Digital Sovereignty:
Panel discussion with Matthias Stürmer and Christian Laux

Wednesday, June 11, 16:30-18:00, Casino Bern (free admission)

Control is the central concept in the context of digital sovereignty. When are companies or public authorities themselves responsible for this control in the digital sphere – and in which situations does the state come into play?

The Swiss Data Alliance has proposed an audit model in its publications on digital sovereignty. According to this model, the state is responsible when digital processes have an impact on Swiss territory and Switzerland is institutionally affected as a state. Anything beyond that is a matter for the individual everyday arrangements of companies and agencies.

Almost simultaneously with the Swiss Data Alliance, Matthias Stürmer from the Bern University of Applied Sciences also published a study on digital sovereignty («Technological Perspective of Digital Sovereignty»). In it, he shows how authorities in Switzerland could reduce their dependence on foreign companies and states with Open Source Software, Open Data and Open Source AI.

According to the Swiss Data Alliance's audit model, the measures proposed by the Bern University of Applied Sciences fall within the area of everyday life and thus within the responsibility of individual companies or agencies. This raises a central question: Who has to act?

In the panel discussion, the speakers want to address the associated topics: Who is responsible for strengthening Switzerland's ability to act in the digital sphere? Why is it important to clarify this responsibility? What does this mean for the choice of technology? And with all this: In which direction should digitization in Switzerland develop so that we achieve clarity and freedom to act? Where is our digital North Star?

The panel discussion will take place on Wednesday, June 11 at the Casino Bern. All interested parties are cordially invited. The event is free of charge.

• 16:30 Welcome and Panel Discussion

• 17:30 Questions from the audience

• 18:00 Apéro

Join us for the first Swiss Data Space Forum and connect with technical, legal and business pioneers from across the country!

Register now at forum.swissdataalliance.ch!

As part of a panel discussion, the Swiss Data Alliance will present a white paper on digital sovereignty on June 13 that bundles important findings from recent years. We understand the term in a narrow sense as the ability of a state to actively shape its own position and protect itself from digital threats.

Programme

16:45 Welcome and presentation of key findings

17:00 Panel discussion with Christian Laux and Roger Dubach (Moderated by Francesca Giardina)

17:40 Discussion and questions from the audience

18:15 Apéro

«Digital sovereignty is the ability of a state to define its jurisdiction internationally, to shape its internal affairs and to defend both, including in the digital world.»

Digital sovereignty is at stake when it comes to the state as a whole. This is the case, for example, when a hacker attack paralyzes Swiss pumped storage power plants. The Swiss Data Alliance's white paper argues that digital sovereignty is a matter of international law and should not be confused with everyday digital topics such as open source software or Swiss cloud computing.

What is Switzerland's most important data – and how do we handle it?

Panel discussion of the Swiss Data Alliance in collaboration with the Committee for Cybersecurity of digitalswitzerland.

With Manuel Suter (Federal Office for Cybersecurity), Tom Kleiber (Switch) and Marc Holitscher (Microsoft)

• 16:30 Members meeting of the Swiss Data Alliance (internal)

• 17:00 Panel discussion starts (Moderation: André Golliez)

• 17:30 Discussion and questions from the audience

• 18:15 Apéro

COVID-19 has drastically demonstrated how data suddenly becomes existentially important for Switzerland in crisis situations. It is advisable to define the data that is most important for Switzerland's well-being with a view to various crisis scenarios (energy supply, environmental disasters, wars) and to ensure its availability in the event of an emergency on the part of the authorities, operators of critical infrastructures and other data suppliers.

This also includes special digital protection, security management and the storage structure for this data. This also calls for a corresponding motion by the Security Policy Committee of the Council of States, which was unanimously adopted. The Federal Office for Cyber Security (BACS), which has been newly established in the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) since January 2024, is responsible for implementing the motion.

We are delighted to welcome our guests to our exclusive digitalswitzerland Village in proximity to the House of Switzerland / Ice stadium in Davos during the week of the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum 2024 in Davos.

In partnership with digitalswitzerland, the Swiss Data Alliance will hold an event on digital sovereignty and digital infrastructure.

Sovereignty and Trust in Digital Europe: Navigating the Geopolitical Landscape in the Age of A.I.

• Roger Dubach – Ambassador, Deputy Director – Directorate of International Law at EDA – DFAE – FDFA

• Casper Klynge – Senior Vice President, Ambassador of Denmark (ret.) – Danish Chamber of Commerce

• Stefaan Verhulst – Co-Founder, Chief Research and Development Officer | Director of the Data Program – The GovLab