- June 24, 2026
- ; 12:30
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- June 24, 2026
- ; 14:30
Who shapes the rules of the digital world order?
At our first Digital Dish of 2026, on June 24, Aspen Germany together with our Partner Telefonica, explored whether countries like Germany and its European partners can act as rule-makers in global technology competition – or whether they risk becoming rule-takers between increasingly dominant technology blocs.
The discussion examined how states that are neither technological superpowers nor small actors can still shape the global digital landscape.
These were the main takeaways:
Middle powers can only shape the digital future through cooperation.
No single middle power has the scale to compete with the dominant technology ecosystems alone. Building flexible coalitions, deepening partnerships, and pooling resources are essential to strengthening technological sovereignty and influence.
Digital governance must balance strategic competitiveness with inclusive development.
While AI, semiconductors, and digital infrastructure are increasingly viewed through a geopolitical lens, digital transformation must also address broader societal goals such as economic opportunity, skills development, affordability, and reducing inequalities.
The greatest challenge is reducing strategic dependencies while navigating uncertainty.
Countries face difficult choices in an environment where the future trajectory of AI and other technologies remains unclear. Strengthening resilience across the technology stack – from critical minerals and chips to data, talent, and infrastructure – requires action today, even when long-term outcomes cannot be predicted with certainty.
Thank you to our great hosts Telefónica DE and to our speakers:
Ralph Brinkhaus, Member of the German Bundestag (CDU/CSU); Dr. Jakob Hensing, Head of Political Economy, Global Public Policy Institute (GPPi), H.E. Rodrigo de Lima Baena Soares, Ambassador of the Federative Republic of Brazil in Berlin, Dr. Sangeeta Mahapatra, Research Fellow and Spokesperson of ‘Democratic Institutions’ Working Group, German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA), and Andries Oosthuizen, Minister Plenipotentiary & Chargé d’´Affaires a.i. at the South African Embassy in Berlin.
