Imagining the Future of European Media Infrastructures
Workshop & public talk
- Date
- 20 June 2025
- Time
- 08:30 -17:30
- Location
- Roeterseilandcampus - building A
- Room
- Institute for Information Law
About the workshop Eurostack: Building Europe’s Digital Future or Playing Jenga with Europe's Digital Ambitions?
In this workshop, we critically examine the Eurostack proposal and assess what’s new, what’s missing, and what’s at stake. We explore:
- Why previous efforts to reclaim European digital sovereignty (like the push for open-source in the early 2000s) fell short — and whether this time is different.
- The overlooked dimensions of sustainability, democratic accountability, and inclusion — and why leaving them out could be a fatal flaw.
- The technical and political feasibility of building a European alternative to U.S. and Chinese digital stacks — and whether Europe has the capacity to integrate its own technologies at scale.
- The impact of this initiative on international partners, including the potential for backlash or misalignment with existing commitments.
- What we can learn from digital sovereignty efforts in countries like India and Brazil — and why building infrastructure isn’t enough to break dependency on Big Tech.
Through case comparisons, group reflection, and interactive debate, we’ll unpack whether Eurostack is a serious blueprint for European digital power — or just another memo in search of a demo.
About the public talk
The EU is at a crossroads regarding its digital infrastructure. For decades, European institutions and businesses have outsourced their infrastructural provision to American providers. Is this a viable model? Policymakers, academics, and professionals seem to doubt it. Given the current developments in tech and policy – including the development of AI and the second Trump Administration – calls for Europe to develop its own digital infrastructure are multiplying. But, while there is a widespread consensus around this idea, how it can be realized is still very much up for discussion. This talk will bring together some of the leading voices in this debate to discuss the future of European digital infrastructures, which sorts of approaches and values should we embrace, and how do we get there.
