DIGITALEUROPE’s reaction to the US presidential election results

DIGITALEUROPE reaffirms the importance of EU-US collaboration on digital and critical technologies and redoubles its call for a competitive, digital Europe. 

DIGITALEUROPE’s Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl said :  

In these times of fast-paced digital change and geopolitical uncertainty, preserving our €1.2 trillion transatlantic alliance and building on it is crucial to our shared prosperity and security. In the next four years we hope that President Trump chooses the path of cooperation, not conflict, with the US’s closest partners and friends.  

It is in our mutual interest to cooperate. As our recent Critical Tech Gap study showed, the US is in a leading position in many critical technologies, but the EU also has world-leading companies in connectivity, green tech, biotech and quantum – all are crucial to our economic and military security. We should continue our important work together by creating a new ‘Critical and Dual Use Technology Council’. 

This election is also a call to action for Europe to be more resilient and stand on its own two feet. To do that we need to be competitive and fully harness the potential of digitalisation – for our economy, for our climate, for our health, and for our defence.  

Policy recommendations for a thriving EU-US digital cooperation: 

• Create a new ‘Critical and Dual Use Technology Council’: We should continue our important work together on digital. And we must continue our support to Ukraine as they fight for their future. We should create a space to talk about dual use and critical technologies like AI and cyber to win this race  together. 
• Enhance cybersecurity cooperation: DIGITALEUROPE calls for the continuation of the EU-US Cyber Dialogue, Cyber diplomatic collaboration and involving industry stakeholders, to pursue cybersecurity harmonisation and to safeguard our digital partnership. The latest EU-US Cyber Dialogue reinforced both partners’ commitment to transatlantic cooperation. As highlighted in a co-authored paper with Aspen harmonizing cybersecurity regulation is essential to prevent fragmentation and promote common cross-border practices. 
• Collaborate on Artificial Intelligence, 6G development and ICT infrastructure: With AI and 6G poised to shape the future of digital innovation, joint EU-US efforts in these fields are critical to fostering ethical, responsible, and secure development. Establishing shared standards and regulatory frameworks will not only boost economic growth but also enhance digital resilience and security for both regions.  
•  Accelerate collaboration on green technologies: Transatlantic cooperation on green digital technologies is crucial to find urgent and innovative solutions to the climate crisis. By jointly advancing green digital solutions, such as Digital Product Passports, the EU and US can lead the way in achieving digital sustainability while driving economic growth.