EU Pumps €1.3 Billion into Cybersecurity, AI, and Digital Skills to Fortify Europe’s Tech Future

The European Commission is making a massive €1.3 billion ($1.4 billion) bet on Europe’s digital future, with a strong focus on shoring up cybersecurity defenses, boosting artificial intelligence, and closing the digital skills gap. 

The funding, part of the Digital Europe Programme (DIGITAL) for 2025-2027, aims to strengthen Europe’s tech sovereignty and protect critical infrastructure from growing cyber threats.

Cybersecurity gets a major boost

A big chunk of the funding—€45.6 million—will go toward creating an EU Cybersecurity Reserve, a rapid-response force to tackle cyberattacks targeting hospitals, energy grids, and undersea internet cables. This comes as Europe faces increasing cyber aggression, including recent attacks linked to Russian and North Korean hackers.

“Cybersecurity solutions such as the EU Cybersecurity Reserve will improve the resilience and security of critical infrastructures, including hospitals and submarine cables,” the European Commission said.

Another significant effort is developing a Cyber Resilience Act single reporting platform. This platform will allow European manufacturers to securely report cyber vulnerabilities, helping governments and businesses respond quickly to threats before they become full-blown attacks.

Strengthening Europe’s Digital Identity

Part of the funding will also support the development of the EU Digital Identity Wallet, an initiative aimed at giving Europeans secure and reliable access to online services. This digital wallet will help combat identity fraud and ensure better control over personal data, allowing users to verify their identity without exposing sensitive information.

While cybersecurity is a top priority, the DIGITAL programme will also fund other tech initiatives, including:

• AI expansion: Investment in generative AI and virtual environments to help businesses and public institutions integrate AI more effectively.
• Education and workforce training: Support for European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs) to provide companies and governments with AI expertise, training, and technology testing.
• Climate and disaster management: Enhancing the Destination Earth initiative, which aims to create a digital twin of Earth for climate research and risk assessment.

Tech sovereignty: Reducing dependence on external players

A major motivation behind this investment is to reduce Europe’s reliance on foreign technology.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine exposed Europe’s dependence on external digital systems, leading to a renewed focus on tech sovereignty. The EU wants to ensure it has the skills, infrastructure, and security tools to protect itself without depending on companies or governments outside the continent.

Henna Virkkunen, the EU’s executive vice president for Tech Sovereignty, Security, and Democracy, emphasized that the initiative aims to ensure that Europe remains competitive in the global tech race.

“Securing European tech sovereignty starts with investing in advanced technologies and in making it possible for people to improve their digital competences,” she said. “With the opportunities under the Digital Europe Programme, we are ensuring that new technologies—and with them, new potential—reach European citizens, businesses, and public administrations.”

Calls for funding applications begin in April

The first calls for funding under this program will launch this month, with additional funding opportunities expected throughout the year. Businesses, governments, and research institutions in the EU, EFTA/EEA countries, and other associated nations will be eligible to apply through the EU funding and tenders portal.