Europe stands at a critical inflection point in its defense modernization. The war in Ukraine, cyber threats and the growing strategic assertiveness of global powers have all underscored one simple truth: Europe’s security will increasingly depend on its ability to innovate at digital speed. In its contribution to the EU Defence Transformation Roadmap, Sopra Steria calls for a new model of digital defense innovation — one that combines speed, sovereignty and interoperable capabilities across member states.

Russia’s war against Ukraine has shattered long-held assumptions about peace and deterrence. It has also revealed the scale of Europe’s dependencies — industrial, technological and digital. While member states have committed unprecedented budgets to defense modernization, spending alone does not guarantee readiness. The real challenge lies in execution: in how Europe invests, governs and integrates innovation across its defense ecosystem.

At the same time, a silent revolution is transforming the nature of defense power. Artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, cyber resilience and data analytics have become decisive force multipliers, shaping not only how conflicts are fought but also how they are anticipated, managed and prevented. Europe must ensure that its digital backbone remains sovereign, that its innovation cycles match operational tempos and that fragmented governance does not dilute strategic impact.

As Benoît Chatelain, head of defense and security, Sopra Steria, explains: “The challenge is not merely technological. It is systemic. Slow development cycles, fragmented governance, and a disconnect between innovators and operational users threaten to undermine Europe’s capacity for technological sovereignty. While Europe must face rising geopolitical instability and an unprecedented digital arms race, this is a critical moment to align innovation, sovereignty and operational readiness. It is not only about investing more, but about investing faster and smarter — together — boosting interoperable capabilities across mMember states. Europe’s defense transformation is not starting from scratch — but it is unfolding in a world where time has become the decisive factor of power.”

The European Commission’s Defence Transformation Roadmap offers a timely framework to take that next step — moving from coordination to integration, from pilots to platforms and from scattered projects to a truly coherent digital defense ecosystem.

Sopra Steria’s contribution to this roadmap focuses precisely on how to turn that ambition into practice. It proposes four strategic levers to help Europe strengthen its digital sovereignty, accelerate innovation and achieve operational coherence across member states.

1. Fast-track governance for defense innovation

Europe’s defense innovation ecosystem remains largely structured around long, rigid programs such as the European Defence Fund (EDF). While successful in funding research, the EDF’s multi-year cycles are ill-suited to digital technologies, where obsolescence can occur in months.

Sopra Steria proposes a fast-track innovation mechanism — a permanent open call within the EDF to deliver innovation at the speed of relevance.

This mechanism would operate through three simple principles:

• short cycles (18-24 months): reducing project approval and delivery times from years to months;
• operational feedback loops: testing every project with end-users (armed forces) from TRL 3 onwards to ensure alignment with real operational needs; and
• unified governance: designating a single coordinating entity within the European Commission to avoid duplication across DG DEFIS, DG CNECT, EDA and other bodies.

Such a model would mark a cultural shift — from process-driven innovation to mission-driven innovation.

2. Building a European defense data space

As data are the new fuel of modern warfare, Europe must secure its own supply chain.

Today, defense data remains fragmented across national silos and incompatible systems. The result is a massive loss of operational insight and a growing dependency on non-European cloud infrastructures.

Sopra Steria calls for the creation of a European defense data space — a federated, sovereign network enabling member states to share trusted data without losing control over it.

The goal is not to centralize data but to federate it, using a common interoperability framework. This trusted digital backbone would power key capabilities such as data-centric command and control systems, AI training for decision support and mission simulation, or predictive logistics, maintenance and readiness.

3. Modern command and control for multi-domain operations

The modern battlefield is saturated with data from sensors, satellites and connected systems across air, land, sea, space and cyber. To turn this complexity into advantage, Europe needs a new generation of command and control (C2) platforms.

These systems should be:

• open and modular, ensuring interoperability and avoiding vendor lock-in;
• real-time and data-centric, fusing massive datasets to deliver a single, trusted operational picture; and
• human–machine ready, integrating AI to support faster and better-informed decisions.

By linking data, people and platforms in a single operational loop, these C2 architectures would enable Europe to conduct truly combined, multi-domain operations — the hallmark of modern strategic autonomy.

4. A use-case-driven approach to key technologies

Finally, Sopra Steria experts strongly recommend driving funds toward use cases that deliver critical technology domains.

These are:

• sovereign AI for decision superiority and cognitive defense — including tools to detect and counter foreign information manipulation and interference;
• secure and sovereign cloud infrastructures, to prevent dependency on non-European providers; and
• quantum computing for targeted pilot projects that identify and validate high-impact military applications.

Technology alone, however, will not guarantee success. Europe must also develop a coherent operational ecosystem, connecting its pockets of excellence into integrated, federated platforms that combine the best sovereign capabilities from across the continent.

A call for speed, sovereignty and strategic coherence

As Europe’s defense readiness cannot wait for the next crisis, and as digital transformation is the backbone of strategic autonomy, Sopra Steria’s vision is one of speed, to match the tempo of digital innovation; sovereignty, to secure Europe’s technological independence; and strategic coherence, to align policies, funding and governance behind a single purpose.

As a leading European technology company deeply involved in defense and security, Sopra Steria stands ready to support this transformation — combining its expertise in systems engineering, cybersecurity, AI and simulation to build the digital foundations of Europe’s future defense.

Discover the full analysis and recommendations to build a faster, more integrated and more sovereign European defense ecosystem on Sopra Steria’s website.

Disclaimer

POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT

• The sponsor is Sopra Steria France
• The political advertisement is linked to the EU defence-innovation and digital-sovereignty policies – notably the Defence Transformation Roadmap and European Defence Fund

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