Airbus and other companies call for the creation of an infrastructure fund and support for European

Airbus, Dassault Systemes and more than 90 European technology companies and lobby groups have called on European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to create a sovereign infrastructure fund to support cutting-edge technologies, Reuters reports.

In their opinion, recent events in the US and the EU demonstrate the urgent need to strengthen Europe's technological independence. In an open letter, the companies emphasize that it is critical to ensure the autonomy of digital infrastructure at all levels - from software and AI to physical components such as chips and computing power.

The letter warns that Europe's dependence on external suppliers threatens security, sovereignty and economic growth. They propose the creation of an infrastructure fund to finance strategic sectors, including quantum technologies and chip manufacturing.

Another initiative is the introduction of a "buy European" policy in public procurement. This should stimulate demand for European technologies and encourage investment in local suppliers.

Signatories include OVH Cloud, the European Software Institute, the German AI Association and other organizations. The letter is also addressed to the European Commissioner for Digital Affairs, Henny Virkkunen.