1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites
Digital WorldEurope

Why EU's dependency on foreign tech is risky

01:13

This browser does not support the video element.

Kerstin Schweizer
November 18, 2025

Only four of the world's 50 largest tech companies are European — something EU leaders are trying to change. They say EU's dependency on technology from China and the US puts its at significant risk.

Europe is losing ground in the global tech race. Only four of the world's 50 biggest tech firms are European, while 80% of digital technologies are imported from the US and China. Key sectors like chips, AI, cloud platforms, and cybersecurity lag behind. Business groups warn this dependency threatens security and call for less bureaucracy, stronger investment, and a unified digital infrastructure to make Europe a tech innovator, not just a user.

Skip next section DW's Top Story

DW's Top Story

Skip next section More stories from DW