Digital sovereignty: Why Japan plays an ambivalent role as a role model

October 3, 2025, Tokyo, Japan - Japanese computer giant Fujitsu president Takahito Tokita (L), American GPU and AI chip maker NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang (C) and Fujitsu chief technology officer Vivek Mahajan (R) pose for photo as they announced to expand their strategic partnership for AI computing at a press conference in Tokyo on Friday, October 3, 2025. The collaboration will focus on co-developing of industrial AI agent platform such as healthcare, manufacturing and robotics sectors. — Early October, Fujitsu President Takahito Tokita (left), Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang (center) and Fujitsu-CTU Vivek Mahajan (right) announced the expansion of their strategic partnership in the field of AI. (IMAGO/AFLO)

Japan began early on to free itself from dangerous economic dependencies. But there are two sides to this industrial policy. What Europe can learn from Japan's path to technological sovereignty – and where caution is advised.

Corinna Visser

Last updated: 29. October 2025

Japan Technology Semiconductors Digital sovereignty European sovereignty

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Digital sovereignty: Why Japan plays an ambivalent role as a role model

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