway (owned by Iliad Group) won the competitive tender with a strong technical and commercial offer, enabling Airbus to host applications required for its "Minimum Viable Company" operations. While Airbus will continue using AWS for some services, the migration marks a significant step toward European cloud independence. The full migration could eventually expand to 900 critical applications. **(The Register)**
[Airbus migrating 70 critical apps from AWS to France’s Scaleway amid digital sovereignty pushTotal of 900 applications including ERP, CRM, and manufacturing systems going to be kept ‘under European control’theregisterPaul Kunert](https://www.theregister.com/paas-and-iaas/2026/07/16/airbus-migrating-70-critical-apps-from-aws-to-frances-scaleway-amid-digital-sovereignty-push/5272373?ref=nupath.eu)
### UK banks warned over cybersecurity risks from restricted AI access
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/uk-banks-warned-over-cybersecurity-risks-from-restricted-ai-access/
Last updated: 2026-07-16T05:45:54.000Z
UK banks face cybersecurity risks due to restricted access to Anthropic’s AI model Mythos, a government-appointed adviser warns. The issue highlights the need for Britain to develop domestic AI capabilities and reduce reliance on US technology, Reuters reports. **(REUTERS)**
[UK banks face cybersecurity risks amid restricted access to Anthropic’s MythosUK banks’ inability to access Anthropic’s powerful AI model Mythos emphasises the urgent need for Britain to build its own AI capabilities and adopt a more strategic approach to the technology, a government-appointed banking sector adviser said.Cyprus Mail](https://cyprus-mail.com/2026/07/16/uk-banks-face-cybersecurity-risks-amid-restricted-access-to-anthropics-mythos?ref=nupath.eu)
### EDRi urges EU to reassess US data adequacy after Trump v. Slaughter ruling
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/edri-urges-eu-to-reassess-us-data-adequacy-after-trump-v-slaughter-ruling/
Last updated: 2026-07-15T04:36:47.000Z
Civil society groups and academics call on the European Commission to immediately review the EU-US data adequacy decision following a US Supreme Court ruling that weakens a key safeguard. The move threatens Europe's ability to protect personal data transfers and maintain regulatory sovereignty in digital trade. **(EDRI)**
[When the facts change, adequacy must be reviewedFollowing the Supreme Court's ruling in Trump v. Slaughter, EDRi and other 36 civil society organisations and academics have urged the European Commission to immediately reassess the EU-US adequacy decision. The ruling undermines one of the safeguards on which the Commission relied when concluding that personal data transferred to the United States receives an adequate level of protection.EDRi](https://edri.org/our-work/when-the-facts-change-adequacy-must-be-reviewed/?ref=nupath.eu)
### EU exempts wearable tech from battery rules after US pressure
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-exempts-wearable-tech-from-battery-rules-after-us-pressure/
Last updated: 2026-07-15T04:35:52.000Z
The European Commission exempted wearable technology from rules mandating removable batteries, a move that clears the way for Meta’s smart glasses to enter the EU market. The decision follows pressure from the United States, raising concerns about the prioritisation of external political interests over EU regulatory standards. **(POLITICO)**
[EU relaxes rules for smart glasses after US pressure](https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-relaxes-rules-meta-glasses-us-pressure/?utm%5Fsource=RSS%5FFeed&utm%5Fmedium=RSS&utm%5Fcampaign=RSS%5FSyndication) (Politico)
### Anthropic sends junior staffer to EU Parliament AI hearing
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/anthropic-sends-junior-staffer-to-eu-parliament-ai-hearing/
Last updated: 2026-07-15T04:31:41.000Z
EU policymakers criticised Anthropic for sending a junior technical employee to testify on AI safety risks before the European Parliament, rather than a senior executive as requested. The company’s choice of Donny Greenberg, who joined in April, sparked frustration among MEPs over transatlantic engagement on AI governance. **(POLITICO)**
[‘Anthropic doesn’t care about Europe’ — EU officials peeved after AI giant sends junior staffer to testify about safety](https://www.politico.eu/article/anthropic-european-parliament-donny-greenberg-artificial-intelligence-ai/?utm%5Fsource=RSS%5FFeed&utm%5Fmedium=RSS&utm%5Fcampaign=RSS%5FSyndication) (Politico)
### First Sailfish OS phones from Jolla arrive in backers' hands
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/first-sailfish-os-phones-from-jolla-arrive-in-backers-hands/
Last updated: 2026-07-13T07:44:03.000Z
Jolla delivered the first Sailfish OS smartphones to backers at a Day1 event in Helsinki on 8 July. The Finnish firm celebrated with its community as limited Inari Blue edition devices reached early supporters. First batch shipments to wider backers begin next week, with final assembly in Salo, Finland.
Jolla's Sailfish OS phones, assembled in Salo, Finland, represent Europe's challenge to the iOS-Android duopoly. As the only European mobile OS, Sailfish offers a privacy-first alternative built on open source principles. While market share remains minuscule compared to global giants, the project proves independent mobile ecosystems are viable. For EU digital sovereignty, Jolla demonstrates European hardware and software can coexist outside US-Chinese dominance. The critical test is app compatibility with national digital infrastructure like eID, healthcare, and citizen services, and whether governments will embrace this platform for digital wallets and public services, which is not fully the case yet.
The hardware is still not completely independent, though the final assembly takes place in Salo, Finland; some components, such as mainboards, are manufactured in Taiwan.
---
**Sources:**
- [Sailfish Community News, July 10 2026: Jolla Phone Day1](https://forum.sailfishos.org/t/sailfish-community-news-july-10-2026-jolla-phone-day1/30490?ref=nupath.eu), Sailfish OS Forum
- [Jolla official website](https://jolla.com/?ref=nupath.eu)
- [TechAeris: The Jolla Phone Makes Its Debut At MWC 2026](https://techaeris.com/2026/03/02/mwc-2026-jolla-phone-premieres/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Biweekly: How did we get here?
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/nupath-eu-digest-29-jun-to-13-jul-2026/
Last updated: 2026-07-13T05:13:11.000Z
### The last two weeks in European digital sovereignty
### [How did we get here?](https://www.nupath.eu/how-did-we-get-here/)
Europe's dependence on foreign technology was not one decision. It accumulated over four decades, event by event.
---
### News
▸ [France warns AI race hinges on securing cheap nuclear energy](https://www.nupath.eu/france-warns-ai-race-hinges-on-securing-cheap-nuclear-energy/)
▸ [Bank of England gains powers to regulate Amazon and Google](https://www.nupath.eu/bank-of-england-gains-powers-to-regulate-amazon-and-google/)
▸ [MEPs advance digital euro talks with privacy safeguards](https://www.nupath.eu/meps-advance-digital-euro-talks-with-privacy-safeguards/)
▸ [Italy’s Poste Italiane invests in AI infrastructure](https://www.nupath.eu/italys-poste-italiane-invests-in-ai-infrastructure/)
▸ [QuantumDiamonds raises €91m for quantum chip testing](https://www.nupath.eu/quantumdiamonds-raises-eu91m-for-quantum-chip-testing/)
▸ [EU Parliament advances digital euro negotiations](https://www.nupath.eu/eu-parliament-advances-digital-euro-negotiations/)
▸ [UK faces £1bn cloud outage risk from US provider dependence](https://www.nupath.eu/uk-faces-1bn-cloud-outage-risk-from-us-provider-dependence/)
▸ [EU AI cybersecurity plan exposes US dependency](https://www.nupath.eu/eu-ai-cybersecurity-plan-exposes-us-dependency/)
▸ [US lifts Anthropic AI model export restrictions](https://www.nupath.eu/us-lifts-anthropic-ai-model-export-restrictions/)
▸ [Danish official: US cloud data shared with spies](https://www.nupath.eu/danish-official-us-cloud-data-shared-with-spies/)
▸ [Office.eu first wave arriving this summer](https://www.nupath.eu/office-eu-first-wave-arriving-this-summer/)
---
### Analysis and features
### [The Fable 5 & Mythos AI debacle: A wake-up call for European digital sovereignty](https://www.nupath.eu/the-fable-5-mythos-ai-debacle-a-wake-up-call-for-european-digital-sovereignty/)
A few days ago, the U.S. government moved to restrict access to Anthropic’s Mythos Five and Fable Five AI models, explicitly targeting non-American citizens. The
Read everything at [nupath.eu](https://www.nupath.eu/)
### France warns AI race hinges on securing cheap nuclear energy
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/france-warns-ai-race-hinges-on-securing-cheap-nuclear-energy/
Last updated: 2026-07-13T04:29:16.000Z
France’s low-cost nuclear electricity is a strategic asset for European AI development, but Mistral AI warns that non-European tech giants could dominate its allocation. Arthur Mensch raised the issue at a G7 AI meeting on June 17, highlighting risks to Europe’s digital autonomy. **(POLITICO)**
[France’s edge in the AI race is cheap energy — if American big tech doesn’t plug in first](https://www.politico.eu/article/frances-edge-in-the-ai-race-is-cheap-energy-if-american-big-tech-doesnt-plug-in-first/?utm%5Fsource=RSS%5FFeed&utm%5Fmedium=RSS&utm%5Fcampaign=RSS%5FSyndication) (Politico)
### How did we get here?
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/how-did-we-get-here/
Last updated: 2026-08-18T05:06:31.000Z
Europe's dependence on foreign technology was not one conscious decision, or even a trend. It accumulated over four decades, event by event, while the things Europe was good at quietly persisted underneath. This timeline collects the moments that put us where we are, and the ones now pointing the way out. It is reviewed about once a year; last review July 2026.
## The retreat: 1980-1992
Europe entered the 1980s still building its own computers: Bull in France, ICL in Britain, Nixdorf in Germany, Olivetti in Italy, Philips in the Netherlands. Within roughly a decade almost all of them sold out, merged away, or quit. What survived, and still matters today, were the quieter successes: payment cards, mobile standards, industrial automation, a British physicist's invention at CERN, and a Helsinki student's hobby operating system.
- **12 August 1981:** IBM launches the [IBM PC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM%5FPersonal%5FComputer?ref=nupath.eu). Its architecture, and the Microsoft software running on it, becomes the world standard that European computer makers never catch up with.
- **1982:** France rolls out [Minitel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minitel?ref=nupath.eu) nationwide, the world's first mass-market online service: millions of French households bank, book, and chat online a decade before the web.
- **1 September 1983:** Denmark's Dankort processes its first transaction; together with France's interbank card decision (July 1984, the Cartes Bancaires consortium formally created January 1985), national payment cards become everyday European infrastructure.
- **27 September 1983:** Richard Stallman announces the [GNU project](https://www.gnu.org/gnu/initial-announcement.html?ref=nupath.eu): software anyone may use, study, and share. Free software begins as an American idea; four decades later it is the foundation Europe's exit strategies stand on.
- **28 February 1984:** The EU adopts [ESPRIT](https://cordis.europa.eu/programme/id/FP1-ESPRIT-1?ref=nupath.eu), its first big co-funded IT research programme: the first admission that Europe's IT industry cannot survive on national efforts alone.
- **1987-1991:** Honeywell folds its computer business into France's Bull, then exits entirely; the last big transatlantic computing alliance unwinds as the industry consolidates in America and Japan.
- **30 July 1990:** Fujitsu buys 80 percent of [ICL](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International%5FComputers%5FLimited?ref=nupath.eu), Britain's flagship computer maker.
- **1 October 1990:** Siemens absorbs Nixdorf, consolidating a shrinking German computer industry.
- **1990:** Tim Berners-Lee's [World Wide Web](https://home.cern/science/computing/birth-web/short-history-web?ref=nupath.eu) runs for the first time at CERN (proposed March 1989, given away royalty-free 30 April 1993). Europe invents the medium; America builds the businesses on top of it.
- **1991:** Philips sells its computer division to America's Digital Equipment and exits the business.
- **1 July 1991:** The first commercial [GSM call](https://www.nokia.com/blog/thirty-years-on-from-the-call-that-transformed-how-we-communicate/?ref=nupath.eu) is made in Finland. The European-led mobile standard becomes the continent's biggest technology export success.
- **25 August 1991:** A student in Helsinki, Linus Torvalds, announces a free operating system: "just a hobby, won't be big and professional like gnu". [GNU's](https://www.gnu.org/gnu/initial-announcement.html?ref=nupath.eu) missing kernel arrives from Europe, and Linux grows into the software running most of the internet, and the heart of the open-source alternatives now replacing US products in Europe's public administrations.
- **1 April 1992:** [RIPE NCC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RIPE%5FNCC?ref=nupath.eu) begins operating in Amsterdam: Europe gets its own internet address registry, a piece of internet governance it still controls.
- **6 July 1992:** SAP launches R/3, the product that makes a German company the world's enterprise software leader, and Europe's great software exception.
## Dependence normalized: 1992-2004
With its computer industry gone, Europe stopped experiencing dependence as a choice. Microsoft's office software became the default on European desks and in European procurement, so gradually that no single date marks it. Europe's strengths narrowed to what it already ran: mobile networks, payment systems, factory automation (Siemens' SIMATIC controllers, market leaders since the 1980s, still run much of the world's industry), and the internet's plumbing. Meanwhile a newly independent Estonia started building the state digitally from scratch, and Europeans' personal email quietly moved to American servers.
- **November 1994 / 1995 / 1997:** The London and Frankfurt internet exchanges (LINX, DE-CIX) are founded, and Amsterdam's peering point (AMS-IX), running informally since February 1994, is formally established as an association. They grow into the largest in the world, a lasting piece of European internet infrastructure.
- **December 1995:** The European standards body ETSI adopts [TETRA](https://tcca.info/tetra-bos-digital-radio-network-in-germany/?ref=nupath.eu), the digital radio standard that police, fire, and emergency services across Europe still run on today (Britain's Airwave, Germany's BOS network, Denmark's SINE).
- **4 July 1996:** Hotmail launches; Microsoft buys it in December 1997\. Free webmail begins moving Europeans' private correspondence onto US servers, years before anyone calls that a sovereignty question.
- **January 1997:** Olivetti sells its PC division; Italy's computing champion, the last of the big European makers, exits.
- **October 1998:** Nokia overtakes Motorola as the world's largest handset maker; for a decade, the most personal computer most people own is European.
- **March 2000:** The EU adopts the [Lisbon Strategy](https://www.europarl.europa.eu/summits/lis1%5Fen.htm?ref=nupath.eu), promising the world's most competitive knowledge economy by 2010; the ambition is right, the delivery is not.
- **2000:** The 3G spectrum auctions extract £22.5bn in Britain and around EUR 50bn in Germany from Europe's telecoms operators, loading them with debt just as American platforms take over the profitable service layer above their networks.
- **December 2001 / January 2002:** Estonia deploys [X-Road](https://x-road.global/xroad-history?ref=nupath.eu), the data exchange layer of its digital state, and issues its first national e-ID cards weeks later: proof that a European country can build core digital infrastructure itself.
- **March 2002:** The EU approves [Galileo](https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip%5F02%5F478?ref=nupath.eu), its own satellite navigation system, after the Kosovo war demonstrates what depending on US-controlled GPS means in a conflict.
- **2003:** Google opens its European headquarters in Dublin. Ireland's low-tax strategy makes it the beachhead through which US tech giants organize their European operations, and gives one member state a lasting stake in their success.
- **29 August 2003:** Skype launches, built by Estonian engineers; two years later it is sold to eBay. A pattern sets in: Europe innovates, America acquires.
- **2002-2003:** France's Alcatel holds around 37 percent of the world DSL equipment market: Europe still builds the access networks, even as it loses the services running over them.
## Regulating what it no longer builds: 2004-2013
In this decade Europe discovered its most effective lever against the platforms: competition law. It also learned how hard building is. The attempts of the era, a Franco-German search engine, two French sovereign clouds, all failed, while the iPhone added a second American platform layer and Nokia's collapse ended Europe's last big hardware leadership. The era closes with two warnings few noticed: a cyberweapon aimed at European industrial controllers, and the switch-off of Minitel.
- **24 March 2004:** The European Commission fines Microsoft EUR 497m for abusing its dominance: the moment Europe's relationship with US tech becomes primarily regulatory.
- **1 April 2004:** Gmail launches. Personal data in exchange for free services becomes the normal deal for Europeans' email, search, and later their photos and documents.
- **April 2005:** Chirac and Schröder announce Quaero, a Franco-German search engine to answer Google; Germany withdraws in December 2006 and the project fades: the era's defining failed build.
- **1 December 2006:** Alcatel merges with America's Lucent, beginning the consolidation that ends with Nokia absorbing what remains of Europe's telecom equipment industry.
- **9 January 2007:** Apple announces the iPhone. The platform layer of mobile computing, Europe's strongest sector, becomes a US duopoly within five years.
- **7 July 2009:** France creates [ANSSI](https://cyber.gouv.fr/en/?ref=nupath.eu), its national cybersecurity agency, the institution that later defines Europe's strictest sovereign cloud rules.
- **June 2010:** [Stuxnet](https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/ics-advisories/icsa-10-201-01c?ref=nupath.eu) is discovered, targeting Siemens industrial controllers: proof that the factory automation Europe leads in is also a geopolitical attack surface.
- **September 2011:** Britain scraps the [NHS National Programme for IT](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/dismantling-the-nhs-national-programme-for-it?ref=nupath.eu) after nine years and billions spent: Europe's biggest attempt at building sovereign health infrastructure fails, leaving the field to US vendors.
- **2012:** France launches the sovereign clouds Numergy and Cloudwatt with state money; both fail within years. The lesson, that sovereignty requires customers and not just capital, shapes the next generation of attempts.
- **30 June 2012:** France switches off [Minitel](https://www.france24.com/en/20120628-france-switches-off-landmark-minitel-network-predated-internet?ref=nupath.eu). The symbol of Europe's early online lead goes dark.
- **3 September 2013:** Microsoft buys Nokia's phone business. European leadership in mobile hardware, the continent's biggest tech success, is over.
## The Snowden shock: 2013-2019
In June 2013 dependence stopped being abstract: Europe learned its data was being read. The courts responded faster than the politicians, striking down two transatlantic data deals, and the GDPR made European data protection a global export. Yet in the same years US platforms moved deeper into Europe's core institutions, into hospitals and police forces, and two events at the era's end showed that the real issue is not where data sits but whose law reaches it.
- **5 June 2013:** The Snowden revelations begin: documented proof of mass US surveillance of European communications, including allied governments.
- **16 May 2014:** [ProtonMail](https://proton.me/?ref=nupath.eu) launches, built by CERN scientists in Switzerland: the start of a wave of European privacy-first alternatives that a decade later host, among others, a prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.
- **23 July 2014:** The EU adopts eIDAS, the first common framework for electronic identity across borders.
- **6 October 2015:** The EU Court of Justice strikes down the Safe Harbor data deal ([Schrems I](https://curia.europa.eu/juris/liste.jsf?num=C-362%2F14&ref=nupath.eu)): a law student's complaint about Snowden-era surveillance topples the legal basis for transatlantic data flows.
- **14 April 2016:** The [GDPR](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/content/news/general-data-protection-regulation-GDPR-applies-from-25-May-2018.html?ref=nupath.eu) is adopted (applicable 25 May 2018): Europe's data protection rules become the standard the world's software must accommodate.
- **21 May 2016:** Danish regions go live with Sundhedsplatformen, built on US vendor Epic: core European welfare infrastructure now runs on American platforms, a pattern repeated across the continent's hospitals.
- **30 August 2016:** The Commission orders Apple to repay EUR 13bn in Irish tax aid; Ireland appeals on Apple's side, making the member-state stake in US tech explicit. (The EU's top court finally upholds the order on 10 September 2024.)
- **2017:** Danish police formalize POL-INTEL, built on US analytics firm Palantir: American platforms enter European policing.
- **23 March 2018:** The US enacts the [CLOUD Act](https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/4943?ref=nupath.eu), asserting jurisdiction over data held by US providers anywhere in the world. From this point, "where is the data stored" is the wrong question; "whose law reaches the provider" is the right one.
- **5 November 2018:** [SWIFT disconnects Iranian banks](https://www.swift.com/insights/press-releases/swift-instructed-to-disconnect-sanctioned-iranian-banks-following-eu-council-decision?ref=nupath.eu) under US sanctions pressure, against the EU's stated position: even payment infrastructure headquartered in Belgium follows Washington when forced to choose.
- **25 October 2019:** France creates DINUM, the interministerial digital directorate that later leads its break with US software.
## Sovereignty becomes policy: 2019-2024
"Technological sovereignty" entered the EU's official vocabulary in 2019 and produced the largest wave of digital regulation and infrastructure projects in the Union's history. The record is mixed: rules for platforms and chips passed, payment and satellite alternatives got funded, France wrote sovereignty into national law, and Europe's attempt to put sovereignty criteria into its common cloud certification collapsed. The era ends with the EU's own diagnosis that dependence has become a competitiveness emergency.
- **1 December 2019:** The von der Leyen Commission takes office on a technological sovereignty agenda: the first time the concept anchors an EU political programme.
- **January 2020:** The EU publishes its [5G security toolbox](https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/communication-commission-implementation-5g-cybersecurity-toolbox?ref=nupath.eu); Huawei restrictions follow across member states, and telecom equipment becomes an openly geopolitical choice, with Ericsson and Nokia as strategic assets.
- **4 June 2020:** France and Germany launch [Gaia-X](https://gaia-x.eu/?ref=nupath.eu), a federated European cloud framework: much criticized, but the moment "European cloud" becomes a policy goal rather than a company.
- **16 July 2020:** The Court strikes down Privacy Shield (Schrems II), the second transatlantic data deal to fall for the same reason: US surveillance law.
- **2020:** Sixteen European banks found the European Payments Initiative; its wallet [Wero](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wero%5F%28payment%29?ref=nupath.eu) launches in July 2024 as Europe's counterweight to Visa, Mastercard, and Apple Pay.
- **14 July 2021:** The ECB opens the [digital euro](https://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pr/date/2021/html/ecb.pr210714~d99198ea23.en.html?ref=nupath.eu) investigation: central bank money as sovereign payment infrastructure.
- **8 February 2022:**Nvidia and SoftBank terminate Nvidia’s proposed [acquisition of Arm](https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2022/02/statement-regarding-termination-nvidia-corps-attempted-acquisition-arm-ltd?ref=nupath.eu) after UK, EU, and US competition and national-security objections: Britain’s chip-architecture champion, sold to Japan’s SoftBank in 2016, stays independent, one of the rare cases where the sell-to-an-outside-buyer pattern is stopped rather than repeated.
- **2022:** The Digital Markets Act and Digital Services Act are adopted: Europe moves from punishing platform dominance case by case to regulating it structurally.
- **March 2022:** ANSSI's SecNumCloud 3.2 requires immunity from non-EU law for qualified cloud providers: France defines, in technical detail, what a trusted European cloud means.
- **10 July 2023:** The EU-US Data Privacy Framework takes effect: the third attempt at legal transatlantic data flows, with the Schrems question still open.
- **1 September 2023**Dutch export controls on [ASML’s](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=ASML&ref=nupath.eu) most advanced lithography machines take effect, announced that June under sustained US pressure: the Netherlands restricts chip-making equipment sales to China, and Europe’s most strategically important tech company, already barred for years from selling its EUV systems there, becomes an explicit instrument of alliance politics.
- **13 September 2023:** The European Chips Act is adopted (in force from 21 September 2023): subsidized semiconductor capacity as explicit industrial policy.
- **28 September 2023:** France's Eutelsat completes its merger with satellite operator OneWeb: Europe assembles a commercial alternative in low-earth orbit.
- **26 February 2024:** Mistral AI launches [Le Chat](https://mistral.ai/news/le-chat-mistral/?ref=nupath.eu), its consumer chat assistant, rebranded Vibe in May 2026: France’s answer to ChatGPT becomes the closest thing Europe has to a sovereign AI product reaching ordinary users.
- **22 March 2024:** The sovereignty criteria are stripped from the draft EUCS, the EU's common cloud certification, under member-state and industry pressure; adoption stalls. The limit of the common approach, for now.
- **26 March 2024:** eIDAS 2.0 is adopted: every member state must offer a European Digital Identity Wallet by the end of 2026.
- **21 May 2024:** France promulgates the [SREN law](https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000049563368?ref=nupath.eu), writing cloud sovereignty requirements into national legislation where the EU level stalled.
- **1 August 2024:**The [EU AI Act](https://commission.europa.eu/news-and-media/news/ai-act-enters-force-2024-08-01%5Fen?ref=nupath.eu) enters into force, after political agreement in December 2023 and formal adoption on 21 May 2024: the world’s first comprehensive AI law joins GDPR, the DMA, and the DSA as rules global AI developers must accommodate.
- **9 September 2024:** The [Draghi report](https://commission.europa.eu/topics/competitiveness/draghi-report%5Fen?ref=nupath.eu) names technological dependence an existential competitiveness problem: the establishment adopts the sovereignty diagnosis.
- **16 December 2024:** The EU signs the concession for [IRIS²](https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/commission-takes-next-step-deploy-iris2-secure-satellite-system-2024-12-16%5Fen?ref=nupath.eu), its own secure satellite constellation (290 satellites, services targeted for 2030).
## The rebuild attempt: 2024-
The current era began when dependence stopped being a policy paper and became an experience: a war exposing reliance on one man's satellites, an international court reportedly losing its email under sanctions from an ally. The response is the first wave of concrete migrations, in Copenhagen, Paris, and The Hague, and the first EU legislative proposal that treats cloud and AI capacity as infrastructure to be built, not just regulated.
- **March 2025:** The debate over Ukraine's dependence on Starlink comes to a head; the EU turns to Eutelsat, whose chief executive concedes it cannot yet replace Starlink: Europe's satcom gap, stated plainly.
- **17 March 2025:** More than a hundred organizations sign the [EuroStack](https://euro-stackletter.eu/?ref=nupath.eu) open letter, calling for a full European technology stack from chips to cloud to applications.
- **May 2025:** It is widely reported that the ICC chief prosecutor's Microsoft email account was suspended after US sanctions; Microsoft denies cutting services. Whatever the mechanics, the prosecutor moved to Proton Mail, the court later adopted the open-source openDesk suite, and institutions across Europe understood the message: access can be a weapon.
- **June 2025:** Denmark's digital ministry begins replacing Microsoft Office with LibreOffice, citing digital sovereignty after renewed US pressure on the kingdom over Greenland: dependence reassessed in the light of a changed alliance.
- **September 2025:** Tchap, the French state's own messenger, becomes mandatory for work communication across the administration.
- **17 November 2025:** France's ANSSI and Germany's BSI publish joint cloud sovereignty criteria: the two big cybersecurity agencies align where EUCS could not.
- **31 March 2026:**The French State completes a [EUR 404m acquisition of Bull](https://www.atosgroup.com/en/press/atos-group-completes-sale-bull-its-advanced-computing-activities-french-state?ref=nupath.eu), Atos’s Advanced Computing arm, twelve years after Atos took control of it in 2014: the company named at the start of this timeline returns to French state ownership, sovereignty in supercomputing and AI stated as the reason.
- **8 April 2026:** France commits to migrating public-sector PCs to Linux, starting with DINUM's own machines; every ministry must deliver a dependency-reduction plan by autumn 2026.
- **3 June 2026:** The Commission proposes the [Cloud and AI Development Act](https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/cloud-and-ai-development-act?ref=nupath.eu), a four-level sovereignty framework for public procurement: for the first time, EU law would rank cloud services by independence from foreign control.
Sources for every dated entry are linked or held in the nupath.eu editorial fact base. Corrections welcome: if you can source a better date, we will use it.
### Bank of England gains powers to regulate Amazon and Google
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/bank-of-england-gains-powers-to-regulate-amazon-and-google/
Last updated: 2026-07-11T05:09:15.000Z
The Bank of England will regulate critical technology firms including Amazon and Google from next week to mitigate risks to financial stability and consumer protection. The move addresses vulnerabilities linked to reliance on non-EU tech providers, aligning with broader digital sovereignty concerns in Europe. **(THE GUARDIAN)**
[Bank of England handed powers to regulate key tech firms including Amazon and GoogleThe Bank of England has been handed powers to regulate important tech firms including Amazon and Google from next week, amid fears that system failures could threaten financial stability and harm consumers.The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jul/10/bank-of-england-handed-powers-to-regulate-key-tech-firms-including-amazon-and-google?ref=nupath.eu)
### MEPs advance digital euro talks with privacy safeguards
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/meps-advance-digital-euro-talks-with-privacy-safeguards/
Last updated: 2026-07-11T05:07:08.000Z
The European Parliament’s economic affairs committee approved negotiations on a digital euro, prioritising privacy protections in transactions. The move aims to reduce reliance on non-EU payment systems like Visa and Mastercard, advancing Europe’s digital sovereignty. Talks now proceed to trilogue negotiations with the Commission and Council. **(THE BRUSSELS TIMES)**
[Digital euro gains momentum as MEPs approve privacy-focused currency talksDigital euro gains momentum as MEPs approve privacy-focused currency talks.The Brussels Times](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwgFBVV95cUxQVUpoMFh3QlRlcWdUbzAyM0c4U1M2eFVJRldlWktrblVGcEpzRTljQktsWG83RXhZOW9aSTJxV2g1SVpYU2hKUkJwSU5RRnEzelBZLS1kSzRVY1VCRldySk9CeWhQdVBBZ2I5UnQ4WHc0bXJ3YUZkNENQQVB4Yy1sTXV0REh3dGdoalpNemNKVmstMElqVjdTWEJjUUk0VUFEdkhfLUY2Wlh5UDg3Rkpmdi13ZWdINHBKYm4zOF9iQUtnUQ?oc=5&ref=nupath.eu)
### Italy’s Poste Italiane invests in AI infrastructure
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/italys-poste-italiane-invests-in-ai-infrastructure/
Last updated: 2026-07-11T05:05:46.000Z
Poste Italiane commits to AI infrastructure investments to bolster Italy’s digital sovereignty and reduce reliance on non-EU tech providers. The move aligns with EU goals of fostering domestic innovation in critical technologies, Reuters reports. **(REUTERS)**
[Special delivery: Italy's postman joins the AI infrastructure race - ReutersSpecial delivery: Italy's postman joins the AI infrastructure raceReuters](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuwFBVV95cUxPeFNUV09NVDRabWN6TDV4NUN3bHRFbHVrNFhBS1BlZXpYN1dxbXFZTlpiUDRKTFdFaTZ6RTNYZkZGNzZWNXgzNWVkWmFJS0pKSnk0bGotOUh5ZjlURncxXzJQNnJFR0FDRzgyUWZJTkRHSnZSZkh0ZjY4c1ZKbTdQX2RIdnlRcjI5SC1mSE1xczg4U0pFWlhMWFNFcFRRMUFKYnFvenVRWHRJUXJ2cmJXLTRTc2ZLanAzT3NB?oc=5&ref=nupath.eu)
### QuantumDiamonds raises €91m for quantum chip testing
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/quantumdiamonds-raises-eu91m-for-quantum-chip-testing/
Last updated: 2026-07-10T04:29:12.000Z
QuantumDiamonds, a German startup spun out of the Technical University of Munich, secures €91m in total funding to scale quantum-based semiconductor testing technology. The €15m equity round follows €76m in EU-backed state funding, supporting Europe's push for strategic autonomy in chip manufacturing. **(TECH.EU)**
[Chip testing startup QuantumDiamonds raises €15M in equity fundingA German startup spun out of a famed Munich research university whose tech helps semiconductor firms test out products and find defects has raised €15m in equity funding. The new equity funding in QuantumDiamonds complements a previously announced €76m in EU-backed state funding in the startup, making €91m in total.Tech.eu](https://tech.eu/2026/07/09/semiconductor-equipment-startup-quantumdiamonds-raises-eur15m-in-equity-funding/?ref=nupath.eu)
### EU Parliament advances digital euro negotiations
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-parliament-advances-digital-euro-negotiations/
Last updated: 2026-07-10T07:51:11.000Z
The European Parliament has moved forward with negotiations on the digital euro, aiming to reduce reliance on US-dominated payment systems such as Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay and Google Pay. The initiative seeks to enhance the EU's strategic autonomy in financial infrastructure, with trilogue talks expected to begin soon. DW reports. **(DW)**
[EU lawmakers pave way for 'digital euro' negotiationsThe digital euro has been touted as the EU's best chance at breaking its dependence on US payment systems like Visa and Mastercard, as well as Apple Pay and Google Pay.DW](https://www.dw.com/en/eu-lawmakers-pave-way-for-digital-euro-negotiations/a-77895581?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf&ref=nupath.eu)
### UK faces £1bn cloud outage risk from US provider dependence
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/uk-faces-1bn-cloud-outage-risk-from-us-provider-dependence/
Last updated: 2026-07-09T14:22:19.000Z
A report warns that over 60% of UK firms—80% of FTSE 100 companies—rely on a handful of US cloud regions, with a single outage potentially costing the economy over £1 billion in 24 hours. The findings highlight systemic digital sovereignty risks amid calls for diversification. **(THEREGISTER)**
[Britain's cloud habit has become a billion-pound riskAmid calls for digital sovereignty, a report warns that more than 60 percent of UK companies depend on cloud services for critical functions, and an outage in one or more of the big providers could prove costly.The Register](https://www.theregister.com/off-prem/2026/07/09/britains-cloud-habit-has-become-a-billion-pound-risk/5269173?ref=nupath.eu)
### Greek IRIS P2P payment to join pan-European network
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/greek-iris-p2p-payment-to-join-pan-european-network/
Last updated: 2026-07-18T14:00:39.000Z
Greece's IRIS Payments, operated by DIAS S.A. under Bank of Greece oversight, has achieved universal domestic instant payment acceptance (first in Europe) and now connects to EuroPA, the pan-European network expanding to 18 countries and 176 million users by year-end. EuroPA was founded in December 2023 by Bancomat (Italy), Bizum (Spain), and SIBS (Portugal, operator of MB WAY), with DIAS joining in June 2025\. The integration enables 57.3 million citizens across Greece, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Andorra to make free, instant P2P transfers using only mobile phone numbers, with settlement in seconds. Greece's domestic IRIS infrastructure already serves 4.6 million citizens, 600,000 professionals, 1.2 million POS terminals, and 70,000 e-shops. Merchant payments via EuroPA are planned from 2027, extending the mobile-number-based convenience beyond P2P transfers.
[IRIS users can now send free payments to four European countries | eKathimerini.comUsers of Greece’s IRIS payment system can now make instant peer-to-peer (P2P) payments to recipients in Italy, Spain, Portugal and Andorra using only a mobile phone number, without the need for an IBAN.kathimerini.grNewsroom](https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1308334/iris-users-can-now-send-free-payments-to-four-european-countries/?ref=nupath.eu)
[DIAS - From National Success to European Connectivity: DIAS Expands Instant PaymentsDIAS certification badge](https://www.dias.com.gr/en/news-center/press-releases/from-national-success-to-european-connectivity-dias-expands-instant-payments/?ref=nupath.eu)
[Instant payments system IRIS reaches millions, but usage at stores lags | eKathimerini.comGreece’s instant payments platform IRIS has grown into one of Europe’s most advanced payment infrastructures, but its next challenge is convincing consumers to use it for everyday purchases, the CEO of payments operator DIAS said.kathimerini.grEvgenia Tzortzi](https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1309223/instant-payments-system-iris-reaches-millions-but-usage-at-stores-lags/?ref=nupath.eu)
### EU AI cybersecurity plan exposes US dependency
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-ai-cybersecurity-plan-exposes-us-dependency/
Last updated: 2026-07-08T10:11:46.000Z
Brussels unveiled an AI cybersecurity action plan consisting mostly of recommendations, as the EU negotiates early access to US models like Anthropic’s Mythos, exposing its tech dependency. Digital chief Henna Virkkunen warned AI can now build cyber exploits in minutes. **(euronews)**
[Brussels pitches AI cybersecurity plan amid dependence on US modelsEU unveils an AI cybersecurity action plan, but offers mostly recommendations as Brussels leans on negotiated access to US AI models like Anthropic’s Mythos, exposing its tech dependency. #EuropeNewseuronewsLuca Bertuzzi](https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/07/07/brussels-pitches-ai-cybersecurity-plan-amid-dependence-on-us-models?ref=nupath.eu)
### Poland adds open source chapter to digitalisation strategy
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/poland-adds-open-source-chapter-to-digitalisation-strategy/
Last updated: 2026-07-16T07:18:58.000Z
Poland has added an open source chapter to its state digitalisation strategy, the first government document to support public sector open source use. The 18 Jun 2026 resolution sets adoption goals and ecosystem development, including grants for local pilot projects. [**(Interoperable Europe OSOR)**](https://interoperable-europe.ec.europa.eu/collection/open-source-observatory-osor/news/poland-adds-open-source-chapter-its-digitalisation-strategy?ref=nupath.eu)
### The Fable 5 & Mythos AI debacle: A wake-up call for European digital sovereignty
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/the-fable-5-mythos-ai-debacle-a-wake-up-call-for-european-digital-sovereignty/
Last updated: 2026-07-19T12:04:57.000Z
## The incident: A glimpse into the future of digital dependence
A few days ago, the U.S. government moved to restrict access to Anthropic’s Mythos Five and Fable Five AI models, explicitly targeting non-American citizens. The result? Anthropic temporarily blocked global access to both models. After intense political wrangling and media scrutiny, [the models are now being reinstated](https://www.nupath.eu/us-lifts-anthropic-ai-model-export-restrictions/), but the damage is done.
This wasn’t just a technical hiccup. It was a deliberate demonstration of power, a reminder that when it comes to cutting-edge AI, Europe is not in control.
## What the Fable 5 & Mythos debacle teaches us
### 1\. Economy = Politics: AI as a geopolitical weapon
The U.S. government’s intervention proves that export controls and access restrictions are not just economic tools; they are political weapons. AI models like Mythos and Fable are now part of America’s standard arsenal for enforcing its interests. Whether it’s Trump or any future administration, this tactic is here to stay.
**Implication for Europe:*
If we rely on U.S.-owned AI, we are one policy shift away from losing access not just to niche tools, but to the foundations of our digital infrastructure.
### 2\. The cost of dependence os real and painful
For those who doubted the stakes of digital sovereignty, this incident is exhibit A. Businesses across the EU, many of which had integrated these models into their workflows, were suddenly cut off. The disruption wasn’t hypothetical; it was immediate, tangible, and costly.
**Implication for Europe:*
The next time, it might not be a specialized AI model. It could be cloud services, data storage, or even basic productivity tools. The question isn’t **if* it will happen again, but **when* and whether Europe will be prepared.
### 3\. The threat won’t look like we expect
We assumed the first major digital sovereignty crisis would involve something as ubiquitous as Microsoft Excel or AWS. Instead, it came from highly specialized, professional-grade AI model tools that, while niche, had become irreplaceable for many EU businesses.
**Implication for Europe:*
The vulnerability isn’t just in the obvious dependencies. It’s in the quiet, deep integrations the tools we don’t notice until they’re gone. Europe needs sovereign alternatives not just for the big players, but for the entire stack.
### 4\. The EU’s AI ecosystem is still playing catch-up
The fact that no European alternative could seamlessly replace Mythos or Fable for affected businesses is a scathing indictment of our current state. We are not just dependent we are lagging.
*Implication for Europe:*
We need more than just open-source models. We need EU-based, commercially viable, and enterprise-ready AI solutions that can compete on performance, not just ideology.
## The Path Forward: What Europe Must Do Now
### Invest in Sovereign AI Infrastructure
- Fund and scale EU-based AI labs (e.g., Aleph Alpha, Mistral AI) to ensure competitive, homegrown alternatives.
- Mandate interoperability, so businesses can switch providers without disruption.
### Diversify Dependencies Now
- Audit critical AI usage in EU businesses. If a tool is irreplaceable, it’s a risk.
- Support open standards to prevent vendor lock-in.
### Turn Policy into Protection
- Accelerate the AI Act’s enforcement to ensure transparency and fairness in AI access.
- Create EU-wide contingency plans for sudden AI service disruptions.
### Educate and Empower Businesses
- Raise awareness among EU companies about the risks of over-reliance on non-EU AI.
- Provide incentives for adopting sovereign alternatives.
## Conclusion: A Call to Action
The Fable 5 and Mythos AI debacle wasn’t just a temporary inconvenience; it was a warning shot. Europe cannot afford to be passive consumers of AI technology. We must be active architects of our digital future.
The time to act is now. Before the next disruption hits, and next time, we might not be so lucky.
*What do you think? Should Europe double down on sovereign AI, or is global collaboration still the way forward? Share your thoughts below.*
### Portugal launches AMALIA open source AI model
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/portugal-launches-amalia-open-source-ai-model/
Last updated: 2026-07-16T07:15:51.000Z
Portugal launched AMALIA on 1 Jul 2026, an open source AI model trained on European Portuguese data. The Agency for State Technological Reform coordinated the €5.5 million EU-funded initiative to strengthen digital sovereignty across public administration, industry, and research. [**(Interoperable Europe OSOR)**](https://interoperable-europe.ec.europa.eu/collection/open-source-observatory-osor/news/portugal-launches-open-source-ai-drive-digital-sovereignty?ref=nupath.eu)
### US lifts Anthropic AI model export restrictions
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/us-lifts-anthropic-ai-model-export-restrictions/
Last updated: 2026-07-06T12:49:47.000Z
The US has lifted export restrictions on Anthropic’s Mythos and Fable models. Added to a restricted list on 12 June, the models were inaccessible until Anthropic agreed to enhanced security measures. Public access resumes from 1 July amid growing competition from Asian AI developers. **(TechCrunch)**
[Trump drops restrictions on Anthropic’s Mythos and Fable models | TechCrunchThe Trump administration’s erratic approach to AI policymaking has left companies across the industry with little clarity about what will govern future model releases.TechCrunchTim Fernholz](https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/30/trump-drops-restrictions-on-anthropics-mythos-and-fable-models/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Danish official: US cloud data shared with spies
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/danish-official-us-cloud-data-shared-with-spies/
Last updated: 2026-06-30T12:40:50.000Z
Claus Balslev, head of Denmark’s Agency for Labour Market and Recruitment (STAR), [warns data stored on US clouds is directly accessible to US intelligence agencies](https://cybernews.com/tech/denmark-us-cloud/?ref=nupath.eu), sparking EU sovereignty concerns amid Cloud Act implications. **(cybernews)**
### Office.eu first wave arriving this summer
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/office-eu-first-wave-arriving-this-summer/
Last updated: 2026-07-07T05:10:41.000Z
Office.eu, a Europe-hosted managed workspace built on Nextcloud and open-source OnlyOffice, will launch its first core applications this summer. EUphoric Europe B.V. announced today to its waiting list joiners that document, spreadsheet, presentation and storage tools will arrive during summer, with email, contacts, calendar and video conferencing to follow in autumn 2026\. OnlyOffice, an early-stage Microsoft Office alternative, has faced controversy over Russian ownership until 2023.
A review will follow once available.
[Office EU - Europe’s Open-Source Productivity SuiteWelcome to Office EU, the open-source productivity platform for all who value a free, transparent and sovereign working environment.Office EU](https://office.eu/?ref=nupath.eu)
### EU bets on cloud to cut tech dependence
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/eu-bets-on-cloud-to-cut-tech-dependence/
Last updated: 2026-07-01T06:23:17.000Z
EU launches major cloud and chip push to boost domestic tech and cut US/China dependence. Amazon, Microsoft, Google control 80% of European market. Mistral AI is sole EU AI contender. New sovereignty law introduces four cloud service levels for public authorities. **(euronews)**
[EU launches major tech push to break US and China dependenceThe EU is betting big on cloud computing and chips to reduce its technological dependence on the US and China, and to re-enter the global tech race. But whether it will succeed and how the two superpowers will react remain open questions. #EuropeNewseuronewsLuca Bertuzzi](https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/06/03/can-europe-rejoin-the-international-tech-race?ref=nupath.eu)
### Study: Europeans want digital sovereignty
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/study-europeans-want-digital-sovereignty/
Last updated: 2026-07-01T06:22:52.000Z
80% of Europe’s digital infrastructure is foreign-owned. Most EU citizens want EU-controlled alternatives, with Sweden (94%) leading. New sovereignty package bars non-EU firms from defence/healthcare contracts to prevent kill-switch risks. **(euronews)**
[Do EU citizens want the bloc to limit its reliance on foreign tech?Europe relies heavily on foreign tech, but citizens increasingly want EU-controlled alternatives. How willing are Europeans to pay the price for digital sovereignty? #EuropeInMotioneuronewsInês Trindade Pereira](https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/06/24/europeans-want-less-dependence-on-foreign-technologies-study-finds?ref=nupath.eu)
### Digital sovereignty vs. digital autonomy - Europe’s twin imperatives
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/digital-sovereignty-vs-digital-autonomy-europes-twin-imperatives/
Last updated: 2026-07-22T06:36:57.000Z
*A practical guide to understanding the difference and why both matter for a resilient digital future*
Digital sovereignty and digital autonomy are often conflated, but the distinction is critical. One concerns national control over infrastructure; the other, individual choice in tools. Confusing them leads to policy gaps, misplaced priorities and, ultimately, a false sense of security.
Europe now faces a difficult choice: build a digitally sovereign continent that restricts citizen freedom, or a fragmented digital environment vulnerable to external disruption. Neither outcome serves the public interest. The solution requires addressing both dimensions.
_This post is for paying subscribers only._
### Germany and France publish joint paper on Digital Sovereignty
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/germany-and-france-publish-joint-paper-on-digital-sovereignty/
Last updated: 2026-08-03T06:34:04.000Z
Germany and France have published a **joint definition of digital sovereignty** at the VivaTech 2026 trade fair in Paris, marking a concrete step toward reducing Europe's critical dependencies on Big Tech. The paper defines digital sovereignty as the ability to **"independently, self-determinedly, and securely develop, provide, use, adapt, and control"** technologies such as hardware and software.
The joint paper, prepared by a task force from both countries, outlines **six dimensions** for digital independence with concrete criteria, focusing on legal enforcement, data protection, and infrastructure resilience. It advocates for preferential use of EU or trusted partner digital products, open-source solutions, and modular architectures to prevent vendor lock-in. German Digital Minister **Karsten Wildberger** (CDU) called the initiative a **"geopolitical imperative"** in light of increasing cyberattacks and supply chain disruptions, while French Digital Minister **Anne Le Hénanff** highlighted the SAP-Mistral AI partnership as a model for sovereign European AI solutions. **(HEISE)**
[The paper is publicly available here.](https://www.entreprises.gouv.fr/files/files/presse/2026/20260617-franco-german-joint-paper-digital-on-sovereignty.pdf?ref=nupath.eu)
[Away from Big Tech: Germany and France agree on sovereignty planWith a new definition and in six core areas plus criteria, Germany and France are concretely advancing Europe’s digital independence.heise onlineStefan Krempl](https://www.heise.de/en/news/Away-from-Big-Tech-Germany-and-France-agree-on-sovereignty-plan-11336291.html?ref=nupath.eu)
### Europe turns away from Palantir
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/europe-turns-away-from-palantir/
Last updated: 2026-07-07T13:37:52.000Z
European governments are reducing reliance on US defence tech contractor Palantir over security and ethical concerns. The Netherlands demands a European alternative within two years, the UK plans to end NHS contracts by 2027, and Switzerland has rejected Palantir bids at least nine times. Germany and Denmark are also seeking local alternatives. **(euronews)**
[Why are European governments breaking up with Palantir?Critics have flagged Palantir for their links to militaries involved in ongoing conflicts and ICE immigration enforcement in the United States.euronewsAnna Desmarais](https://www.euronews.com/next/2026/06/05/why-are-european-governments-reevaluating-their-agreements-with-us-defence-tech-contractor?ref=nupath.eu)
### Netherlands blocks Solvinity sale to US tech giant
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/netherlands-blocks-solvinity-sale-to-us-tech-giant/
Last updated: 2026-07-18T06:28:16.000Z
The Dutch government has blocked the sale of Solvinity, operator of the DigiD platform used by millions, to US-based Kyndryl over US Cloud Act data access risks. Junior minister Willemijn Aerts vetoed the deal on 26 May 2026 to protect the public interest. **(DutchNews)**
[Dutch government blocks sale of DigiD owner to US tech giant - DutchNews.nlThe Dutch government has blocked the sale of Solvinity, the company that manages its online services portal DigiD, to the US-based tech giant Kyndryl amid concerns that millions of citizens’ private data could be compromised. Willemijn Aerts, the junior minister responsible for the digital economy, vetoed the takeover “to protect the public interest”. She had asked the BTI, the agency that vets cross-border investments, to assess the risk of the deal to national security. Solvinity, a Dutch-based IT services company,…DutchNews.nlGordon Darroch](https://www.dutchnews.nl/2026/05/dutch-government-blocks-sale-of-digid-owner-to-us-tech-giant/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Spain's Bizum Pay enters physical shops
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/spains-bizum-pay-enters-physical-shops/
Last updated: 2026-07-18T07:07:34.000Z
Spain's Bizum Pay entered physical shops on 18 May 2026, letting users pay by phone directly from their bank account. The service uses NFC technology to transfer money directly to merchants via instant transfer, bypassing foreign intermediaries.
[Spain’s Bizum heads to the high street to take on Visa and MastercardSpain’s homegrown payment app is making its biggest move yet, bringing account-to-account payments to the physical till and raising the stakes for US card giants.euronewsJesús Maturana](https://www.euronews.com/business/2026/05/09/spains-bizum-heads-to-the-high-street-to-take-on-visa-and-mastercard?ref=nupath.eu)
### France migrates 2.5 million PCs from Windows to Linux
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/france-migrates-2-5-million-pcs-from-windows-to-linux/
Last updated: 2026-07-10T08:21:43.000Z
France begins migrating 2.5 million government devices from Windows to Linux by 2026, citing digital sovereignty goals. The move aims to reduce reliance on non-EU software and could set a precedent for open-source adoption across Europe. **(TECH-INSIDER.ORG)**
[France Ditches Windows for Linux on 2.5M PCs \[2026\]France is migrating 2.5 million government devices from Windows to Linux. See why they made the switch, the costs involved, and what it means for open-source adoption in Europe.tech-insider.org](https://tech-insider.org/france-ditches-windows-linux-2-5-million-devices-digital-sovereignty-2026/?ref=nupath.eu)
### Archive: Personal Technology Resilience checklist
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/archive-personal-technology-resilience-checklist/
Last updated: 2026-07-19T11:45:09.000Z
This post was part of the original nupath.eu, before our 2026 relaunch. Included here for historical reference.
Christian Triantafillou Schade
May 16, 2025
This document is continuously updated with recommended solutions for personal and small-business IT resilience. The overall scenario is that we are optimizing for a situation in which service providers in the USA are forced to turn off critical services by their government, leading to significant disruptions in your daily digital life. Remember, these replacements are suggested to protect yourself from random hostile political acts, not to punish or spite the US. You are entitled to a different opinion, of course.
I have recommended a replacement for a series of significant services and applications below. Read more details about each criteria in the [blog post](https://www.nupath.eu/back-on-the-circuit/).
Criteria for the recommended solutions are:
- Service provider is outside US jurisdiction.
- Hosting is outside the US, preferred EU, EFTA, Europe or Canadian hosting and jurisdiction, in that order. This is also to support overall European digital sovereignty, but primarily your personal digital sovereignty.
- Privacy by default - meaning encryption and strong data protection where possible.
- Reasonable feature match with the services they replace, or at least a use case outcome that matches.
- Available as applications or web services for these operating systems:
- Windows, Mac, Linux
- Android, IOS
- Allows stepwise degradation of utility, meaning if the network is gone, the key features are still available offline.
- Cross-platform sync is an option, but not a prerequisite.
- Reasonable utility even without cloud services.
- The author's personal preference.
"A" means do it now, "B" means do it if something bad happens.
Please consider [supporting the effort](https://buy.stripe.com/4gM9AU5QH4AObDrc1vd3i01?ref=nupath.eu) and cost that goes into researching this work.
| Category, tool | Alternative | A | B | Comment |
| ----------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------- | - | - | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Web Browser:Edge, Chrome | Firefox, (Opera) | X | | No ideal solution exists, in my opinion. The best solution seems to be Firefox, which is a fully-fledged, highly capable, and privacy-focused browser that can trace its roots all the way back to the beginning of the web.It will also remove you from Google's sphere unless you opt in fully to the Google ecosystem.Its only major drawback is that it is owned by a US-based entity, even if it is a non-profit foundation. However, it is open-source and so could continue independently in a contingency, if someone builds a new browser based on it, which could happen quite fast.Opera has been known as the independent alternative, but it is now owned mainly by a Chinese consortium. |
| Web search: Google | Mojeek, Qwant, Ecosia(DuckDuckGo) | X | | For Google alternatives, hosted in the US, DuckDuckGo is excellent. But if the condition is non-US hosted, the alternatives are Mojeek, Qwant and Ecosia, in that order. The indexes (websites covered by the search engine) are smaller than Google or Bing, which is the major drawback. This means neither are a full replacement when it comes to usefulness.At the moment, life without a US-American search engine means rolling back a lot of the web for a while, but AI is changing the way we search anyway, as we speak. |
| Note taking: Evernote, Ulysses, OneNote | Obsidian (Proton Docs) | X | | Obsidian is a great note-taking app with a slightly steeper initial learning curve, but once you get the hang of it, it is an extremely useful tool. It has a large ecosystem of free community plugins. Obsidian Sync and Publish services are stable and hosted in Canada. Most annoying issue is the lack of a web-based editor, but that is a direct consequence of their on-device principle.If you decide to join the Proton ecosystem, it has a new encrypted Docs app that might be sufficient for you. |
| Navigation | | X | | The assumption here is that navigation is something you primarily do on your phone, so PC-based solutions are not in scope for this use case.Some options:Sygic, from Slovakia, is highly acclaimed and has strong privacy.Magic Earth is free, uses the OpenStreetMap database, is hosted in Switzerland, and is privacy-focused.I would have liked to recommend Waze, but even if it is owned outside the US, it is hosted there, is covered by US export controls, and could be disabled as part of a US government embargo. |
| Task managementMS Planner, Trello | Obsidian with kanban plugin | X | | Excellent competitors exist that are non-US hosted, but most do not have on-device storage and cloud sync.If you can live with that limitation, I recommend Meistertask, Taiga or Appflowy, in that order. For a fully on-device solution where cloud sync is optional, go with Obsidian using the Kanban plugin. No bells and whistles, but it gets the job done.I would really have loved to recommend Trello, but even if the company is in Australia, everything is hosted on AWS and Google infrastructure in the US. |
| Gmail, Hotmail, MicroSoft 365 Email | Proton Mail | X | | Proton Mail is the main reason people join the Proton personal app suite. It offers end-to-end encrypted email between Proton accounts, a cloud storage hosted in Switzerland and other great tools such as VPN, a basic document editor, calendar and even a Crypto wallet.Besides being hosted outside US (and even EU) jurisdictions, it is a major step up in individual digital privacy and the apps are easy to use. The extremely high level of security does make a few things a bit more cumbersome, such as having one app for all for all your email accounts, which is doable on a PC/Mac, but not a phone at the moment. |
| Outlook | Thunderbird | X | | Many people spend most of their day in the Outlook app. For more than 20 years a free open source email app has existed that provides a replacement for the mail part of the use case. Thunderbird is a great alternative. iPhone IOS) app to arrive in 2025. |
| Google Calendar, MS Calendar | Proton Calendar | X | | A major part of the privacy-focused app suite, it has easy calendar sharing. Like the rest of the Proton suite it has few bells and whistles, but does a great job with high security. |
| MS Word | LibreOffice | | X | Based on the conditions applied in this analysis, LibreOffice is the best solution. It is free, open-source and privacy-focused. Since there will be a significant loss of integration benefits, I recommend waiting until it becomes necessary.Another serious contender is OnlyOffice. |
| Excel | LibreOffice | | X | Also recommending LibreOffice, even if I’d claim that no single tool exists that would be able to replace Excel in its entirety. |
| PowerPoint | LibreOffice for most people | | X | Still working on that one, LibreOffice is not enough for my personal needs, since I use some of the power features in PowerPoint, like recording the presentation for training videos.Most people should be satisfied with Libreoffice in this case as well, but I think the presentation module still has a long way to go for my needs.Fortunately many other solutions exist for those niche cases, even if they are typically quite expensive. |
| Notion | Obsidian | X | | Obsidian is very close to the value you get from Notion in the offline use case, especially with community plugins.It is a different scenario if you use Notion for a public site (like this one) or a distributed team or project.If you are ready to jump on an early stage platform, Anytype looks extremely promising and much more visually interesting than Obsidian, which is rather minimalist. But be prepared for the usual issues from early open-source projects. Oh, and it is super privacy-focused. |
| Dropbox, Onedrive, Google Drive, iCloud | Proton Drive | X | | Fast encrypted storage hosted in Switzerland, easy to use. Not a lot of features, but it works. Different plans are available for individuals, families or companies.Some of the iCloud functionality will be difficult to miss, like face recognition. |
| Facebook | Mastodon | X | | No automated migration or friend discovery from Facebook to Mastodon exists. You must manually find or invite friends on Mastodon. Sharing your Mastodon profile on Facebook is the most practical way to reconnect.Choose a server located in the EU, though it is quite difficult to find out.For fully managed hosting of your own network in the EU, consider toot.ioTrunks is a good Mastodon client if you're not satisfied with the web version or the mobile apps. Better clients exist, but again, under US jurisdiction.Looking into the whole SoMe thing in another doc later. |
| Messengers | Threema, Viber | | X | Very few plausible independent messaging platforms exist that are actual alternatives to the US-owned messengers, be it iMessage, MS Teams, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp or Signal.For a EU-hosted solution there is Threema, and if Japanese ownership is OK for you, there’s Viber, which is my recommendation. Viber is not open source, but hey, people are actually using it, and the key to messengers is having someone to talk to.The case for Threema is high security when communicating with a small group of contacts. It is what I’d fall back to if Viber fails on a strategic level. |
| Photo editing | Gimp | | X | Gimp can have a step learning curve, but once you have the hang of it, it should meet most of your image editing needs. There are a lot of video guides available on the web. And it is free, even if professional users will feel it is a step down from PhotoShop.I would have recommended Affinity for professionals, except for the fact that it does not run on Linux. It comes highly recommended. |
| Drawing | Clip studio Paint, Krita | | X | Clip Studio Paint comes highly recommended by professional digital artists, but it does not support Linux.The free open-source alternative, Krita, is cross-playform and has a large user community, the feature sets are not absolutely comparable, and missing 3D and a less polished workflow is an argument against Krita, but it is still probably the best option for Linux (maybe the only professional one) and praised by many users and you get a lot in a free package.Not relevant for mobile, but might run on your Linux tablet. |
| Mindmaps | MindMeister or Mindomo | X | | MindMeister is by far the slickest product, especially when integrated with MeisterTask. Visuals and ease of use are critical in mind mapping.It is hosted in the EU and used by a lot of people around the world. But it still is, after many years, strictly a cloud application; there is no offline mode. It would be my primary recommendation except for that single condition, and if you can live with that, go with MM.In my opinion, the best option is Mindomo, which lives up to **all** key criteria here, but is not as slick a graphic experience as MindMeister. On the other hand, it is blazingly fast to use, works well offline and is slightly less outrageously expensive than MindMeister.Freemind is available, but I think the user interface is a couple of generations behind the curve. |
| Video editing | OpenshotShotcut | X | | Several excellent free, open-source options exist for personal video editing, getting close to professional products.The two choices here both support Windows, Mac OS and Linux. Advanced video editing is generally not recommended on mobile platforms due to the hardware requirements.Openshot is a powerful tool aimed at beginners, but it can take you a long way. They focus on creating the easiest video editing software ever. Not recommended for large or complicated projects.Shortcut is an advanced video editing software for intermediate-level users. It should be sufficient for even ambitious private users, but it does assume that you are interested in learning the technical elements of digital video editing.Be aware that open-source software at this level is not always stable in use, and video editing is one of the most demanding tasks you can ask of your computer. Shortcut is known for its stability. |
| AI-supported spellchecking, Grammarly | LanguageTool | X | | If you, like me, have been using Grammarly to help cure the Euro-English mistakes, LanguageTool is a plausible EU-hosted replacement candidate.It supports many more languages than Grammarly, so that is actually an improvement, but is less deep in the feature offering. It also plays well with LibreOffice, including on Linux.I am still evaluating it, which will take months, but I think it is a reasonable replacement, particularly if you are after the spellchecking/style checking rather than the "automatic typewriter" AI scenario that does all the work for you. |
| Adobe Acrobat, PDF | OlyOffice, Javelin or LibreOffice | | X | The landscape is a bit irregular here. If I must stay true to the criteria, I can't find only one platform to recommend. It is so easy to download the Acrobat Reader that few plausible cross-platform solutions exist. After all, they did invent the PDF format. Many solutions also seem unfinished and not frequently maintained.Cloud-based:OnlyOffice PDF Editor does all the things. But there's the cloud issue.Free PDF Reader across platforms: Javelin PDF.Offline editor:LibreOffice, but the solution can be clunky in practice, PDFSam might be the best solution for that use case.Individual solutions, which are better but specific to different operating systems, exist. |
| Operating systems for computers: MacOS, Windows | Ubuntu | | X | The most extreme replacement, assuming you are keeping your hardware, is switching to another operating system (OS) on you PC or Mac.The obvious choice is the free open-source OS Linux, which also comes in commercial packages with different levels of support. In the 35 years since Linus Torvalds launched it, this has become the dominant alternative to the commercial giants and has become the icon of the open-source movement.Today, this is a great way to rediscover individual computing, revitalize older PC's and get out of the claws of Big Tech. But the cost has traditionally been many long nights of tech-grinding, and installing it can be daunting for non-technically minded folks. Sometimes it works like a breeze and you have a brand new computer in half an hour, other times you might run into hardware issues, so do your research first. It is quite a feat for volunteers to build an operating system that can run on a large share of the many different variations of computers, and they don't always cover every corner case combination of hardware.Today, well-produced and easy(ish)- to-use distributions of Linux exist, and it's worth paying for a commercial version.I fully recommend Ubuntu as the most future-proof, feature-rich solution with the best application support and the tech-enthusiast solution. Mint Linux is candidate No. 2, with maybe the highest ease of use but slightly fewer features and apps. |
These use cases should cover most of what you need on a daily basis.
Please drop me a line at [nupatheu@proton.me](mailto:nupatheu@proton.me), if you have any other suggestions.
### Back on the circuit
URL: https://www.nupath.eu/back-on-the-circuit/
Last updated: 2026-06-27T07:34:30.000Z
This is the new nupath.eu - appearing more than a year after the initial post "Make your personal technology setup independent from the USA" that started a new editorial journey.
Since then, digital sovereignty has become a byword across the EU - both in businesses and the public sector. A lot has happened, and we **will** be catching up in the coming months.
The original post is added here for historical reference:
**Make your personal technology setup independent from the USA**
A European perspective on individual digital sovereignty
Christian Triantafillou Schade
May 16, 2025
As an IT strategist, digital tool consultant, and former tech reporter, I have been looking at the risk to European individuals and small companies from the possible withdrawal of digital services by providers in the USA. As a citizen of a European country, you need to protect yourself and your family and friends from loss of data, access and utility.
In the current geopolitical situation, there is a real and present danger of politically motivated attacks on the digital tools and services used by EU citizens, not just from hackers supported by hostile nations but from foreign governments that are formally allied with European countries.
I have created a continuously updated list of current popular technology tools and recommended replacements with alternatives outside the US jurisdiction in each category. It contains alternatives for categories such as word processing, web browsing, email services etc.
Find it here: [Personal Technology Resilience checklist. ](https://www.nupath.eu/archive-personal-technology-resilience-checklist/)
## What could happen?
Well, that's the key question—what kind of disruption could we actually experience? Many experts and governments in Europe have already warned us.
The major risk covered here is that a government that rules a country, where primary IT services are hosted and in whose jurisdiction their suppliers are incorporated, decides to use the threat of withdrawing these services through an administrative decree. As a pressure tactic to obtain concessions, like gaining money or territory, this could be very effective. Say, if the USA decided to forbid all US service providers (Microsoft, Google, Apple, Meta, Amazon, Netflix etc.) to supply any digital services to European nations, unless they hand over territory.
The disruption of our daily lives would be disastrous. The cost to citizens, corporations and governments would be massive.
And believe me, switching to other providers is complicated and takes time. Some alternatives are readily available, others involve making fundamental changes in the way you work and personally use digital services.
You might have to keep your personal data under lock and key since we would not receive a fair warning in such a case.
## Drawbacks of switching to alternative solutions
Usability is clearly an issue. The solutions that can replace established market leaders such as Microsoft Word are rarely as easy to use, integrated, or feature-rich as the tools they replace. Many of them have not had the many millions of euros (well, dollars, really) available to build the powerful solutions we are now in danger of having withdrawn or disrupted. Or they have existed as under-the-radar alternatives, primarily used by the more tech-savvy folks.
There is not always a complete replacement available in the market - Instagram and TikTok are examples of services that are so unique in the combination of their concept and reach that there is no credible replacement in the short term.
Social media is a special case. You come for the network, not the technology, which also keeps you there. While my general recommendation for SoMe is Mastodon, and it is the most resilient solution on paper, it has the drawback that all of your friends and family might be on a different network owned by Meta. This means that migrating to another network equals starting all over, building your network and convincing friends to join you. I'll go into a recommended approach for social media in a later post.
Cost can be an issue, since you will most probably be getting software and services from a larger number of providers, as opposed to fully integrated product suites. Still, some of the suggested tools can cover many use cases with some implementation effort. Also, you might end up paying in cash for services that you have until now paid for with your personal data.
## Benefits of switching
Many of the alternatives listed here are more privacy-focused than the solutions they replace. Also, they should be able to survive a cloud disengagement, even if that cloud is not US-based. I am even assuming the operating systems could be disabled (Windows, Android, MacOS and IOS), though that is really the Very Worst-Case scenario here. So you will have a much more resilient setup, and this is the key motivation.
Besides avoiding the above scenarios, you might have the added benefit of generally better protection of your digital privacy.
Many of the alternative products are in a growth phase, which could mean that they are open to evolving with a better focus on user needs than the megalithic tech providers today.
They often have a smaller footprint on your system, size-wise, and they’re usually also less bloated with features.
You support overall European digital sovereignty and helping boost the European digital industry, which needs it.
Customer service is generally very good in the EU time zone. I still remember the old days when I worked for the American Internet industry, when Europe mostly belonged in the ROW (Rest of World) bucket for reduced customer service.
## Criteria for recommendation
So, what conditions have I applied in my research to find replacement solutions?
- First, the service provider, online or physical, must be outside the USA jurisdiction to prevent it from being shut down by a US presidential decree or law.
- It has to be physically hosted outside of the US to prevent unlawful US government interventions that a court of law could later rescind (but the damage would have been done already), as well as corporate interventions perceived to be on behalf of the US government without actual legal cover.
- The preferred hosting and jurisdiction are in the EU, EFTA, Continental Europe, the UK, Canada or Japan, in that order.
- If possible, services and apps should offer increased privacy by default. We might as well improve that while we are at it.
- There should be a reasonable feature match with the products they are replacing, or at least a decent use case outcome match. This means it might not be the same feature set, but you can achieve at least the same essential outcomes.
- The supported operating systems for the choices should be Windows, Mac (macOS) and Linux. This means that even in a worst-case scenario where you would have to replace your operating system (MacOS or Windows) with Linux (which can run on most PCs in one incarnation or another), you should still be able to install or at least access the recommended tool on your laptop or desktop PC.
- The recommended solutions should allow graceful stepwise degradation of utility, meaning that you don’t have to opt for a complete replacement of your entire tech stack (set of systems). If your office application is disabled, you might still have full use of the operating system. But the focus in this analysis is on solutions that could support the OS replacement scenario as well, and a lot of possible solution recommendations have fallen on the wayside here due to the condition that they should be available on Linux as an app or at least in a browser.
- I have not favored open-source solutions specifically, except when two very close runner-ups were available. However, when Linux availability is a condition, we often end up with open-source or web apps anyway. And remember, open-source solutions are not always free.
- Applications that run on your devices and enable cross-platform sync are favored over cloud apps if a reasonable alternative is available. Cloud apps that are unusable offline are avoided with a few exceptions.
- For recommended mobile apps, reasonable (if not full) usage should be possible on mobile devices running Android and iOS (Apple iPhone and iPad). Linux is also possible on some mobile hardware platforms, but the hardware is often so specialized that it is not really realistic or even likely. For example, you can’t install Linux on an iPhone without advanced hardware lab-style tools, and even so, it won’t support most of the hardware in your phone. I'll write about the whole mobile worst-case scenario at a later date.
- Author's personal preference still applies - I am a sucker for slick visuals, smooth integration and the balance between utility and usability. Your opinion might differ.
## When to switch?
For each tool, I have added a recommendation of when to switch: Now or when the current tool becomes unavailable. This is shown by checking the “Plan A” or “Plan B” columns.
Of course, this is dependent on your specific situation. However, I have focused on the risk of losing your documents and other data when a service is disrupted, as well as the trouble you have to go through when making the switch later, after the disaster has arrived…If you don't think it will be relevant for you in the near future, at least take look at the Plan A candidates.
So that’s it for the context. Check out the [Personal Technology Resilience checklist](https://www.nupath.eu/archive-personal-technology-resilience-checklist/).