In order to lessen reliance on the United States, a number of European IT CEOs promoted a "Europe-first" approach after Donald Trump won the presidency in 2016. They urged European nations to concentrate on enhancing their own technical innovation. Concerns that growing protectionist measures, especially in the IT sector, might erode Europe's economic advantage prompted this request. internet executives from firms like SAP and others contended that the dominance of American internet behemoths like Google, Facebook, and Amazon threatened Europe's digital sovereignty. They recommended that in order to maintain fair competition and protect its values, especially with regard to data privacy, Europe should give priority to domestic technical projects and regulatory frameworks.

In addition to safeguarding markets, the push for a "Europe-first" attitude aims to create an atmosphere free from the threat of American domination, which will allow European digital companies and entrepreneurs to flourish. Many CEOs in Europe started to perceive an opportunity to advocate for more regional cooperation as a result of Trump's "America First" policy, which included major modifications to international trade accords. They aimed to create a strong tech ecosystem that could compete on the world stage by utilizing Europe's combined technical and scientific know-how. In order to promote innovation on the continent, these CEOs stressed cooperation between public and commercial sectors as well as academic institutions.

This opinion also emphasised how crucial Europe's regulatory framework is, especially when it comes to matters like data protection. With the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Europe took the lead in addressing worries about privacy abuses by US internet giants. By encouraging digital sovereignty and providing a model for other areas to follow, this law became into a crucial tenet of the European IT policy. European authorities aimed to preserve control over their digital infrastructure and encourage moral tech development that protected people's privacy by supporting such regulations.

All things considered, the drive for a "Europe-first" strategy highlights a more general geopolitical change in which the European IT sector seeks to demonstrate its independence from American hegemony. It represents a rising desire to establish a more balanced global tech environment where European ideals are upheld in the management of innovation, regulation, and digital rights. The future may show if this approach can effectively offset the dominating impact of American tech titans on the international scene as European nations continue to grow their tech sectors.