In a new study, we show why cross-sector interoperability is crucial for digital sovereignty and better cooperation in the digital space, and how this can be achieved.

At the Digital Sovereignty Summit in Berlin in mid-November, representatives from politics and business discussed Europe’s position in global technology competition. The focus was on artificial intelligence and home-grown European solutions – undoubtedly key topics. Yet one crucial aspect is often overlooked: the question of standards.

Standards as the foundational pillars of the digital space.

Standards in the digital space are more than technical specifications – they form the foundation of the digital economy. Their importance is comparable to standards in the traditional industrial world, such as the DIN paper format. Basic internet standards illustrate this clearly: the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) is the fundamental protocol on which the entire internet is based and which enables markets on a trillion-euro scale; the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) allows billions of emails to be sent every day.

Interoperability is crucial here. This refers to the ability of different systems to communicate with each other. Open standards such as TCP/IP create the scalability and efficiency that make the success of the digital space possible in the first place.

However, this structural openness of the internet has not carried over to the application layer – the world of software and platforms we use every day.

Lock-in instead of choice.

At the application layer, closed ecosystems dominate today. Large technology companies do build on open internet standards, but the services they offer on top of them are, for the most part, neither standardised nor interoperable. They use their market positions to create “walled gardens” – closed systems that lock users and data into a given platform.

The implications for digital sovereignty are significant:

  • Availability: The robustness of digital services depends on whether components and providers can be substituted when necessary. Where interoperability is lacking and only proprietary interfaces exist, “single points of failure” emerge: if a provider fails, changes its terms and conditions or withdraws a product, core functions can only be migrated to alternative solutions with great effort, if at all. This creates structural dependencies.
  • Choice: Open standards enable competition because users can switch between providers without losing data or networks. A lack of interoperability, by contrast, leads to so-called “lock-in” effects. This is illustrated by modern messaging services, where switching often means losing contacts.

This discrepancy between the network and application layers is a key structural problem: the openness of the infrastructure is not automatically reflected in the applications we use every day, even though they are often essential to the functioning of our economy and our public institutions.

Interoperability requires a multidimensional approach

With the European Interoperability Framework (EIF), the European Commission has developed a systematic approach to achieving interoperability at the application layer as well. The EIF distinguishes four levels:

  • Legal: Effective cooperation across national legal systems
  • Organizational: Alignment of business processes and responsibilities
  • Semantic: Shared understanding of the data exchanged
  • Technical: Protocols and interfaces for data exchange

These levels form an integrated whole. It follows that standardization processes aiming to achieve interoperability at the application layer must systematically address all four levels.

Sectoral silos instead of common approaches

At present, various sectors – for example healthcare, energy, mobility or public administration – are working on developing their own interoperability standards. While they pursue similar goals, they use different methods and coordinate only to a limited extent.

The result is systematic but unnecessary duplication of effort. Cross-cutting issues, especially questions of legal and organizational interoperability and compliance, are renegotiated in each domain.

Furthermore, sectors such as logistics or energy are, by their very nature, deeply interconnected with many other sectors. A purely sector-based approach cannot adequately reflect this level of interconnection.

A “standard of standards” as a unified methodology

In the new study “The Standard of Standards – Digital Sovereignty and Cooperation through Cross-Sector Interoperability”), in cooperation with SINE Foundation, we propose a way forward: establishing a “Standard of Standards” as a unified methodology for the development of interoperability standards.

The Standard of Standards is not another technical specification, but a technology- and sector-neutral methodology. It defines how interoperability can be achieved, tested and further developed across all four levels of the EIF.

Such a Standard of Standards can create the methodological foundation for open, purposeful and cross-sector communication between different systems – so that interoperability becomes the norm rather than the exception.

The study defines five criteria for selecting a suitable methodology:

  1. Broad community and robust governance – supported by EU and national institutions
  2. Technology independence – a use case must remain valid across many technological generations
  3. Sectoral validation – proven practical applicability in at least one complex sector
  4. Sector-neutral applicability – successful transferability to other sectors
  5. Mandatory testing – automated testing procedures for quality assurance

For successful implementation, we recommend setting up a forum that oversees the methodology, continuously develops it further and provides the critical tools as public goods. A regulatory framework must ensure openness and accessibility for all stakeholders – including small and medium-sized enterprises and civil society.

Who this study is for

The publication is aimed at political decision-makers as well as those responsible in public administration, standardization bodies and industry. Its message is clear: without interoperability standards at the application layer, digital sovereignty remains fragile and competition distorted.

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