One of the rising themes in today’s technology landscape is digital disruption, where the established ways of doing business are being reshaped by new technologies, rules and competitors. In Europe, this disruption is more and more linked to the idea of digital sovereignty, that reduces the reliance on non-European providers and to build homegrown alternatives in areas like artificial intelligence, cloud services and data sharing.
An example is ASML’s $1.5 billion investment in French AI startup Mistral, giving it an 11% stake (ASML, 2025). This move shows a shift away from the heavy dependence on U.S. and Chinese companies for advanced AI. By linking the semiconductor industry with a European AI innovator, it opens the door to new ecosystems that could change the global balance in both hardware and software.
Cloud computing is another area that is facing disruption. Many European firms are reconsidering their dependence on big provides like Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure (Reuters, 2025). Rising concerns about data governance, privacy and compliance with EU regulations such as GDPR and the Digital Services Act are pushing organizations to explore regional cloud providers. This shift challenges the dominance of global platforms and it introduces new competition, that could potentially reshape the economics of cloud services in Europe.
Another example is the rise of data space frameworks like those created by the iSHARE Foundation. iSHARE sets common rules and standards that make it possible for organizations to share data safely and transparently across different sectors (iSHARE, 2025). Instead of the traditional model where big companies control closed data platforms, this approach supports open and federated systems. It encourages collaboration while ensuring that trust and control remain with the participants.
Together, these examples show that digital disruption in Europe is not just driven by new technologies but also by governance, regulation and changing priorities. The established global players face challenges from emerging European alternatives, while new frameworks are changing the way businesses think about data, platforms and partnerships.
References
ASML, Mistral AI enter strategic partnership. (2025, 9 september). ASML. https://www.asml.com/en/news/press-releases/2025/asml-mistral-ai-enter-strategic-partnership
iSHARE. (2025). iSHARE. https://ishare.eu/
Reuters. (2025, 17 april). European firms rethink cloud provider choices amid trade war, OVHCloud CEO says. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/technology/european-firms-rethink-cloud-provider-choices-amid-trade-war-ovhcloud-ceo-says-2025-04-17/Reuters
