The project of a European cloud is progressing rapidly: The launch of the first applications is planned for the end of 2021. This is an important step for Europe's digital sovereignty. Industrial users may also benefit from GAIA-X.

After the EU Commission presented the White Paper on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in February last year, a legislative proposal on the use of AI was published in April 2021. BDI welcomes the EU Commission's technology-open and risk-based approach. An approach based on European values can create a competitive advantage for European companies but must under no circumstances constitute an obstacle to innovation.

By 2022, every German will possess around 9.7 networked devices. If these were hacked by cybercriminals, the potential consequences could be severe. Apart from DDoS attacks leading to an outage of the electricity grid, personal and business data could be stolen. As a response to these challenges, horizontal cybersecurity requirements based on the New Legislative Framework should be introduced. The CE marking must stand for cybersecurity.

In late November 2020, the European Commission published the so-called "Data Governance Act". This is the first major legislative package in a series of measures announced as part of the European Data Strategy.

The discussion about trustworthy 5G and cloud providers and the current impact of the Corona pandemic make it clear that successful and secure digitization requires mastery of trustworthy IT solutions. This requires a very high degree of digital and technological resilience. This is only possible with: own competencies, independently developed technologies and a holistic ecosystem.

From telemedicine operations to fully networked production facilities, high-performance 5G networks will drive the digitalisation of all areas of life. As a result, 5G networks will be the highway for highly sensitive data. Therefore, manufacturers of 5G network components must be trustworthy. In order to maintain the highest possible level of security, a European-wide applicable cybersecurity standard is urgently required for 5G components.