The Wake-Up Call: When a Single Cloud Provider Goes Dark
On October 20, a routine technical failure at Amazon Web Services (AWS) triggered unprecedented disruption across European infrastructure. The outage didn’t just inconvenience streaming services or social media platforms—it paralyzed critical systems within the National Health Service, disrupted airport operations, and brought government services to a standstill. With AWS controlling 40-50% of the UK’s Infrastructure-as-a-Service market, this single incident revealed the fragile foundation upon which Europe’s digital economy rests.
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The AWS disruption served as a stark demonstration of Europe’s strategic vulnerability. When hospitals cannot access patient records, airports cannot process flights, and defense systems face potential compromise due to a single provider’s technical issues, we’ve moved beyond commercial convenience into strategic dependency. The incident highlighted how deeply embedded non-European technology providers have become in Europe’s most essential services.
Beyond Cloud Computing: The Expanding Threat Landscape
This dependency extends far beyond cloud services. Hostile states now routinely probe Western networks for vulnerabilities, while satellites face jamming, spoofing, and physical attacks in orbit. As UK Space Command commanders have noted, future conflicts will occur at “machine speed”—a pace determined by satellites, sensors, and artificial intelligence. In this environment, resilience depends entirely on who owns, builds, and secures the underlying infrastructure., according to emerging trends
The space sector provides a particularly illuminating case study. Despite Europe’s growing space industry with innovations in launch technology, Earth observation, and communications, the ecosystem still leans heavily on external providers—most notably SpaceX. While the proposed Airbus-Thales-Leonardo merger aims to create a “European champion” to compete in this sector, meaningful independence remains years away. The concern isn’t that SpaceX would deliberately undermine European interests, but that the capability to do so exists, creating strategic vulnerability.
The Path to Sovereignty: Leveraging European Strengths
Europe possesses remarkable advantages in this journey toward technological independence. The continent boasts world-class research institutions, universities, and technical talent that rival any global competitor. However, this talent often migrates to the United States or Asia where funding opportunities and scaling pathways are more readily available.
The solution lies in redirecting investment toward homegrown innovation. By supporting scientists, engineers, and startups developing new technologies from Rennes to Rome and Manchester to Munich, Europe can:
- Retain top talent by providing competitive funding and growth opportunities
- Develop sovereign capabilities in critical technology sectors
- Create European-scale companies capable of competing globally
- Ensure that essential infrastructure serves public rather than purely commercial interests
Strategic Autonomy, Not Protectionism
This isn’t a call for economic isolation or protectionism. Europe should remain open, dynamic, and globally engaged. However, openness must not equate to dependence. For over a decade, European leaders have discussed strategic autonomy—now is the moment to transform that vision into reality., according to industry reports
The goal is to ensure that Europe’s essential functions—communications, navigation, data storage, and defense—can withstand global disruptions, whether caused by technical failures or malicious actors. As the widespread impact of the AWS outage demonstrated, a single technical fault thousands of miles away should not have the power to cripple critical services across European capitals.
Building Resilience for a Turbulent Future
No technological system is immune to failure, whether by accident or design. But Europe can architect its critical infrastructure to withstand such disruptions through:, as comprehensive coverage
- Supporting domestic technology providers across cloud computing, space, and telecommunications
- Strengthening collaboration between European partners to create interoperable systems
- Prioritizing infrastructure that serves shared public interests alongside commercial viability
- Developing redundant systems that ensure continuity when primary systems falter
In an increasingly dangerous world, ensuring sovereign control over critical infrastructure isn’t just strategic—it’s essential for European security, economic stability, and technological independence. The time to build this foundation is now, before the next crisis reveals even deeper vulnerabilities in Europe’s digital ecosystem.
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