Technology sovereignty of the EU: Needs, concepts, pitfalls and ways forward

Technology sovereignty has become a major concern in science, technology and innovation policy debates in the last years. An intensive discussion has unfolded
as to how countries and the EU should safeguard their abilities to produce and use the technologies needed, based on their own values and independent from
unwanted foreign interference. The EU is lagging in a number of technologies, and is reliant on foreign input of knowledge, technological components and raw material. At the same time, it has been a long-held principle to work towards ever more openness, in particular for science, technology and innovation. Against this background, the chapter aims to shed some light on the specific challenges and opportunities related to technology sovereignty faced at EU level, delving into the conceptual underpinning of the concept and its link with open strategic autonomy and economic security, and current approaches adopted to determine the EU’s sovereignty position. The chapter concludes with a number of considerations towards an effective and efficient technology sovereignty strategy at EU level.