Digital sovereignty is becoming measurable for the first time
Trusted Euro Technology launches certification platform for European technology | Adform and smartclip are the first to be certified
Vienna/Cologne (dmexco), 23 September 2026. Europe’s digital sovereignty is determined not only at the political level, but increasingly by very specific technological decisions within companies. Cloud, AI, data and communications infrastructures determine dependencies, resilience and scope for action. At the same time, technology decision-makers and procurers have so far lacked a reliable basis for identifying European technology providers and assessing claims regarding ownership, data sovereignty or operational control. This is where Trusted Euro Technology (TET) comes in: the young Austrian company combines independent certification with a publicly accessible directory that makes European technology visible, verifiable and comparable.
Digital sovereignty: strategically important, but difficult to grasp in practice
Technology decisions have long since become strategic decisions. Anyone who procures cloud, AI, software or data services is also making decisions about legal and geopolitical risks, operational dependencies and long-term economic resilience. In practice, however, key questions are often difficult to answer: Who actually owns a provider? Where is the technology developed? Where are critical systems and data located? On which external infrastructure does a service depend – and where are strategic decisions made? At the same time, many European providers are fragmented across countries, markets and networks, making them difficult for potential buyers to identify and compare.
“Europe does not lack technology, but rather visibility in the market,” explains Emanuel Peruzzi, co-founder and CEO of TET. “Over 80 per cent of the digital products, services, infrastructure and intellectual property used in European countries originate from non-EU countries, and this is not because there are no European alternatives or because European offerings are inferior. At the same time, legislation such as the US Cloud Act, AI export controls and critical concentrations of suppliers mean that 90 per cent of decision-makers in the DACH region have already taken measures to strengthen their digital independence, or are planning to do so. With TET, we aim to provide the market with a tool that creates comprehensive transparency, enables high-quality investment decisions in a simple and evidence-based manner, and thus safeguards technology choices in the long term. European technology providers will thus have access to quality labels that significantly strengthen their position in international competition and open up new market opportunities for them.”
Matthias Stöcher, Head Legal, Policy & essential Projects of the Austrian daily newspaper DER STANDARD, emphasises: “Today, technology decisions are among the most critical decisions that companies have to make, and not just from a financial perspective. In addition to performance potential and cost-effectiveness, aspects such as compliance with European data protection regulations, system independence, technical and economic sovereignty and autonomy play a central role in technology procurement, particularly in the digital sector. In Europe, the choice often falls on US-based VLOPs, although this leads to critical dependencies and potential for blackmail, which – since the Trump tax policy – may pose a significant threat to local companies. Having a guidance tool that is as simple as it is powerful, one that provides transparency regarding crucial technological factors such as ownership, data sovereignty, the localisation of product development and value creation, as well as corporate governance and operational control – and thus enables high-quality, efficient and future-proof technology screening – is an important step towards corporate self-determination and digital sovereignty for Europe.”
From a promise of sovereignty to a verifiable signal
This is where TET comes in, transforming abstract concepts into verifiable criteria. The certification system, which initially covers technology sectors such as SaaS & platforms, advertising, FinTech, HealthTech, GovTech, Industrial IoT, AI start-ups and Deep Tech, encompasses several dimensions: ownership structures, data and AI infrastructure, product development, operations, value creation and technological alternatives. The assessment criteria also incorporate the requirements of the European Commission’s ‘EU Cloud Sovereignty Framework’ and the ‘Criteria enabling Cloud Computing Autonomy (C3A)’ developed by the BSI (Federal Office for Information Security) on the basis of this framework. The assessment combines structured information, documents, automated checks where appropriate, and a technical review. Sensitive evidence remains protected; the scope, validity and status of the certification are made publicly visible.
“A seal alone does not instil trust. What matters is what lies behind it: defined criteria, verifiable evidence, documented audit decisions and an up-to-date certification status. That is why TET also relies on a structured recertification process: after one year, an audit is carried out again based on the current set of criteria – with a focus on the relevant changes. This ensures reliability without making the process unnecessarily time-consuming,” explains Julius Bauer, co-founder and COO of TET.
The first certification scheme, ‘European Ownership’, will be available from October 2026. The other EuroTech seals – ‘European Data & AI Sovereignty’, ‘European Product’, ‘European Operation’ and ‘European Sovereignty’ – are scheduled to be launched by Q1 2027 at the latest. Certified companies can also be listed in a searchable TET directory, which enables buyers, consultants and other technology decision-makers to search and shortlist companies by sector, country, technology and type of certification.
Adform and smartclip on board from the outset
With Adform and smartclip, two renowned European adtech companies have already opted for certification right from the launch of TET.
“Europe has a rich ecosystem of successful, independent digital technology companies, but it faces a structural visibility crisis. Adform supports initiatives that make information about European technology providers clearer and more accessible. We welcome TET’s ambition to contribute to that objective and look forward to seeing the framework develop,” says Oliver Whitten, Chief Operating Officer, Adform.
“Europe cannot build a sovereign media ecosystem while remaining structurally dependent on technology controlled elsewhere,” explains Thomas Servatius, Co-CEO smartclip. “That is why smartclip has consistently advocated for an open, collaborative European approach to adtech, one that gives broadcasters control over their technology, data, and commercial future. This principle extends beyond our ad serving solutions to how we develop and apply AI to shape the future of our industry. What has been missing is a neutral and recognisable way to distinguish genuine European technology capabilities from broad sovereignty claims. TET has the potential to create that common reference point. If the industry embraces it, the seal can help give European technology greater credibility, visibility, and ultimately a stronger role in the global digital economy.”
About Trusted Euro Technology (TET)
Trusted E-Technology GmbH was founded in Vienna at the end of July 2026 and operates Trusted Euro Technology (TET), an innovative, web-based certification and discovery platform for European technology companies.
Led by Emanuel Peruzzi (co-founder and CEO) and Julius Bauer (co-founder and COO), the company aims to enhance the market visibility of European technology providers through standardised quality seals based on investment-relevant criteria such as ownership structure, data and AI infrastructure, product development, operations, value creation and technological alternatives. Companies that pass the assessment receive a digital ‘EuroTechSeal’, a certificate and a publicly verifiable listing in the TET directory. The approach thus combines certification, transparency and matchmaking, and aims to facilitate access to procurement processes for European technology providers.
MEDIA SERVICE
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PRESS CONTACT
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Tel.: +49 (0)89 15890306
E-Mail: presse@trusted-euro-technology.eu
TET’s first partner association is iab austria, the largest representative body for the Austrian digital economy.
Further information is available at https://www.trusted-euro-technology.eu/.