European venture capital pushes for homegrown dual‑use tech to curb dependency on US digital and defence ecosystems
Original framing: “Revolut and Spotify investor warns Europe over reliance on US tech” — Financial Times
Europe’s reliance on US defence and digital platforms traces back to Cold War procurement patterns, where NATO standardisation entrenched transatlantic supply chains. The post‑1990s liberalisation further eroded domestic industrial bases, creating a structural dependency that resurfaces in contemporary debates on tech sovereignty. Historical case studies of the European aerospace sector illustrate how coordinated policy can rebuild capability, but only when sustained over decades.
The Lakestar resilience fund sits at the intersection of geopolitical anxiety, fragmented EU industrial policy, and a market‑centric narrative that obscures deeper structural dependencies.
By integrating historical lessons of post‑Cold War procurement, scientific assessments of R&D gaps, and cross‑cultural models of state‑guided innovation, a coordinated EU charter can redirect private capital toward genuinely autonomous dual‑use ecosystems. Embedding indigenous stewardship, artistic‑spiritual dialogue, and marginalised impact assessments ensures that resilience is not merely technical but socially just. A trickster lens reminds us that without systemic redesign, the promise of autonomy may become a self‑reinforcing illusion, whereas a future‑modelling approach can chart a path toward a resilient, equitable European tech sovereignty.