Discussion on Digital Sovereignty between BSI and OSBA conducted

In a recent explanation to the German Press Agency, Claudia Plattner, President of the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI), outlined the organisation's strategy for digital sovereignty. The strategy aims to strengthen the European market and digital industry, while also adapting or embedding non-European products for secure and self-determined use.

The BSI's strategy has garnered attention from various organisations, including the Open Source Business Alliance (OSBA), which advocated for stronger digital sovereignty in an open letter to Plattner. The OSBA urged Plattner to be a strong advocate for open-source software and expand digital sovereign alternatives.

The strategy also emphasises the importance of secure, independent, and nationally controlled digital infrastructures. It focuses on striving for global excellence in parts of the digital value chain from national or European sources. This includes identifying digital technologies that can be used 'out of the box' without increased effort to become more independent.

Moreover, the strategy includes a focus on which non-European technologies can be technically secured and enhanced to ensure data control and governance remain with Europe. The OSBA argued that strategic decisions made today will determine whether Germany and Europe will catch up to or remain behind American or Chinese tech giants in five years.

In response to the concerns raised by the OSBA, Plattner clarified that for the BSI, digital sovereignty means having trustworthy options, and strengthening and strategically developing open-source software is a concern for the BSI as it is for the OSBA. Plattner also stated in an open letter that she never expressed in the interview with the German Press Agency that she or the BSI considered digital sovereignty unattainable.

The support for digital sovereignty is strong, with the EuroStack sovereignty initiative receiving significant backing. The State of Digital Sovereignty is a topic under discussion, with the implication that digital sovereignty need not remain a dream. The BSI's strategy, with its focus on open-source software and global excellence, is a step towards making this vision a reality.