Digital Sovereignty: Can Europe Take Back Control?

Carla Husted from Mercator Foundation and Kai Zenner from European Parliament Europe depends on foreign cloud providers, global platforms, and tech giants - but at what cost? In this powerful episode of The Optimist, Dr. Dale Rickard is joined by Carla Husted (Mercator Foundation) and Kai Zenner (European Parliament) to tackle one of the most urgent questions of our time: Can Europe become digitally sovereign — and what happens if it doesn’t? From hyperscalers and regulation to democracy, trust, and Europe’s “own way” in the digital age, this conversation goes far beyond policy — it’s about Europe’s future identity. A must-listen for anyone building, leading, or investing in Europe’s tech ecosystem. The Optimist is presented by TECH by Handelsblatt Media Group and independent from the Handelsblatt editorial team. With the Technology Experience Convention Heilbronn (TECH), Handelsblatt Media Group, Handelsblatt and Schwarz Digits are creating a strategic platform to strengthen the European tech ecosystem. TECH‘s mission is to establish a „cluster of optimism“, connecting Europe’s most influential leaders across technology, industry, politics, and academia. More at tech-europe.org