EU unveils plan to cut dependence on US and Asian technology

Server racks inside a data centre. The European Union wants to expand its own cloud computing capacity and reduce reliance on foreign technology providers. © Wikicommons/Christopher Bowns

Europe is launching a sweeping push to reduce its dependence on American and Asian technology, with plans to boost homegrown chips, cloud computing and artificial intelligence while keeping greater control over data and key digital services.

EU technology chief Henna Virkkunen is due to unveil the strategy on Wednesday. The move risks adding to tensions with Washington, which has pushed back hard against EU rules and fines targeting major US technology firms in recent years.