Technological sovereignty in 2026

Europe faces an increasingly turbulent digital environment with escalating threats of cyberattacks, geopolitical tensions impacting technology regulation, and the need to regain digital sovereignty.

In order for the European Union and Spain to consolidate their role as autonomous and resilient technological actors, we must focus on these three critical challenges that will shape our cybersecurity and technological sovereignty agenda.

1. Persistent and evolving cyber risks

Cybersecurity incidents on the rise

Throughout 2025, INCIBE’s 017 helpline handled a record 114,800 inquiries, reflecting the constant pressure faced by businesses and citizens. Identity theft, primarily through the duplication of corporate websites, accounts for a large proportion of these incidents and confirms that the availability and integrity of the digital environment have become a strategic priority.

Hacktivism

Cyberattacks targeting the web vector have become one of the main tools for destabilization. Their objective is to disrupt essential services and erode public trust.

During the STIC Conference in November 2025, the CCN-CERT reported 331 critical incidents related to hacktivism, with a clear predominance of DDoS attacks (283 cases) aimed at disrupting digital services. Their effectiveness lies in the fact that the impact is immediate and visible: an institutional website out of service is both a technical incident and a public sign of vulnerability.

In the current climate of global fragmentation, hacktivist campaigns, frequently linked to government stances, use DDoS attacks to send political messages.

The ability of our institutions to withstand these attacks depends on us not being mere spectators in the development and protection of our critical digital infrastructures.

Evolution of AI

Artificial intelligence enhances defensive capabilities and, at the same time, enables the automation of more sophisticated attacks with increasing scale and impact. These capabilities are particularly controversial when they depend on infrastructures and models that are beyond European control.

2.   Tech champions versus Big Tech

Current events remind us that technological dependence is a political vulnerability. The geopolitical conflict between large technology corporations, the so-called Big Tech companies, and European regulatory frameworks underscores the urgent need to strengthen our own ecosystem.

As highlighted at the recent Spain Digital Week, Spain has the potential to position itself as a true “European technology champion.” To achieve strategic autonomy and avoid being subject to trade tensions, it is essential to encourage companies to scale. The ten-point plan presented by Adigital, endorsed by public and private stakeholders, emphasizes the need for policies that promote investment in strategic capabilities and regulatory frameworks to drive innovation without fragmenting the domestic market.

This discourse coincides with the tensions arising between the EU and major global technology companies and highlights that strategic interests in technology are no longer limited to the market, but intersect with national sovereignty and international relations.

In this context, emerging technology scaleups are a strategic asset. Retaining and scaling these types of players is key to building real and sustainable sovereignty. Initiatives like Es-Tech can accelerate competitiveness and contribute to the consolidation of a new production model in Europe. 

3.   The role of governments and public policy

Governments have a central role in combating cyberattacks and promoting a strategic technology ecosystem. In 2025, Spain announced the creation of the National Cybersecurity Center, attached to the Prime Minister’s Office, a crucial step in coordinating the national response to complex digital threats.

From public procurement to the requirement for resilience in critical infrastructure, public policy must evolve to incorporate cybersecurity as a cross-cutting element of digital development. This is especially important for European scaleups, and Spanish ones in particular, to grow on a solid foundation and compete globally with technological sovereignty.

European cooperation as a competitive advantage

2026 calls on Spanish companies to recognize that cybersecurity is a continuous exercise in coordination between companies, institutions and countries.

Europe could have a competitive advantage if it were more open to shared standards, as it is already doing with the possibility of cross-border exchange of cybersecurity information through the various reference CSIRTs.

Taking advantage of that possibility will be key to maintaining technological decision-making capacity in an increasingly tense global context.

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Author: Fermín Manzanedo  is Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer at Transparent Edge.

With a critical mindset and a passion for continuous improvement, Fermín has helped shape a number of companies—including major media groups—solving their IT challenges with business-focused solutions. He’s also one of the “fathers” of Spain’s first CDN. A physicist by training, he brings a strategic perspective to IT systems management.