"Obsessed with independence and sovereignty, the postwar French state excelled at driving technology that served a collective purpose—something that offers a lesson to the European Union as it seeks tech sovereignty from the US and broader answers to questions about what kind of tech is needed, and by whom."
"More than a decade before anyone was typing www into their web browsers, French users were able to buy train tickets, check film showings, do their banking, play games, find recipes, read their horoscopes, or even log into, yes, erotic chats—la messagerie rose, as it was known."
"As a new made in Europe industrial policy responds to competition from the US and China, the EU has a chance not just to resist the Trump administration's pressure to surrender laws that place restrictions on hate speech and illegal online content but to break free of US tech domination entirely."
France established itself as a technological innovator throughout the latter half of the twentieth century, achieving remarkable milestones across multiple sectors. The nation became the third country to independently launch a satellite and uniquely brought an animal back alive from space. French engineering produced the Concorde supersonic aircraft and the TGV high-speed rail system. The country developed the Hermes spaceplane with improved safety features over the American shuttle, and built a nuclear infrastructure creating one of the world's least carbon-intensive economies. The Minitel system predated the internet by over a decade, enabling French citizens to conduct banking, purchase tickets, and access various services online. These achievements reflected France's commitment to technological independence and sovereignty through coordinated state investment in collective-purpose technology.
#european-tech-sovereignty #state-driven-industrial-policy #french-technological-innovation #digital-independence #eu-technology-strategy
Read at www.theguardian.com
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