Translated from the German original. Read the original in German.
ZenDiS, Germany’s Centre for Digital Sovereignty, is meant to strengthen the country’s digital sovereignty – an ambitious goal. The federally owned company wants to establish open-source solutions such as openDesk as an alternative to Microsoft & Co. The International Criminal Court in The Hague already uses it – a highly symbolic success.
But reality reveals a structural imbalance: 35 staff and start-up funding of €15 million – up against a software giant like Microsoft, which invests billions every year in research, development and marketing.
How is a state-owned company supposed to remain genuinely competitive in the long term under these conditions? How do you intend to provide a secure, high-performance and user-friendly office alternative across the board when resources and planning certainty are lacking?
ZenDiS is an important building block on the road to digital sovereignty – but without binding, long-term funding and political backing, it will not get beyond pilot projects and symbolic politics.
If Germany and Europe really want digital independence, it takes more than good intentions. It takes the courage to set priorities – and long-term budgets that can actually carry this ambition.
Much more needs to be done!
https://lnkd.in/ez2gu_gV
